Bonnie & SB Current Family: I happen to be a landlord that voluntarily accepts Sec 8 Housing Vouchers for the seniors-only property I have here in Santa Barbara. Have done so for the last 20+ yrs. The difference between what we receive from Sec 8 and "the market" has been, for me, up to now, an acceptable margin of "loss." This is largely a result of the high Area Median Income published by the feds on which the voucher values are computed for these mostly single occupant units. For most of those 20+yrs the tenants we get have been long-time locals, aging out of prior residential locations (stairs, cost, location, etc). For whatever ineffable reasons go into the Housing Authority calculus, in recent years tenants placed with me via NGO's like Good Samaritan and New Beginnings seem to come from out of the area (to be fair, this is true for most of us if the time horizon to make that judgment is extended a few decades). And the "loss to market" has swelled, when additional factors crop up such as quality of tenant, damage to property, mental instability (read: uncooperative), and ease of voucher management. Frankly, and very sadly, I think "the system" is breaking down. Property owners/landlords and property managers are on the front lines of this change, making it more and more difficult to be a voluntary participant in what has been an important "safety net" program. SBHA has been a terrific partner in so many ways, but the tide of need is overwhelming even this well run organization... By the way, Bonnie, I think your cipher using 3 persons per voucher is a bit high...there are more smaller units in the various programs--I believe--and I think your arithmetic should have a 2 as the first number (maybe 2.5). My units are all single occupant, for example, and I think there are many such units in the population you are estimating.
Agree. Bonnie’s 3 persons per unit is high. Mr Ludwick’s voucher program for privately owned property landlords has different eligibility criteria than tax exempt properties. The programs are distinct.
As a former HUD Certified and CA Housing Finance Agency project developer with a management subsidiary, most tenants accessing NGO owned housing or Public Housing do not move out (until death do we part) because up to 2/3 of typical housing costs are rent subsidized. Accessing a unit is like winning the lottery. Even if a tenant in one of these developments pays ‘market rate’, if the community is owned by a non-profit, their tax obligation is waived because their unit is not taxed.
NGO and Public Housing units pay no property taxes; pay nothing for school bonds or other bond fee obligations. One estimate heard at SB City Council was 1 in 7 locals benefit from residency in property tax exempt housing requiring private property owners to indirectly subsidize via their annual property tax payments. We need verification of total number of tax exempt properties, their assessed value, and amount of tax loss. I’m certain in the billions of dollars.
In CA, applicant verification of income beyond a tax return is lax — it’s the honor system despite the so-called rules. I’ve yet to see any investigations on cash earnings by gardeners, housekeepers, wait staff, hairdressers, etc… or significant cash gifts to elders by their children. I do see nice new expensive cars in project parking garages around the State of CA, and a few other states. (I do know a few tenants with a second homes elsewhere.). Listen to County and Housing Authority eligibility workers to get an earful.
Reality is what it is. Not everyone can afford to live where and how they want. Non-citizens legally reside in subsidized government funded units.
Is its government’s obligation to provide for anyone beyond our veterans?
Locally in past decades we’ve offered housing to fire fighters, SBCC faculty but it wasn’t what they wanted so those property’s were sold off.
Westmont College developed faculty ownership single family housing with resale stipulations within City of SB limits: $100K+ per dwelling to now re-selling for $300K+. It’s “a successful model” in my opinion. As young faculty career advance some have moved off campus into community housing, other original owners remain. Their children have been assets to the Cold Spring School which serves residents within both city and Montecito.
Thanks for this more expanded treatment of this topic. It has me thinking I should have applied for property tax relief all these years! Although I am being facetious, it does strike me that there is an argument to be made.
You started a needed housing conversation! Now Bonnie we seek more than individual stats on occupancies of 3,4,5 persons in specific locations. We seek comprehensive data from multiple EXEMPT housing project sources: SB City Housing Authority, St Vincent’s, NPO retirement communities, Laguna Housing, private NPO and NGO housing, dorms, sorority and frat houses, etc.
I bet the overall median occupancy of all TAX EXEMPT housing is closer to 2 persons per unit; Housing Authority Projects and private NPO/NGO family projects median may be as high as 3.7 persons per unit; and senior tax exempt retirement communities projects 1.2 persons per unit.
An update will be useful to know on total number of South County and/or City residents in tax exempt housing which taxpayers subsidize.
I did a column on the SBHA properties not paying taxes already. Someone should try to get Joe Holland to answer up on all properties not paying property tax. Then you will see all SBUSD properties, All Federal, State, County and City properties. You will see all government and non-profit housing "Projects".........
I accept your anecdotal, anonymous examples. However, I referenced a specific 20 yrs of 8, 1-bedroom units with ONE person per voucher-supported unit. And I can tell you the average yrs of local residency BEFORE becoming my tenant was at least 20, until the last 5 yrs when the placement by NGO's resulted in a prior local tenancy of less than 5 yrs. Not only is the unspoken mission of supporting locals (definition fluid) evaporating in front of our eyes, but the sense of community spirit has been undermined by the well advertised welcome mat of Santa Barbara. Garry Trudeau did us no favors, and the street cred of those who are too new or too young to understand that literary allusion may be wanting. Regardless, I very much appreciate the focus on this topic and your exposure of how this sausage of subsidized housing is made in SB.
