Housing: It’s at the root of so many personal decisions and community conversations.

Santa Barbara County is an expensive place to live, and has been for a long time. About 29% of renters pay more than half of their income on housing. 

The South Coast has a lot of low-wage jobs and the highest cost of living in the region, which contributes to thousands of commuters every day. Even some higher-paid residents can’t afford the rising rents and home prices. 

Noozhawk is planning a series of stories looking at local housing issues, and we want your help. 

We want to hear about the successes and challenges of finding a good place to live. Tell us about living with roommates, the condition of your rental, buying your first home (or not), building an ADU in the backyard, or downsizing. 

We’ll be posting reader callouts over the next few weeks. In the meantime, tell us the questions you want answered, the stories you want to share and news tips you want reporters to investigate. 

You can email us anytime at news@noozhawk.com. 

Here’s our first question: Have you moved recently? Tell us about finding a good place to live in Santa Barbara County.