SLO County is expensive. Here’s how candidates say they can keep young people from fleeing
It’s a universally recognized truth that San Luis Obispo County is not the most affordable place to live, especially for younger residents and families.
In fact, it’s routinely named one of the the least affordable areas in the nation.
In 2020, the San Luis Obispo County metropolitan statistical area was named the eighth least affordable place to buy a home in the second quarter of 2020, according to data from the Housing Opportunity Index.
According to the index, an affordability analysis published by the National Association of Homebuilders and Wells Fargo, only 23.2% of the homes sold locally between April and June would be affordable for a median-income-earning household.
BestPlaces.Net, a website that analyzes cost of living and affordability, says San Luis Obispo County has the 17th highest cost of living of metropolitan statistical areas in the United States. Its cost-of-living calculator takes into account factors including housing, transportation, utilities, health care and food and groceries, according to the website.
San Luis Obispo County even ranked above New York City in high cost of living, according to the list.
A pre-COVID-19 survey by economic advancement group REACH found that a massive exodus of middle-class workers, especially young adults, from the Central Coast was likely in the coming decade if drastic measures weren’t taken to improve the local climate.
Take into account that that survey was completed before the current economic downturn sparked by coronavirus, and it’s no surprise that local affordability is a key concern for young voters this election.
As part of our Outspoken project to amplify the voices of San Luis Obispo County’s under-40 residents, The Tribune found that affordability, especially as it pertains to salaries and housing, was the chief issue for most young voters.
At the same time that we surveyed more than 200 young county residents, we sent four questions to all candidates seeking local public office to help learn where they stand on some of those priorities.
We received responses from 46 candidates, who each gave their takes on local issues in 1,000 characters or less.
Here are their responses on the question of affordability. Their responses to the other top Outspoken issues — homelessness, diversity and the environment — will be published in future stories.
We’ve organized the candidates’ responses below by jurisdiction. Where applicable, we’ve also indicated what position they are running for. The answers have been lightly edited for spelling errors or for brevity.
To learn more about candidates’ stances on other issues, check out The Tribune’s new voter guide tool here.
Question: Many middle-class workers say they plan to leave the Central Coast in the coming decade due to the high cost of living, rental and home prices, the job market and other factors. What can your city do to keep young families and residents from fleeing SLO County?
Atascadero
Mayor:
- Heather Moreno: Much of our housing supply is affordable for our county. Atascadero approved the first microhomes project in San Luis Obispo County. Our city consistently provides the necessary entitlements in our housing element to meet the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) from the state. We make it easy for developers to build housing for all income levels, and in the last RHNA cycle, housing built in Atascadero exceeded state targets by more than 25%, including more than 50% of the affordable targets.
- Jerry Tanimoto: The city of Atascadero suffers financially from a ”bedroom community” status, but through all of the economic challenges we’ve faced, strong educational values and community life have been the touchstone of all our efforts. We must work to keep this a place where the next generation is able to get a start in life and give young people a place that they can see raising their own children one day. Before the current crisis, there was a blossoming of young entrepreneurship in our Atascadero. Despite setbacks, our cost of living is lower than in the other incorporated areas of the Central Coast. We can halt flight of our “human capital” by offering lives that satisfy the needs of human endeavor and fulfillment.
City Council:
Charles Bourbeau: Atascadero has, for decades, been a county leader in building more housing. We could allow for smaller residences in selected locations, such as some taller buildings in the downtown area, which needs more residents to bring activity and support businesses.
Mark Dariz: Creating an environment where our residents can live, work and shop in Atascadero would be a great step. The cost of living and housing is a challenge everywhere in California. I would ensure that the city continues encouraging development of low-income housing.
Bret Heinemann: Improve the job and economic base. The area could be more friendly towards technology and other businesses. There is a lot of talk about the tourist industry, but the jobs in these industries don’t offer the wages necessary to live in San Luis Obispo County.
Tori Keen: We need to make sure we are attracting more head-of-household jobs. We need to make sure we have adequate affordable housing and have policies that attract developers to our town. We also need to make sure we have recreation facilities so that families have resources for their children to do extracurricular activities and sports for a well-rounded childhood.
Grover Beach
Mayor:
Elizabeth Doukas: Keep cost down across the board. Go over every budget, cost categories so we can see where the money is going and only spend on immediate needs and those that improve the quality of life for citizens of Grover Beach.