I agree with you. I can't say it enough. And as I wrote, I'm committed to our seniors, veterans, and those with disabilities. But they (not just SBHA) are hiding the fact that the homeless are being imported from Arizona, Nevada,... Riverside, Ventura, etc. A lot, being released from jail with a one-way ticket to SB.
I have followed section 8 since my father and uncle rented their mother's home to a family... on section 8. That was 50+ years ago.
Garry and others............... more later, I have to me more awake for that :)
Excellent article and kudos to you Bonnie for crunching the numbers! As I mentioned yesterday, these type of facts are the “Red Meat” we need as informed voters and taxpayers. The numbers don’t lie, in essence a minority of residents (property owners) are footing the bill for the majority! This inverted pyramid is clearly unsustainable and is equivalent to giving 3-4 people receiving public housing a piggy back ride!
Glad to see Mr. Frederick was forthcoming and appears to be transparent (what a shock). I would ask the following:
How many public housing residents are LEGAL US residents? (I think I know the response)
How is cash income verified, are residents able to hide income?
Does sub leasing occur within subsidized units?
How many residents with criminal records receive public housing?
Please keep data separate for public housing (Housing Authority) from private housing; and then subdivide private housing into owned by a NPO or NGO (St Vincent’s, Valle, Verde, Samarkand, Vista, …) as compared to a private owner (as per post from landlord Mr Ludwick who pays property taxes on his investment properties that accept Section 8 Housing Vouchers. )
Lumping units together confuses local housing realities. Today’s Currents article initiates the conversation on subsidized housing — which needs to be addressed — but with clarification, accurate descriptions of our local reality, and data.
The Housing Authority is only one of several sources of local subsidized housing. At one point, HUD stated that Santa Barbara South County had ‘more subsidized units exempt from property tax’ per capita than anywhere in the country. In addition to property tax exempt housing which benefits tenants, there are affordable units directly subsidized by other project tenants, and also Section 8 subsidized units.
Section 8 which typically pays up to two-thirds of rents for tenants awarded a voucher who may reside in either tax exempt and in taxable housing units. Some Section 8 is tied to the HUD financed non-profit housing project and is non transferrable.
What baffles me is why owners of taxable properties don’t unit to say “Enough is enough!”
What is the turn-over rate for the entire range of local subsidized housing units. Does this benefit hand down to each generation who lives in these units? Other than senior housing, what is the pattern of vacancies and turn-overs for each unit.
Time to survey the long term benefits (personal and for the community at large), consequences and even regrets that residents did not move on to a more direct investment in their own housing situation.
The range that needs to be inventoried includes, but not limited to SBHA properties, mandatory inclusionary properties in private developments, charitable housing complexes, and resale price-controlled purchased units. Please add to this list - what have we done already and what has been the overall community benefit that supports taking these units out of the free market housing equation.
JL: I’ve concluded too many have no interest investing in their own housing future. Renting is an easy lifestyle. Government now controls rents and terms of occupancy to the benefit of tenants.
“We are entitled to live here, where we want, how we want! We have a right!” It’s taught in our local schools: Take care of others. Schools need to shift gears to indoctrinating take care of 1. self first, 2. then family, 3. finally community. For some reason taxpaying community is expected to meet individual list of “needs”.
One of my favorite emails from a young 35 year old local middle class worker reads: “They don’t need that much money. How am I to travel and pay rent?”
All the more reason to correct anyone claiming housing is a "right". It is commodity - it is bought and sold. Who pays for the commodity is the only alternate path to take when confronted with that false, and quite frankly bullying, "rights" narrative.
Housing is not a "right". It is a commodity. Who pays for this commodity.
Numbers Number Numbers..... Bonnie why worry about Numbers????
Here is an interesting fact that piles on to the Numbers.... The City has too many commissions and committees that appear to have been created to shield the Council from responsibility for their actions.
CAB pointed out to the Council on November 2023 their Public Works project was and is to this day improperly noticed. (letter to the council prior to voting for it) What was the Council response days and weeks after? It was vetted through the TCC and other committees.....! Huh?
It is their job to make sure some paper pusher and committee isn't doing an underground stealth program only 20% of the residents/voters want. Then again that would appear what they want.
Here is a question. Why does the largest city in the County only meet on the average twice a month and is humming along with increased business?
I'll end with this. As the author has stated before the number of housing units has not been reported as to the number of apartments. The Housing Authority has taken $ Millions of tax dollars off the tax rolls and that does not account for the district taxes (schools etc.). Where does the tax burden fall? On the rest of us.
"Self-Certification: Tenants must provide written statements detailing cash earnings and frequency." Who are they kidding? Sounds just like the marijuana boondoggle that let all those Carpinteria stinkfarms operate for years without business licenses... No real world business is conducted this way. And the tax-paying property owners are the chumps.
Since the local community is required to subsidize housing in order "support essential local service providers", where can we find a list of these local services so we can utilize them.
Child care services, skilled home repair services, senior companion services....? What exactly are the skill sets our local subsidized housing now provides that would not exist in our community if we were not providing subsidized housing.
Is there an office or online contact where we can obtain these now mutually provided community benefits?
