California’s Central Coast currently ranks as one of the most unaffordable places in the nation for housing. The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment now approaches $2,300 in cities like Oxnard and Santa Barbara. Home prices are also soaring to record levels. The region’s rising housing inequality raises urgent questions about who can access this essential resource as high rents dictate the lives and livelihoods of California’s diverse population.

The Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy is hosting a virtual workshop on the California housing crisis. The workshop will feature Dr. Stan Oklobdzija, a Visiting Assistant Professor of Public Policy at UC Riverside. Dr. Oklobdzija is an expert on state and local politics and has conducted research on housing reform and land use policy in California. We will also be joined by Sarah Treuhaft, Vice President of Research at PolicyLink and co-author of the new study “State of Waiting: California’s Rental Assistance Program On the Eve of Expiration.” Sarah oversees the National Equity Atlas and specializes in using data to advance racial and economic equity. Introductory remarks will be delivered by California State Senator Monique Limón, who represents Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Isaac Hale, Equity Research Fellow and contributor to the Central Coast Regional Equity Study. Q&A with the panelists will follow the workshop.

All are invited to attend and contribute to the discussion. Please join us for this virtual event on Thursday, April 14^th from 5:30-7:00pm. You can register now using this Zoom link: https://ucsb.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUudOiupjwqG9GUYu78vRDe4BTVUyYH-UVp