Santa Barbara County Supervisors call special hearing to address”renovictions”
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Renters living in one of Isla Vista's largest apartment complexes recently received 60-day notices of termination of tenancy.
They include families and students who live at the CBC and The Sweeps on the 6700 block of El Colegio Road near the UCSB campus.
One student said they wouldn't be able to graduate this summer if they can't cover the cost of a move.
The new owner Core Spaces could not be reached via email or phone for comment in time for this report.
But the notices are the subject of a special meeting.
Supervisors Das Williams and Laura Capps worked with the county staff to act fast by calling the special meeting that will take place on Thursday at 9 a.m. in Administration Building's board room in person and virtually.
"This is a code red emergency not just in our office but mostly for these families and really for our entire community these families there are 264 units and we estimate about 800 people are all of the sudden out of a home there is literally not place for them to turn, " said Supervisor Capps.
Capps said evictions have a ripple effect.
"There is literally no place for them to turn we have a housing crisis , we have a housing crunch."
She said it impacts all incomes.
"When you take away the lowest ladder of the rentals out there is put the squeeze on up and we are all feeling it. I am a renter I feel it."
Santa Barbara rents are making headlines nationally, too.
Statistics show that rents have doubled in the last six years nationally.
The average one bedroom in Santa Barbara is $2200 a month which is more than some mortgages.
Ananya Kepper shares a one bedroom for $2211 a month with a window overlooking the community pool. She said most of the families who live next doors pay less thanks to government assistance.
Kepper said with the help of grants and her parents and her jobs she had hoped to stay through grad school and beyond if she could get a STEM job in the area.
Supervisor Capps said, "In Santa Barbara we are number one for the highest one bedroom in the nation, higher than Beverly Hills, higher than L.A. Santa Monica, New York City, it is egregious and it has to stop."
The urgency ordinance the board will consider is similar to one recently passed by the city of Santa Barbara .
The intention is to make it harder for landlords to remodel just to hike up the rent.
"We need to stop renoviction," said Kepper, "This process where someone can come in and buy everything up and claim to renovate without pulling a single permit or showing need because they claim they want to renovate is insane and absurd."
The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in-person and online.
For more information visit SantaBarbara.legistar.com
Your News Channel will have more on the special meeting tonight.
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