How many residing in tax exempt local housing actually provide an essential local service? What’s essential? Water, utilities, road maintenance, air traffic controllers, pilots, police, fire, ????
That claim would undermine the omnipresent government employee union argument, ......we must pay our essential workers enough to "live in Santa Barbara".
Subsidized housing plus inflated government union employee contracts bargained for with their own political cronies sitting on the other sides of the bargaining table would be taxpayer over-reach.
Surely that is not what is actually happening in our little town/county, right?
Santa Barbara is no different than other city councils. They all share the same schemes to not work as if they had a union contract. Even when they're in chamber, they may not be working, But choose to play games on their phone or laptop. Pay them with a 'per diem' and you'll see things change.
The Dalton, Georgia FBI Office has relentlessly been harassing me and my wife at our home in Dalton. The FBI going as far as passing false information to a pool contractor that in turn sabotaged our $60K pool construction that had to be demolished. With no thanks to the FBI, we are now out of $60K. I am a retired Republican electrical engineer at age 80, having spent half my criteria designing military electronics for companies such as Litton Industries, Teledyne and Raytheon.
We were bamboozled by the Democratic controlled City of Santa Barbara (SB) during a period of time we were correcting building code issues in early 2021. The Democrat FBI planted nefarious items and spreading rumors, I'd call it a "Character Assassination," at min. The FBI was engaged in cruel mind games on me. I would say going as far as attempting for me to commit suicide, it actually came close to that. My wife was distressed and did most of the packing. She hasn't been the same. In our SB home, we were literally gassed via heating ducts every morning at our home. One day I smelled acetylene gas. I found items that would tend to link me to nefarious activity. My belief is what happened in Santa Barbara is now being diverted by the FBI's attempt to keep me busy fighting the pool sabotage work in Dalton, GA. I have no doubt the Dalton FBI was involved because they left overt hints in restaurants and at the pool construction site, both physically and verbally. The house adjacent to ours I'm certain is the FBI affecting and monitoring my computer activity. There are occasional flashes on my monitor and people have had their emails scrambled.
None of the code violations were corrected by a Hispanic contractor. He stole $130,000 in performing not one code violation correction out of ten listed. Turns out the SB contractor's license was suspended. Did the FBI investigate the corrupt contractor? If not, why not? A second contractor, Todd Buynak, likewise stole things and money, totaling nearly $100K from us during moving us out of our SB home of 36 years. I lost personal possessions and memorabilia. His dad, a lawyer, attempted to have us sign papers for him to be a "power of attorney," seems suspicious and unethical. We lost money on the sale of the house, too. We experienced a total loss of at least $250K between the two contractors and the pool in Dalton, well over $300K stolen from us. Our SB home we sold for $1.3M and afterword renovated and sold for $4M. Our purchase of the home was $400K and the taxes on the home went up ten times since the theft of our home.
If the previous isn't bad enough, I believe with certainty my home activities are broadcast over the Internet, appears to be TikTok. This is very discerning. If the FBI has an issue with me, isn't this a violation of "due process." I can presume many in Dalton know of me and can't say anything because of the power of the FBI. Have they created a criminal case facade? What the heck is going on?
A retired engineer friend living in Ohio, one morning “coded” me with an email using “IT” in capitals frequent times in a paragraph. So happens I was researching using the term IT in my home the night before. I was figuring out on the computer who used the IT term for Segway before it was released. Either my engineer friend was psychic or was listening in on my conversation. We meet yearly for dinner, when I mentioned FBI, he was silent.
The FBI probably does some good but is also engaged in "killing" people silently. Do you need all these remote FBI offices throughout the country? As it appears, I could write a book on my experience which I would not wish on anyone. If you can do anything for me, it would be greatly appreciated. I have many hobbies to entertain myself, but I have to get this nightmare over with.
Bonnie, I loved your article by the way. I applied for a job on the Internet working for DOGE in Washington, DC. I said I was a Design Engineer and smarter than Elon. I sent the "Letter to Trump" instead of my resume. I thought that was clever. Of course, maybe Elon wants to meet me since I said I was smarter than him <g>.
I received pictures from Victoria Veles Aguirre, Nextdoor "Old Town, in which she sent me pictures of happy kids in her special education classroom. I made a donation to this class in which she was supporting by herself. Before I saw these pictures, I was thinking about how I learned so much when I was happily engaged in taking things apart.
I wrote back to her: "Victoria, thank you so much for your pictures. Funny, I was thinking this morning about having fun is perhaps one of the strongest things about learning. Such as reverse engineering to determine how things work which I immensely personally enjoy. The children in your classroom all have smiles and obviously are having fun. We should always have fun in order to learn. When having fun, life is fun, too. Just ask is you need more funds. And thanks again for the great "fun" pictures. When thinking back as a kid, I probably learned the most at any time when I was having fun <g>. Keep up the good work"
LT: you ask — How many public housing residents are LEGAL US residents? (I think I know the response)
- Fair Housing Act prevents any discrimination. Publicly funded housing via tax exempt bonds, HUD, CHFA, cannot discriminate based on legal status. Congress would need to pass a law.
How is cash income verified, are residents able to hide income?
- Cash income not deposited, and if purchases are made in cash, make verification impossible. Section 8 folks know the benefits of living an all cash lifestyle. Cash cannot be verified unless deposited or debt incurred. Wallets and mattresses are useful.