Jeff Lee: As mayor, I have worked hard to make our city affordable for our residents to live in. Examples include approving housing projects, working to provide affordable housing by advancing a partnership with People’s Self-Help Housing, providing more housing opportunities by approving an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance and having affordable water and sewer rates (which are among the lowest in the county) so that families can decide to stay in paradise rather than moving somewhere else. As part of the COVID-19 emergency response, our council enacted an eviction moratorium and waived late fees on water and sewer bills. Additionally, we have awarded microgrants to local businesses and childcare sponsorships in an effort to lend a hand to young families and struggling businesses.
City Council (four-year term):
- Karen Bright: Increase housing availability by working with developers and non profits to encourage a variety of affordable housing units in the rental and owner markets.
- Will Bruce: I always told myself that I would stay in California and never leave, and as I got older, this entire state gets more and more corrupt, and as I get older the stuff that bombards us everyday sometimes, but what ever is in the air dropping by planes, industrial pollution, agricultural mega bad for mammals (we are of this species) has probably built up over the years and because I didn’t start wearing my mask and gloves until last year, it might be too late for me. My lungs seem to breath so much better in dry desert climates or where any contaminates get washed away because of rain fall. I think if the city could figure out a way to eliminate the reasons why we all get this way when we grow older or tell us all how to detox our bodies from the California sludge build up, everyone would want to stay here. It’s actually one of the best climate zones in the world! I believe we are marked a No. 7 Mediterranean climate zone with only a few like us.
Joseph Holmes: This has been a issue for some time and it needs to be addressed. I believe we need to somehow attract affordable housing and developers to work with our agencies to figure out a plan and a solution to get affordable housing in Grover Beach and our neighboring cities. Encouragement and showing that we care and want to help. Together we can work on this.
Anna Miller: Grover Beach can create conditions that are business friendly to help retain existing businesses while enticing new businesses to come to the city. Having businesses in the city means having job opportunities for workers. Adding affordable housing stock will help alleviate the issue of housing affordability.
Daniel H. Rushing: It is the current council’s mission to increase access to affordable housing in Grover Beach, and it needs to continue this mission. Additionally, the city needs to continue its efforts in encouraging and supporting companies to come to Grover Beach to provide much needed head-of-household jobs that young families need.
City Council (two-year term):
David R. Duringer: Minimize taxes, protect kids from drugs (including cannabis), respect right to bear arms.
Morro Bay
Mayor:
John Headding: Morro Bay must implement its housing element plan which includes significant new housing development for affordable workforce housing. We must also move forward with the development of a wind farm off of the coast of Morro Bay, which will provide a significant number of high paying jobs for our city. We must also continue to work together as a region to address the issue from the systemic standpoint.
John R Weiss: By supporting our many hotels, restaurants and retailers. I would streamline permitting to reduce the cost of housing. I would identify opportunities within the city for high density affordable housing.
City Council:
Laurel Christine Barton: One of the adaptive techniques Morro Bay citizens already have at their disposal is the construction of ADUs. Popular in other parts of California and the nation, ADUs are a way to build more affordable rental housing on existing lots without the expense of having to bring in extra utility connections, build new streets, etc. Depending on the size of the lot, an ADU could be a small one-bedroom cottage or a larger two-bedroom apartment or small house. Santa Cruz has built approximately 500 ADUs over the last few years. Having the extra income from a renter could make the difference between staying in SLO County or moving away.
Robert “Red” Davis: Living on the California coast is never going to be cheap. There is never going to be enough coastal land to meet the demand for it, and that is what drives prices up. We should look at intelligent infill of our existing lots within city limits — the Cloisters development is an excellent example of providing open space between clusters of housing — as well as allowing residential units to be built in commercial zones as second story homes above ground-level businesses; requiring builders to set aside a reasonable number of low-income affordable housing; restricting the number of short-term vacation rentals to make more houses available for long-term rentals. Another thing we can do is to encourage low-cost housing programs such as HASLO, the Housing Authority of the City of San Luis Obispo. Council approved their project in August to be built at 405 Atascadero Road.
Richard Sadowski: This is a good question but simply can’t be answered in 160 words as I’ve talked to over 150 people in this group. My talks with Morro Bay’s 18-to-40 residents express an interest in a seven-day-per-week, year-round farmers market. I have been looking at actually affordable housing with modern container homes to address the high rents. The younger people in and out of Morro Bay have expressed how we need better nightlife and more modern food options. Please take a look at my website’s blog, sadowskiforcouncil.org, for more detail.
