Santa Barbara residents spend majority of income on housing

Residents in Santa Barbara, California are struggling to afford housing due to the high cost of living in the city. 

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, people spending 50% or more of their income on rent are experiencing severe cost burdens, and in Santa Barbara, residents are spending up to 70% of their income on rent. The city missed California's deadline to provide a draft for enough affordable housing to account for the amount of low-income people residing in the city. 

The city's plan for housing needs to include specific sites for more new developments and a comprehensive plan to accommodate for 5,664 more units, with 73% of these units to be within the South County. The competitive housing market is also affecting students, with leasing companies exploiting the limited market by increasing rental prices each year, leaving some students living in subpar conditions. 

The director of planning and development says that there is a substantial need for affordable housing, but there is a lot of concern in the community about change, and it needs to be balanced with meeting the needs of the community. Source: The Channels SBCC