Does sub leasing occur within subsidized units?
- depends. Subleasing is not allowed in public, HUD, CHFA units. Management agents, front desk workers, typically know who’s in their projects. Private subsidized units are distinct, subject to landlord lease agreements.
How many residents with criminal records receive public housing?
-That’s a question for the SB City Housing Authority.
My post today has nothing to do with the article, sorry about that, but I needed to get on here and thank J Livingston for expanding my vocabulary. I’ve been searching for and I didn’t know what it was, and then there was that hundred dollar word. This word describes the trump administration and everyone in it perfectly. Thank you JL.
You underscore why MAGA broke ranks with the former Republican Party - pork barrel city along with fake pork rind eaters.. before the Great Free-spending Obama/Biden Interregnum.
Rest assured, given enough time anyone back in power will spend their way into ignominy again, unless we all play budget hawks. Are you on board with this - another bi-partisan opportunity. Let's come together and get this out of control federal budget under control.
Again, DOGE.gov gives us all a running score card on efficiencies gained and tax dollars saved. ...... before any one has to "take money out of the mouths of widows and starving children." There is so much just plain waste, unaccounted for dollars and corrupt misspending there is plenty of room before anyone cuts into core social services .
Again, please let the Democrat press releases form your own reality about DOGE.
You made a true statement that when someone comes back into power, they spend more money and Trump sure has proven that. Obama did not add anything to the national debt. Biden was able to cut down the national debt that trump left.
You know I got a little curious about DOGE.gov, so I thought I’d have a look to see what they’re doing. Well was I surprised to see that all the DOGE information is on X, my, my, my. It seems that might be a conflict of interest. Not only that but all the information on there is mumbo-jumbo, doesn’t really tell you anything. This is not transparency.
Jenn, the market drives rental pricing, so obviously Santa Barbara employment does provide this level of income. I too have wondered, but I respect the market - willing buyer meets willing seller in its purest form - anything that rents or sells in this town is "affordable" to someone. Price-fixed housing has always been counter-productive in the long run, while appealing to some in the short run.
Welcome to this discussion group. How far and wide should any societal safety net be, is the underlying discussion matter. Not whether there should be one because all socieities provide one, in some form or another. Rather, what limits does any societal safety net also need when it operates.
This is a commodity and numbers game in the big picture; while a desperately needed lifeline for others in another view. How do these lines get drawn, and by whom?
My general question: By virtue of birth, does anyone have the “entitled right” to live where they were born?
If born in Beverly Hills or Atherton, do I Have the right to live there regardless of my ability to house myself? Or as a single parent house myself and dependents?
Yes Jenn- what are entitled feathers? Yours?! You post you lived in Santa Barbara with your 2 minor children at the expense of taxpayers rather than move where you could live at your own expense (with presumably child support from their father) without subsidized housing.
There are many places with 3-bedroom units for under $1000/mo. Like countless others, you had no need to move because you were given a Section 8 Housing voucher.
Are you or any other able bodied persons entitled to live here or wherever you or they want? Yes: as long as there are tax paid funded programs, the Fair Housing Act, and you or they capture a voucher or an affordable unit.
Weren’t vouchers originally intended for genetically / developmentally disabled, disabled veterans, and the old-old who outlived their savings and assets? Tenement high density housing was created to help prevent inner city rioting by sheltering the poor, the unemployable.
Now vouchers have morphed into an entitlement for the able bodied just like Meals on Wheels, day care, MediCal, school meal programs and countless other government programs paid by others.
I laugh because social security insisted on paying my 14 year old $2400/mo to age 18 because she had an elder parent. Try stopping our determined government from wasting money.
We have these programs set up so what the others can utilize the programs (like a single mother f head ) and might I add my children have done more than most and probably yours w less resources
What a bunch of stuck up pigs
Go get real
I was raised in a 19 room house w two kitchens on an acre and a half
What a mess we’ve created.
We’ve got the government we voted for. Let me correct that statement. We’ve got the Government the unions selected.
Ah, the perks of government. You don’t have to work to get paid.
But what’s the point, they just do as they are told before a meeting ever occurs.
Meetings are just a dog and pony show.
Do you think they actually listen to the public?
Like SBUSD board. The meetings are obligatory to stay in compliance the law.
No decisions are affected by the meetings.
Bonnie & SB Current Family: I happen to be a landlord that voluntarily accepts Sec 8 Housing Vouchers for the seniors-only property I have here in Santa Barbara. Have done so for the last 20+ yrs. The difference between what we receive from Sec 8 and "the market" has been, for me, up to now, an acceptable margin of "loss." This is largely a result of the high Area Median Income published by the feds on which the voucher values are computed for these mostly single occupant units. For most of those 20+yrs the tenants we get have been long-time locals, aging out of prior residential locations (stairs, cost, location, etc). For whatever ineffable reasons go into the Housing Authority calculus, in recent years tenants placed with me via NGO's like Good Samaritan and New Beginnings seem to come from out of the area (to be fair, this is true for most of us if the time horizon to make that judgment is extended a few decades). And the "loss to market" has swelled, when additional factors crop up such as quality of tenant, damage to property, mental instability (read: uncooperative), and ease of voucher management. Frankly, and very sadly, I think "the system" is breaking down. Property owners/landlords and property managers are on the front lines of this change, making it more and more difficult to be a voluntary participant in what has been an important "safety net" program. SBHA has been a terrific partner in so many ways, but the tide of need is overwhelming even this well run organization... By the way, Bonnie, I think your cipher using 3 persons per voucher is a bit high...there are more smaller units in the various programs--I believe--and I think your arithmetic should have a 2 as the first number (maybe 2.5). My units are all single occupant, for example, and I think there are many such units in the population you are estimating.