Betty Winholtz: On the residential side, the city can enforce its new Housing Element and edicts from the state that protect long-term housing. The city can cut by half the number of permitted unhosted vacation rentals in residential and mixed-use areas, preserving long-term housing stock for rent and ownership. The city can start a discussion with property management companies about a balance between rent increases and profit. On the jobs side, we need to recognize it is the homegrown business that blossoms into a stable employer like All Good and Sunshine Health Foods that complement the chain stores like Albertsons and Miner’s Ace Hardware. Commercial space must be preserved and not turned into residential space or we will only be a bedroom community to SLO.
Paso Robles
City Council, District 3:
Steve Gregory: We are addressing these issues. First, we are creating a range of homes for affordability for all levels of citizens. We recognize that we need more head of household jobs, and we have formed a partnership with a company from Santa Barbara and have created a business incubator for startup and small firms. We are seeing more millennials relocating to Paso Robles. We are continuing to work with larger companies to attract head-of-household jobs here. The city now has a full-time economic development manager to help bring in more companies, which will bring in higher-paying jobs.
City Council, District 4:
Jacob Allred: We should invest in building our middle class residents through the attraction of business to our city. I would like to see an increase in the number of head-of-household jobs in Paso Robles to support this.
Fred L. Strong: We are working hard to provide sufficient housing so the prices can reach a reasonable rate. Vacancy rates have a major affect upon the rents that are being charged. Our rate is way too low to have any positive effect. We are also working hard with major employers to provide remote, high-paying jobs that meet the abilities of our work force. I am also personally working to provide more, and better, commuter alternatives for those who find it necessary to commute to meet the needs of their families and themselves.
Pismo Beach
Mayor:
Dan Shadwell: Real estate in Pismo Beach is expensive. There’s no way around that. It’s a beautiful area with a fantastic climate and that will always mean high demand and that real estate is more expensive than in other areas. However, there is much more affordable housing within a short distance from the downtown area. Pismo should actively work with surrounding communities and developers to support affordable housing development in those areas. In the limited areas where rent controls are in place in Pismo, efforts should be made to maintain those pricing structures so at least the current residents aren’t forced out. The city needs to make sure it’s meeting its obligations to provide affordable and work-force housing as required by state law. At the same time, Pismo could be recruiting high-tech and digital economy businesses that provide higher wages and a diversification of industry, so Pismo residents have better opportunities to afford the higher housing costs. That diversification could also stabilize the local economy, so it isn’t so completely dependent on tourism.
Ed Waage: We are in a partnership with People’s Self Help Housing to build new 50-unit affordable, workforce housing units in Pismo Beach on 4th Street. To encourage people to live here, I have supported efforts to make Pismo Beach safe and family friendly. I serve on the Local Agency Formation Commission and we have approved annexations in cities to provide more housing in areas where jobs are. Our economy is strong which does provide jobs, but there is much more we need to do.
City Council:
Marcia Guthrie: I’ve been pretty excited about the new state ADU law which should help in creating more affordable long-term housing in the community. We just approved a 50-unit affordable housing project on Fourth Street which includes senior units that are much needed. There is a second project being proposed and the city needs to recognize that we need flexibility in helping these much needed housing projects to fruition. Most of Pismo Beach jobs and businesses are tourist-driven, especially in the downtown core so keeping businesses thriving and growing will help to keep our economy thriving.
Erik Howell: While many of these issues are macro-economic in nature and difficult for one city to improve, there are steps that Pismo Beach can, and is, doing to help. Pismo Beach is currently investing millions of dollars in the construction of affordable workforce housing and continues to support local businesses. Most importantly, the city can, and should, ensure that the jobs produced by Central Coast Blue and other taxpayer-financed projects are filled by the qualified residents of our community.
Debora Ann Lossing: City of Pismo Beach needs to continue forward with affordable housing.
Scott Newton: Many of the problems facing our cost of living have been created by our government trying to over-regulate many industries including housing. Our city has very few tools available to address this besides high-quality job creation and affordable housing. The job market in Pismo Beach is primarily driven by tourism and much or our community is retired. Future job creation will continue to be driven by this and those that cater to them. The biggest shift in job creation is remote working. Remote working will put more of a focus on living where there is a high quality of living and we score very high in this category. Affordable housing projects have greatly missed their goals. I prefer to see more homes versus apartments in affordable housing. When we create an apartment, we are providing a temporary solution, where home ownership gives them the ability to build home equity and net worth.
