“Housing Justice” focus of speaker series

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. After recent renovictions and protests the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara's chose housing justice as the topic of its Good Things Growing speakers series.

Guest speakers included Stanley Tzankov, the co-founder of the SB Tenants Union and Frank Rodriguez, the Policy Advocate for CAUSE.

Rodriguez complimented the city of Oxnard for passing a rent cap last May.

He said thousands of people have left the county due to high housing costs.

Good Things Growing host Chuck Flacks said change starts with discussions.

"There has to be a way to stabilize rents so awareness would allow for the political will to make this happen," said Flacks.

Flacks said for every 100 people looking for housing there are only two units up for rent.

Finding ways to create more housing is just part of the solution.

The speakers said keeping the rental housing that exists is part of the solution, too.