Agree. Bonnie’s 3 persons per unit is high. Mr Ludwick’s voucher program for privately owned property landlords has different eligibility criteria than tax exempt properties. The programs are distinct.
As a former HUD Certified and CA Housing Finance Agency project developer with a management subsidiary, most tenants accessing NGO owned housing or Public Housing do not move out (until death do we part) because up to 2/3 of typical housing costs are rent subsidized. Accessing a unit is like winning the lottery. Even if a tenant in one of these developments pays ‘market rate’, if the community is owned by a non-profit, their tax obligation is waived because their unit is not taxed.
NGO and Public Housing units pay no property taxes; pay nothing for school bonds or other bond fee obligations. One estimate heard at SB City Council was 1 in 7 locals benefit from residency in property tax exempt housing requiring private property owners to indirectly subsidize via their annual property tax payments. We need verification of total number of tax exempt properties, their assessed value, and amount of tax loss. I’m certain in the billions of dollars.
In CA, applicant verification of income beyond a tax return is lax — it’s the honor system despite the so-called rules. I’ve yet to see any investigations on cash earnings by gardeners, housekeepers, wait staff, hairdressers, etc… or significant cash gifts to elders by their children. I do see nice new expensive cars in project parking garages around the State of CA, and a few other states. (I do know a few tenants with a second homes elsewhere.). Listen to County and Housing Authority eligibility workers to get an earful.
Reality is what it is. Not everyone can afford to live where and how they want. Non-citizens legally reside in subsidized government funded units.
Is its government’s obligation to provide for anyone beyond our veterans?
Locally in past decades we’ve offered housing to fire fighters, SBCC faculty but it wasn’t what they wanted so those property’s were sold off.
Westmont College developed faculty ownership single family housing with resale stipulations within City of SB limits: $100K+ per dwelling to now re-selling for $300K+. It’s “a successful model” in my opinion. As young faculty career advance some have moved off campus into community housing, other original owners remain. Their children have been assets to the Cold Spring School which serves residents within both city and Montecito.
Thanks for this more expanded treatment of this topic. It has me thinking I should have applied for property tax relief all these years! Although I am being facetious, it does strike me that there is an argument to be made.
I can give you 4 different section 8 examples:
1) house with 8 residents
2) Apartment with 5 residents
3) two different apartments with 4 residents each
You started a needed housing conversation! Now Bonnie we seek more than individual stats on occupancies of 3,4,5 persons in specific locations. We seek comprehensive data from multiple EXEMPT housing project sources: SB City Housing Authority, St Vincent’s, NPO retirement communities, Laguna Housing, private NPO and NGO housing, dorms, sorority and frat houses, etc.
I bet the overall median occupancy of all TAX EXEMPT housing is closer to 2 persons per unit; Housing Authority Projects and private NPO/NGO family projects median may be as high as 3.7 persons per unit; and senior tax exempt retirement communities projects 1.2 persons per unit.
An update will be useful to know on total number of South County and/or City residents in tax exempt housing which taxpayers subsidize.
I did a column on the SBHA properties not paying taxes already. Someone should try to get Joe Holland to answer up on all properties not paying property tax. Then you will see all SBUSD properties, All Federal, State, County and City properties. You will see all government and non-profit housing "Projects".........
I accept your anecdotal, anonymous examples. However, I referenced a specific 20 yrs of 8, 1-bedroom units with ONE person per voucher-supported unit. And I can tell you the average yrs of local residency BEFORE becoming my tenant was at least 20, until the last 5 yrs when the placement by NGO's resulted in a prior local tenancy of less than 5 yrs. Not only is the unspoken mission of supporting locals (definition fluid) evaporating in front of our eyes, but the sense of community spirit has been undermined by the well advertised welcome mat of Santa Barbara. Garry Trudeau did us no favors, and the street cred of those who are too new or too young to understand that literary allusion may be wanting. Regardless, I very much appreciate the focus on this topic and your exposure of how this sausage of subsidized housing is made in SB.
I agree with you. I can't say it enough. And as I wrote, I'm committed to our seniors, veterans, and those with disabilities. But they (not just SBHA) are hiding the fact that the homeless are being imported from Arizona, Nevada,... Riverside, Ventura, etc. A lot, being released from jail with a one-way ticket to SB.
I have followed section 8 since my father and uncle rented their mother's home to a family... on section 8. That was 50+ years ago.
Garry and others............... more later, I have to me more awake for that :)
Yes, others...
Excellent article and kudos to you Bonnie for crunching the numbers! As I mentioned yesterday, these type of facts are the “Red Meat” we need as informed voters and taxpayers. The numbers don’t lie, in essence a minority of residents (property owners) are footing the bill for the majority! This inverted pyramid is clearly unsustainable and is equivalent to giving 3-4 people receiving public housing a piggy back ride!
