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KCRW & the Santa Barbara Independent Present
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Priced Out: Santa Barbara’s Housing Crisis

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Priced Out: Santa Barbara’s Housing Crisis
6pm – Reception
7pm Sharp – Discussion & Live Broadcast

Join KCRW and the Santa Barbara Independent at the Center Stage Theater on Thursday, October 6th, for a conversation about Santa Barbara’s housing crisis. Hosted by KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian, this live broadcast event is free with RSVP* and will be followed by a Q&A. Be sure to come early and unwind with complimentary wine at the reception!

Ask workers in Santa Barbara what their biggest struggle is, and there’s a good chance they’ll say it’s finding an affordable place to live. The numbers paint a troubling picture: the median home price is around $1 million, and the rental market is 99.5 percent full.

So how did we get here? Is it the the rise of Airbnbs? The lack of student housing at Santa Barbara City College? Or, strict building codes designed to preserve Santa Barbara’s charm? We’ll hear from Robert Pearson, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Housing Authority, Nick Welsh, Executive Editor of the Santa Barbara Independent, Renee Brooke, City Planner for the City of Santa Barbara, and Neil Dipaola, President and CEO of Mesa Lane Partners as they try to answer a number of pressing questions, including: how do you keep a young, talented workforce in a place they can’t afford to live?

*Please note that your RSVP does not guarantee admission. Seating will be first-come, first-served.

We want to answer your questions about housing in Santa Barbara. Ask them here:

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