Santa Barbara County is facing a housing affordability crisis. It is the fifth least affordable County in the Country, and families across a wide band of income levels are struggling to afford their rent. A household of three earning under $112,000 per year is considered “low-income” in Santa Barbara County. More affordable housing options are needed for everyone in our community.
In response, SBF convened a 40-person advisory committee and gathered input from 80 more stakeholders countywide to develop our Housing Affordability Report, launched in October 2023. While government, development and business, and the nonprofit sector are all tackling housing issues in our county, SBF’s report recommends both cross-sector opportunities and unique ways the philanthropic community can help.
SBF is committed to using the range of tools at our disposal to support the production, protection, and preservation of affordable housing including grantmaking, convening, advocacy, research, and impact investing.
If you are interested in contributing to the solutions, we welcome your partnership and appreciate your support.
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Analyzing philanthropic solutions to Santa Barbara County’s housing crisis. This report was created to develop a shared, cross-sector understanding of our housing affordability challenges and offer actionable opportunities in philanthropy to join other sectors in increasing housing affordability, supply, and stability in the region.
Click to read the full report.
The Santa Barbara Foundation has been a member of a coalition of leaders from across the Central Coast that is working to launch a new housing advocacy organization. The Steering Committee is thrilled to announce we’re now hiring a founding director to be the first contract staff member of this new organization – The Home Team – to lead its development and drive housing solutions across Santa Barbara County. Please note this is not a Santa Barbara Foundation role. The Home Team is an independent entity.
Contact our team to help you with your specific needs.
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