Glad to see Mr. Frederick was forthcoming and appears to be transparent (what a shock). I would ask the following:
How many public housing residents are LEGAL US residents? (I think I know the response)
How is cash income verified, are residents able to hide income?
Does sub leasing occur within subsidized units?
How many residents with criminal records receive public housing?
Thanks again Bonnie!
Excellent questions
Please keep data separate for public housing (Housing Authority) from private housing; and then subdivide private housing into owned by a NPO or NGO (St Vincent’s, Valle, Verde, Samarkand, Vista, …) as compared to a private owner (as per post from landlord Mr Ludwick who pays property taxes on his investment properties that accept Section 8 Housing Vouchers. )
Lumping units together confuses local housing realities. Today’s Currents article initiates the conversation on subsidized housing — which needs to be addressed — but with clarification, accurate descriptions of our local reality, and data.
The Housing Authority is only one of several sources of local subsidized housing. At one point, HUD stated that Santa Barbara South County had ‘more subsidized units exempt from property tax’ per capita than anywhere in the country. In addition to property tax exempt housing which benefits tenants, there are affordable units directly subsidized by other project tenants, and also Section 8 subsidized units.
Section 8 which typically pays up to two-thirds of rents for tenants awarded a voucher who may reside in either tax exempt and in taxable housing units. Some Section 8 is tied to the HUD financed non-profit housing project and is non transferrable.
What baffles me is why owners of taxable properties don’t unit to say “Enough is enough!”
What is the turn-over rate for the entire range of local subsidized housing units. Does this benefit hand down to each generation who lives in these units? Other than senior housing, what is the pattern of vacancies and turn-overs for each unit.
Time to survey the long term benefits (personal and for the community at large), consequences and even regrets that residents did not move on to a more direct investment in their own housing situation.
The range that needs to be inventoried includes, but not limited to SBHA properties, mandatory inclusionary properties in private developments, charitable housing complexes, and resale price-controlled purchased units. Please add to this list - what have we done already and what has been the overall community benefit that supports taking these units out of the free market housing equation.
JL: I’ve concluded too many have no interest investing in their own housing future. Renting is an easy lifestyle. Government now controls rents and terms of occupancy to the benefit of tenants.
“We are entitled to live here, where we want, how we want! We have a right!” It’s taught in our local schools: Take care of others. Schools need to shift gears to indoctrinating take care of 1. self first, 2. then family, 3. finally community. For some reason taxpaying community is expected to meet individual list of “needs”.
One of my favorite emails from a young 35 year old local middle class worker reads: “They don’t need that much money. How am I to travel and pay rent?”
All the more reason to correct anyone claiming housing is a "right". It is commodity - it is bought and sold. Who pays for the commodity is the only alternate path to take when confronted with that false, and quite frankly bullying, "rights" narrative.
Housing is not a "right". It is a commodity. Who pays for this commodity.
The team of Bonnie Donovan and J Livingston could do all the government jobs in the city better and in less time.p than the bozos we have.
They sure could, Polly, that’s a great idea!
Numbers Number Numbers..... Bonnie why worry about Numbers????
Here is an interesting fact that piles on to the Numbers.... The City has too many commissions and committees that appear to have been created to shield the Council from responsibility for their actions.
CAB pointed out to the Council on November 2023 their Public Works project was and is to this day improperly noticed. (letter to the council prior to voting for it) What was the Council response days and weeks after? It was vetted through the TCC and other committees.....! Huh?
It is their job to make sure some paper pusher and committee isn't doing an underground stealth program only 20% of the residents/voters want. Then again that would appear what they want.
Here is a question. Why does the largest city in the County only meet on the average twice a month and is humming along with increased business?
I'll end with this. As the author has stated before the number of housing units has not been reported as to the number of apartments. The Housing Authority has taken $ Millions of tax dollars off the tax rolls and that does not account for the district taxes (schools etc.). Where does the tax burden fall? On the rest of us.
Nicely done.
"Self-Certification: Tenants must provide written statements detailing cash earnings and frequency." Who are they kidding? Sounds just like the marijuana boondoggle that let all those Carpinteria stinkfarms operate for years without business licenses... No real world business is conducted this way. And the tax-paying property owners are the chumps.
Since the local community is required to subsidize housing in order "support essential local service providers", where can we find a list of these local services so we can utilize them.
Child care services, skilled home repair services, senior companion services....? What exactly are the skill sets our local subsidized housing now provides that would not exist in our community if we were not providing subsidized housing.
Is there an office or online contact where we can obtain these now mutually provided community benefits?
How many residing in tax exempt local housing actually provide an essential local service? What’s essential? Water, utilities, road maintenance, air traffic controllers, pilots, police, fire, ????
That claim would undermine the omnipresent government employee union argument, ......we must pay our essential workers enough to "live in Santa Barbara".
Subsidized housing plus inflated government union employee contracts bargained for with their own political cronies sitting on the other sides of the bargaining table would be taxpayer over-reach.
Surely that is not what is actually happening in our little town/county, right?
The FBI does no good. The FBI should be abolished. Go back to all spying done by Navy intelligence and put policing back to the states.
