More than 4,000 people are on a waitlist in need of affordable housing in the city of Santa Barbara, according Rob Fredericks, the executive director of the Santa Barbara Housing Authority.
“We have a lot of low-income families, seniors and disabled individuals who need affordable housing, and we don’t have enough,” Fredericks said.
In this podcast conversation with Santa Barbara Talks, Fredericks opens up about all the challenges facing the city and the state in the area of housing needs.
Santa Barbara is not alone, he said. California has an affordable housing deficit of 3.5 million homes.
Fredericks talks about the need for more affordable housing, rising homelessness and encampments, and how Santa Barbara’s housing situation is bleak for those who don’t make more than six figures a year.
“Families are being pushed out” of Santa Barbara, Fredericks said.
Fredericks also explains his concerns about SB 9 in the state Legislature and its potential impacts on neighborhoods.
While many want to move to Santa Barbara and demand housing, the real lingering problem is the generations of locals who have been driven out of the community, people who went to local schools, but because of the high cost of living, can’t afford to live here.
And, in a poignant, emotional moment, Fredericks also talks about his fight against cancer, and his efforts to battle the disease.
Please visit the Santa Barbara Talks You Tube Channel to subscribe to more podcasts and Molina’s Santa Barbara Talks website for an archive of all previous podcasts.