The Coastal Housing Coalition has announced Matthew Fienup as the keynote speaker for its upcoming Santa Barbara Housing Conference 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Carrillo Recreation Center, 100 E. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara.
Theme for the 4th annual conference is The Road to Housing. Fienup, who is executive director for the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at California Lutheran University, will discuss The Forces and Consequences of the Lack of Workforce Housing.
The conference also will feature networking, educational workshops, and plenary panel discussion on housing topics. Co-chairs of the event are Ellen Bildsten and Jon Standring.
Fienup also teaches graduate courses in econometrics and environmental economics. His specialties are applied econometric analysis, the economics of land use, and environmental markets. His research examines the unintended consequences of urban containment policies.
He also is chair of the Fox Canyon Water Market Group and recently was chosen by Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency to serve as exchange administrator for an innovative water market pilot program.
After running a small business in Ventura County for more than a decade, Fienup returned to school to pursue a Ph.D. at UCSB, where he earned a master’s in economics.
He has spent some 15 years working as a professional climbing guide; his other specialties include California Natural History, technical rock climbing, and photography.
Up to 250 attendees are expected, including housing providers, developers, business and government leaders, nonprofits, architects, real estate professionals, financial institution managers, elected officials, employers, and interested community members.
Breakfast, lunch and a post-conference wine reception are included.
For more information, to register or buy a sponsorship, visit http://sbhousingconference.brownpapertickets.com or www.coastalhousingcoalition.org, mail Coastal Housing Coalition, Box 1076, Santa Barbara 93102, email shannon@coastalhousing.org, or call 570-1250.
— Rochelle Rose for Coastal Housing Coalition.