In the Constitution, the feds are limited to the military and the border.
Santa Barbara is no different than other city councils. They all share the same schemes to not work as if they had a union contract. Even when they're in chamber, they may not be working, But choose to play games on their phone or laptop. Pay them with a 'per diem' and you'll see things change.
LETTER TO TRUMP AT THE WHITEHOUSE
The Dalton, Georgia FBI Office has relentlessly been harassing me and my wife at our home in Dalton. The FBI going as far as passing false information to a pool contractor that in turn sabotaged our $60K pool construction that had to be demolished. With no thanks to the FBI, we are now out of $60K. I am a retired Republican electrical engineer at age 80, having spent half my criteria designing military electronics for companies such as Litton Industries, Teledyne and Raytheon.
We were bamboozled by the Democratic controlled City of Santa Barbara (SB) during a period of time we were correcting building code issues in early 2021. The Democrat FBI planted nefarious items and spreading rumors, I'd call it a "Character Assassination," at min. The FBI was engaged in cruel mind games on me. I would say going as far as attempting for me to commit suicide, it actually came close to that. My wife was distressed and did most of the packing. She hasn't been the same. In our SB home, we were literally gassed via heating ducts every morning at our home. One day I smelled acetylene gas. I found items that would tend to link me to nefarious activity. My belief is what happened in Santa Barbara is now being diverted by the FBI's attempt to keep me busy fighting the pool sabotage work in Dalton, GA. I have no doubt the Dalton FBI was involved because they left overt hints in restaurants and at the pool construction site, both physically and verbally. The house adjacent to ours I'm certain is the FBI affecting and monitoring my computer activity. There are occasional flashes on my monitor and people have had their emails scrambled.
None of the code violations were corrected by a Hispanic contractor. He stole $130,000 in performing not one code violation correction out of ten listed. Turns out the SB contractor's license was suspended. Did the FBI investigate the corrupt contractor? If not, why not? A second contractor, Todd Buynak, likewise stole things and money, totaling nearly $100K from us during moving us out of our SB home of 36 years. I lost personal possessions and memorabilia. His dad, a lawyer, attempted to have us sign papers for him to be a "power of attorney," seems suspicious and unethical. We lost money on the sale of the house, too. We experienced a total loss of at least $250K between the two contractors and the pool in Dalton, well over $300K stolen from us. Our SB home we sold for $1.3M and afterword renovated and sold for $4M. Our purchase of the home was $400K and the taxes on the home went up ten times since the theft of our home.
If the previous isn't bad enough, I believe with certainty my home activities are broadcast over the Internet, appears to be TikTok. This is very discerning. If the FBI has an issue with me, isn't this a violation of "due process." I can presume many in Dalton know of me and can't say anything because of the power of the FBI. Have they created a criminal case facade? What the heck is going on?
A retired engineer friend living in Ohio, one morning “coded” me with an email using “IT” in capitals frequent times in a paragraph. So happens I was researching using the term IT in my home the night before. I was figuring out on the computer who used the IT term for Segway before it was released. Either my engineer friend was psychic or was listening in on my conversation. We meet yearly for dinner, when I mentioned FBI, he was silent.
The FBI probably does some good but is also engaged in "killing" people silently. Do you need all these remote FBI offices throughout the country? As it appears, I could write a book on my experience which I would not wish on anyone. If you can do anything for me, it would be greatly appreciated. I have many hobbies to entertain myself, but I have to get this nightmare over with.
The above was sent to the Whitehouse.
Bonnie, I loved your article by the way. I applied for a job on the Internet working for DOGE in Washington, DC. I said I was a Design Engineer and smarter than Elon. I sent the "Letter to Trump" instead of my resume. I thought that was clever. Of course, maybe Elon wants to meet me since I said I was smarter than him <g>.
I received pictures from Victoria Veles Aguirre, Nextdoor "Old Town, in which she sent me pictures of happy kids in her special education classroom. I made a donation to this class in which she was supporting by herself. Before I saw these pictures, I was thinking about how I learned so much when I was happily engaged in taking things apart.
I wrote back to her: "Victoria, thank you so much for your pictures. Funny, I was thinking this morning about having fun is perhaps one of the strongest things about learning. Such as reverse engineering to determine how things work which I immensely personally enjoy. The children in your classroom all have smiles and obviously are having fun. We should always have fun in order to learn. When having fun, life is fun, too. Just ask is you need more funds. And thanks again for the great "fun" pictures. When thinking back as a kid, I probably learned the most at any time when I was having fun <g>. Keep up the good work"
LT: you ask — How many public housing residents are LEGAL US residents? (I think I know the response)
- Fair Housing Act prevents any discrimination. Publicly funded housing via tax exempt bonds, HUD, CHFA, cannot discriminate based on legal status. Congress would need to pass a law.
How is cash income verified, are residents able to hide income?
- Cash income not deposited, and if purchases are made in cash, make verification impossible. Section 8 folks know the benefits of living an all cash lifestyle. Cash cannot be verified unless deposited or debt incurred. Wallets and mattresses are useful.
Does sub leasing occur within subsidized units?
