Goleta council demands affluent communities help housing crisis | Santa Barbara County

The Goleta City Council has voted unanimously to send a letter to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors demanding more affluent areas like Montecito and Hope Ranch step up to help solve the housing crisis. 

The letter criticizes the county for proposing to rezone land only where property owners agreed to build housing, which councilman James Kyriaco called an exclusionary housing policy that benefits wealthier areas. 

The council argues that the county should instead consider larger-lot or underutilized sites in affluent areas to expand housing equity opportunities and protect disadvantaged communities in Old Town. 

The council also requests that the county reconsider its proposed sites for new housing, including agricultural land, and to consider demographics in its analysis. The council criticizes the county for its lack of public outreach, and argues that equitable engagement is important and takes time. 

The letter states that the region is in a housing crisis, and that high housing costs disproportionately impact low-income households and can exacerbate segregation by income group. The deadline for public comment on the housing element is Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Source: Noozhawk.com