Largest Business Employers, Government Leaders, Developers among Hundreds Attending Conference to Address Workforce Housing in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT: Hosted by the non-profit organization Coastal Housing Coalition, this year’s Santa Barbara Housing Conference is expected to be attended by over 200 prominent attendees including the area’s large, mid, and small employers, housing providers, developers, business and government leaders, non-profit leaders, architects, real estate professionals, and financial institution representatives.

According to the National Association of Homebuilders, Santa Barbara County is the fifth least affordable small housing market in the nation. As Santa Barbara’s affordable housing crisis has escalated, several challenges have arisen within the community including a loss of revenue and local jobs due to increasing rates of workforce commuting, and increased traffic congestion and emissions. High housing costs have impacted the ability of middle-income workers to sustain affordable housing within the area and have spurred a growing population of working poor and homeless persons. With a less than one percent vacancy rate and increasing rent prices, Santa Barbara County presents numerous housing challenges for residents.

At this year’s conference, Dr. McLarney, President of True North Research, will be unveiling the results of Coastal Housing Coalition’s most recent study, which explores how South Santa Barbara County’s housing market impacts business operations and their employees. The key findings will build upon Coastal Housing Coalition’s previous economist-led research study which found a dramatically widening gap between housing prices and household incomes, and a substantial loss of middle-income workers who make up the base of the workforce.

As high housing costs continue to grow in Santa Barbara County, local businesses are less able to attract and retain employees, and professionals and other workers and businesses are moving away from the area at a rapid rate due to exorbitant rent prices.

Paul Zykofsky, AICP, will be the keynote speaker of the 2015 Annual Santa Barbara Housing Conference on April 10th from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the historic and newly-renovated Carrillo Recreation Center in downtown Santa Barbara. Hosted by the Coastal Housing Coalition, this year’s conference theme is “Housing Needs & Opportunities Revealed”.

Zykofsky directs the Local Government Commission headquartered in Sacramento and its programs related to land use and transportation planning, community design, and health.

Sponsors and attendees of the event currently include:

Santa Barbara Association of Realtors

Yardi Systems

University of California, Santa Barbara

SBCC Foundation

Housing Authority of the County of SB

Housing Authority of the City of SB

Cottage Health System

Mesa Lane Partners

Garden Court

Union Bank

Deckers Outdoor Corporation

Canary Hotel

Westmont College

Santa Barbara Foundation

City of Goleta

City of Ventura

Montecito Bank & Trust

Community Environmental Council

First American Title

RRM Design Group

Brownstein Farber Hyatt Schreck

Bank of Santa Barbara

Impluse Advanced Communications

Jay Higgins

Mission Linen

Stantec (Penfield & Smith)

Terrain Consulting

Westmont College

Susan Elledge Planning & Permits

Coastal Housing Partnership

People’s Self Help Housing

American Institute of Architects

and many others…

Tickets and sponsorships may be purchased at the organization’s website www.coastalhousing.com

Registration fee is $95 per person before April 3 and $125 after April 3 and at the door. Cost includes breakfast, lunch, and post-conference wine reception.

Contact

Lauren Gunther, Account Executive SurfMedia Communications | Marketing & Public Relations 351 S. Hitchcock Way, Suite B-200Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 687-3322

http://www.independent.com/pr/2015/mar/30/largest-business-employers-government-leaders-deve/