Santa Barbara City Council to Debate Tenant Return Rights After “Renovictions”
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Santa Barbara City Council voted 5-2 on to pave the way for a discussion on tenant return rights.
Councilmembers Kristen Sneddon and Wendy Santamaria emphasized the urgent need for action at Tuesday’s meeting.
Together, they submitted a memo requesting a scheduling discussion.
“Nothing quite motivates me as much as hearing that Goleta did it. Anytime I hear that, I think, ‘Why can’t we do it?’” Sneddon said during the council meeting. “We have evidence this is happening. We have examples of other communities that have taken the lead. I want to personally apologize that it has taken us this long and that we have exacerbated this crisis by talking and delaying.”
“We are a city that doesn’t like to fall behind. We want to make sure we are keeping up with the times and with our other local jurisdictions and that we are making a collective effort to bring some relief to tenants in our region,” Santamaria said during a break after the vote on her motion.
When asked about opposition to the discussion, Sneddon responded, “This has been heard in council, and I think there is fatigue. People are tired of hearing about it and tired of talking about it—I understand that. But I think of the tenants and how tired they are of living in it, and to me, that speaks louder.”
Goleta’s tenant protections, in place since 2023, include the right for tenants to re-rent units after renovations if they were forced to move out for renovation-related reasons. The protection also limits rent increases for returning tenants.
The council chose not to add the discussion to a busy upcoming special meeting agenda. Instead, it will be included in next week’s council meeting under a similar topic.
Due to parliamentary procedures that guide council conduct, the issue cannot be placed on the agenda immediately as written.
Councilmembers Erik Friedman and Mike Jordan commended resident Rick Closson for being a voice of reason during public comments. Closson, who is neither a renter nor a landlord, said he believes the issue should be discussed.
However, Mayor Randy Rowse and Councilmember Mike Jordan voted against the motion to add the topic under the discussion of reports generated on Jan. 9, 2024.
Rowse noted that Santa Barbara has about 40,000 rental units, with 16% classified as affordable housing. He also expressed concerns about the potential economic impact and said he did not want the city to demonize any one side of the issue.
The discussion is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
For more information, visit santabarbaraca.gov.
