Coastal Housing Coalition
Mission Statement Board Of Directors Housing Conference 2024 Conference
Coastal Housing Coalition
Finding solutions to the South Coast's housing crisis.
 

Research

One of the key goals of the Coastal Housing Coalition is to conduct periodic research about the South Coast Santa Barbara community (Goleta to Carpinteria) and its housing issues and challenges.

In 2012 the Coalition hired a professional economist to complete an in depth analysis of Santa Barbara’s demographics and housing trends. Two of the key findings learned were:

  • The percentage of middle income households in the South Coast has dramatically decreased in the last decade, resulting in the loss of a key demographic, our ‘workforce’, which is needed for community health and vitality.

  • Since 1980, the gap between housing prices and median household income has widened dramatically in South Santa Barbara County.

In 2014, CHC conducted another research study which included a more far reaching housing survey of local employers as well as their employees. The goal of this survey is to find out how the housing market impacts business operations and their employees. The research explores the preferences of survey takers on the type of housing which would meet the needs of employees and keep them in our community (for example rental vs. ownership or attached vs. detached) and the types of trade-offs they would be willing to make to live close to their place of employment rather than commuting.

To For more information about this study please click here and link to the report.

The Coastal Housing Coalition releases the results of their research at the Santa Barbara Housing Conference. The research study and the conference are supported by a number of businesses, non profits, government entities, individuals, and foundations. We are especially appreciative of the support of the Santa Barbara Foundation which generously funded the 2012 study and report.

 

South Coast Housing & Impacts (2015)

The purpose of the research presented in this report was to gather statistically reliable information on the state of the jobs/housing imbalance in the South Coast region, profile its impacts on various aspects of our job market, community and quality of life, as well as identify marketable housing solutions.

Standards for Residential Project Review (2014)

Coastal Housing encourages local agencies to approve well-designed, appropriately-located housing projects that meet the housing needs of our local workers. Endorsement by our Project Review Committee is one of the ways we advocate for the creation of appropriate work force housing.

Santa Barbara’s Changing Demographics and Housing Trends (2012)

In pursuit of that mission and with the belief that clear and current demographic data were necessary to fully understand the jobs/housing imbalance’s impact on our local workforce, the Coalition engaged the California Economic Forecast to undertake this study, Santa Barbara’s Changing Demographics and Housing Trends. The study provides data for all three closely-interconnected sub-regions of the County in order to better understand the region as a whole.

 

Surveys

South Coast Housing and Its Impacts
Report on Employer & Employee Surveys (2015)

The jobs/housing imbalance in the South Coast and the associated lack of affordable housing is more than an economic issue. On a regional level it contributes to traffic congestion, wear-and-tear on infrastructure, and environmental impacts. It also negatively affects employees’ productivity, lifestyles, community engagement, and overall quality of life. This report contains some of the key findings from the study.

Employer/Employee Housing Survey (2014)

According to the National Association of Home Builders, Santa Barbara County is the fifth least affordable small metropolitan area housing market in the nation. Despite the recent housing downturn, continued exorbitant housing costs make it almost impossible for most people to buy a home in southern Santa Barbara County.

 Employee Housing Survey (2008)

The Coastal Housing Survey is an annual survey conducted to assess the need for housing by workers employed at the largest companies and organizations on the South Coast. There are a total of 70 members of the Coastal Housing Partnership.