Insights from Santa Barbara’s 2024 Housing Conference: Avoiding L.A.’s Housing Mistakes
At the 2024 Santa Barbara Housing Conference hosted by the Coastal Housing Coalition, housing researcher David Shulman delivered a pivotal message: Santa Barbara must avoid the pitfalls that have exacerbated Los Angeles’ housing crisis. As housing affordability remains one of the region’s most pressing challenges, Shulman urged local leaders to learn from L.A.’s missteps and take bold, proactive action.
Speaking to a crowd of policymakers, advocates, and residents, Shulman highlighted how L.A.'s fragmented approach to zoning and reluctance to embrace density led to an affordability crisis and a severe housing shortage. These policies, coupled with years of red tape and community resistance to development, created ripple effects that Santa Barbara can ill afford to replicate.
Shulman’s presentation emphasized practical solutions tailored to Santa Barbara’s unique challenges, including:
Supporting “Missing Middle” Housing: Encouraging duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes to diversify housing options while maintaining neighborhood character.
Streamlining Approvals: Accelerating the permitting process for affordable housing to meet growing demand.
Focusing on Transit-Oriented Development: Integrating housing projects near transit hubs to promote sustainable growth.
The Coastal Housing Coalition’s conference served as a critical platform to discuss these and other ideas, underscoring the urgency of tackling housing affordability with innovative, inclusive solutions.
Santa Barbara’s stunning coastline and limited land present unique constraints, but as Shulman pointed out, the city has an opportunity to lead with foresight. By embracing lessons from Los Angeles and prioritizing collaboration among stakeholders, Santa Barbara can create a path to sustainable housing for future generations.
“We made the mistake of believing that we could build a great place and freeze it in time...”
Noozhawk article: Housing Researcher Warns Santa Barbara to Learn From L.A.’s Mistakes
Shane Phillips, a researcher at UCLA who studies housing, delivers the keynote address at the 2024 Santa Barbara Housing Conference. (Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo)