More than 65% of workers on Santa Barbara County’s South Coast cannot afford to live there, according to a new report from the 2024-25 Santa Barbara County Civil Grand Jury. Many people commute from outside the area.
“Teachers, nurses, firefighters and hospitality workers cannot afford to live in the communities they serve,” the Grand Jury wrote in the report released this week.
The report points to rising housing costs, a lack of new construction, and more homes being used as short-term rentals or seasonal properties that often remain empty…