At a time when the state is putting increasing pressure on Santa Barbara to build housing, two new state bills are currently in committee that have the potential to dismantle Santa Barbara’s single-family homes and replace them with multi-unit housing.
Senate Bill 9 allows homeowners to put a duplex on single-family lots or split them without requiring a hearing or approval from the local government. Where a single-family home stood, eight units of housing can be built. Senate Bill 10 would allow cities to adopt an ordinance to zone any parcel of land, including single-family homes, for up to 10 units of housing if it is located in a “transit-rich or jobs-rich area” or is an urban infill site. Both bills will not require environmental analysis. Like SB 9, SB 10 also only requires ministerial approval.
“The biggest challenge with both of them is that they take away local control,” said former state senator Hannah-Beth Jackson. “So a lot of buildings that would take place would be done without the public input, without the community being able to approve or fashion the development so that it meets the values of the community.”