If I wanted to destroy affordable housing in Santa Barbara, I wouldn’t swing a wrecking ball. No, I’d smile politely and pass laws. I’d say I was protecting people, preserving neighborhoods, saving the environment, looking after the renters from evil landlords. And then — brick by brick, regulation by regulation — I’d make it impossible to build or maintain housing anyone could afford.
First, I would drown every new housing proposal in process. I’d let planning and permitting drag on for years, not months. I’d require stacks of studies — seismic, coastal, archaeological, biological — each one necessary, each one slow. I’d delay until developers gave up and lenders moved on.
Then I’d make building small and dense — the kind that working families can actually afford — practically unlivable. Height limits, setback rules, coastal overlays, neighborhood overlays, aesthetic overlays — I’d stack them like sandbags around every parcel of land. The message would be clear: If you want to build homes, build somewhere else…