- depends. Subleasing is not allowed in public, HUD, CHFA units. Management agents, front desk workers, typically know who’s in their projects. Private subsidized units are distinct, subject to landlord lease agreements.
How many residents with criminal records receive public housing?
-That’s a question for the SB City Housing Authority.
Ms. Donovan,
My post today has nothing to do with the article, sorry about that, but I needed to get on here and thank J Livingston for expanding my vocabulary. I’ve been searching for and I didn’t know what it was, and then there was that hundred dollar word. This word describes the trump administration and everyone in it perfectly. Thank you JL.
OBFUSCATION!!
Julia, as long as you are into self-improvement, here is another good vocabulary lesson: DOGE.gov https://doge.gov
JL,
We’ve had a deluge of doge propaganda, I don’t need anymore. Thank you.
And we have had enough of tax payer abuse. We don't nee any more of that either. So we are almost on the same page. Onwards, DOGE. Long overdue.
Yes we have and most of the abuse comes when there’s a Republican administration in power.
You underscore why MAGA broke ranks with the former Republican Party - pork barrel city along with fake pork rind eaters.. before the Great Free-spending Obama/Biden Interregnum.
Rest assured, given enough time anyone back in power will spend their way into ignominy again, unless we all play budget hawks. Are you on board with this - another bi-partisan opportunity. Let's come together and get this out of control federal budget under control.
Again, DOGE.gov gives us all a running score card on efficiencies gained and tax dollars saved. ...... before any one has to "take money out of the mouths of widows and starving children." There is so much just plain waste, unaccounted for dollars and corrupt misspending there is plenty of room before anyone cuts into core social services .
Again, please let the Democrat press releases form your own reality about DOGE.
JL,
You made a true statement that when someone comes back into power, they spend more money and Trump sure has proven that. Obama did not add anything to the national debt. Biden was able to cut down the national debt that trump left.
You know I got a little curious about DOGE.gov, so I thought I’d have a look to see what they’re doing. Well was I surprised to see that all the DOGE information is on X, my, my, my. It seems that might be a conflict of interest. Not only that but all the information on there is mumbo-jumbo, doesn’t really tell you anything. This is not transparency.
I accidentally deleted my comment trying to edit lol
Jenn, the market drives rental pricing, so obviously Santa Barbara employment does provide this level of income. I too have wondered, but I respect the market - willing buyer meets willing seller in its purest form - anything that rents or sells in this town is "affordable" to someone. Price-fixed housing has always been counter-productive in the long run, while appealing to some in the short run.
Welcome to this discussion group. How far and wide should any societal safety net be, is the underlying discussion matter. Not whether there should be one because all socieities provide one, in some form or another. Rather, what limits does any societal safety net also need when it operates.
This is a commodity and numbers game in the big picture; while a desperately needed lifeline for others in another view. How do these lines get drawn, and by whom?
My general question: By virtue of birth, does anyone have the “entitled right” to live where they were born?
If born in Beverly Hills or Atherton, do I Have the right to live there regardless of my ability to house myself? Or as a single parent house myself and dependents?
Does anyone have the "Entitled Right" to live where they weren't born?
Yes Bonnie : this is America where we’re free to move wherever we want regardless of where we were born. LAX took the residence of my birth. Dang!
This is America
One can live where one chooses …no matter how many entitled feathers it ruffles
Wrong, Jenn. One can live where they are able to live; not where one chooses to live. Big difference. What are "entitled feathers"?
I’ve always had great houses in my little town
Raised the children in a 3 brm cottage on APS with a huge yard and a view of the harbor
I was Able ‘ to do just fine thank you … since being an American citizen I am entitled … and my roots are here..
how dare you be such a pig
You must be from LA
Goodness.
Yes Jenn- what are entitled feathers? Yours?! You post you lived in Santa Barbara with your 2 minor children at the expense of taxpayers rather than move where you could live at your own expense (with presumably child support from their father) without subsidized housing.
There are many places with 3-bedroom units for under $1000/mo. Like countless others, you had no need to move because you were given a Section 8 Housing voucher.
Are you or any other able bodied persons entitled to live here or wherever you or they want? Yes: as long as there are tax paid funded programs, the Fair Housing Act, and you or they capture a voucher or an affordable unit.
Weren’t vouchers originally intended for genetically / developmentally disabled, disabled veterans, and the old-old who outlived their savings and assets? Tenement high density housing was created to help prevent inner city rioting by sheltering the poor, the unemployable.
Now vouchers have morphed into an entitlement for the able bodied just like Meals on Wheels, day care, MediCal, school meal programs and countless other government programs paid by others.
I laugh because social security insisted on paying my 14 year old $2400/mo to age 18 because she had an elder parent. Try stopping our determined government from wasting money.
Expense of the tax payer
I pay taxes too
We have these programs set up so what the others can utilize the programs (like a single mother f head ) and might I add my children have done more than most and probably yours w less resources
What a bunch of stuck up pigs
Go get real
I was raised in a 19 room house w two kitchens on an acre and a half
So go to hell
How dare you judge me or anyone on housing
I prioritized my children
If you don’t like it it’s your f d up problem
A hole
It is above, not deleted. Again, thank you for commenting!
I will see if I can. Go have a great day :)
It only allows me to REPORT (which would delete) but I don't want that, because nothing is wrong with your post.