James Robert Prichard: Reduce taxes. Reduce fees and regulations to build more competitive housing that is compatible with surrounding neighborhoods.
San Luis Obispo
Mayor:
Heidi Harmon: We have approved several housing projects with a preference for local working people in the hopes of increasing access and affordability in housing. Childcare is another huge priority which is why I voted to support a significant study in partnership with First Five so we can better understand how to address this. We are talking to all developers about including childcare in their projects and we have expanded zoning to ensure that childcare centers can be in as many places as possible. We are prioritizing local business in multiple ways including a small business grant program and a shop local program branded as #SLOready. We are doing everything we can to retain small businesses here that provide good jobs. We are working with regional partners such as REACH to amplify their goal of accelerating job growth in target industries by bolstering current industry strengths, including agritech, cleantech and renewable energy, precision manufacturing and technology.
Sandra Marshall: Make San Luis Obispo affordable again. When I moved to SLO for school in 1974, rent was $300 a month. The house that got away was a two bedroom on Broad Street for $20,000 in 1977. We couldn’t afford it and had to move. Prices and wages were relative. In 1979 with two full-time jobs we were able to buy a home in Laguna Lake for $70,000. It’s now valued at $600,000. The price of housing has increased rapidly but wages have not. To keep or bring people here we must provide a safe community, diversity and increase Affordable Housing throughout the city. Bring in ‘green’ companies with decent paying jobs and a future. Create a landlord relief program. Don’t know how to force businesses to pay more.
Cherisse Sweeney: The context of this question is different today than as we are still in this midst of economically surviving COVID-19 and the impact of the lingering closures. There are still so many unknowns ahead. We need to be aware and willing to adapt to how everyone is impacted. We’ll be forced to rethink outside the box of how we are going maintain a healthy affordable, sustainable lifestyle for all to enjoy.
City Council:
Kelly Evans: This is a dry answer, but mixed-use zoning so office spaces, storefronts and homes can intermingle in the same neighborhoods drives down housing costs, commuting time sinks and increases job opportunities. Families need childcare, local marketplaces and walkable neighborhoods.
Erik Long: The details of how I plan to address this issue are found on the issues page of my campaign website, www.longforcouncil.com.
Jan Marx: Maintaining and enhancing our quality of life is the key to retaining and attracting young families and residents to our county. The high price of housing, both purchase and rental, is a big reason for young people leaving, so the city of SLO increasing affordable housing is key. Although many young families are leaving, many are relocating here to escape big cities and enjoy the SLO Life.
James Papp: Sure, we’re building housing, but we’re not building housing ordinary people can afford, and we’re not building housing the environment can afford. In an era of ever-growing income and wealth inequality, developers naturally cater to the rich, but a community needs more than second homes to sustain it; in fact, second homes undermine local retail. SLO needs to be more strict about approving only what the community needs, not what developers want. That will probably be small — not sprawl or tall — and will probably come through form-based code instead of old-fashioned zoning. We also need to encourage subdivision of existing buildings (which is far more affordable than new construction) and new players instead of for-profit developers. Finally, ownership is key; we can’t become a nation of renters from corporations, particularly when minorities have always had reduced access to the ownership ladder.
Andrea “Andy” Pease: Due to the high cost of housing, our city is losing many people who make up our vibrant community — teachers, artists, firefighters, young families, our adult children returning to town, retirees and many more. For those who stay in the county, the long commutes are contributing to climate change, increased traffic, hardship on businesses and employees, and lost spending in our city. As noted above we need to implement strategies for increasing housing affordability, and we also need to support businesses that create head-of-household jobs. We are updating our economic strategic plan for community resilience and will work with our regional partners to support sustainable economic development.
Abrianna Torres: Re-evaluating all of the pieces that drive up the cost of living in our city are a good starting point. These demographics are often the ones who feel these burdens more severely. Propositions such as the tax increase will only drive up the cost of living and continue to drive our residents out.
Robin Wolf: I think that we need to look closely at the workforce in SLO and recognize that we have a varied cross section of residents with diverse housing needs and work on creative solutions. Mixed-use spaces and live/work opportunities are key in a time with many of our residents facing financial hardships and job insecurity. I think we need to make resources and information more accessible and encourage more community engagement to make sure we are serving our entire community.
California State Assembly, District 35
Dawn Addis: Being priced out of a community is a personal issue for me. I was raised by a single mom and we moved numerous times due to rent increases. Given household income compared to housing costs, San Luis Obispo County is one of the most expensive places to live in the state. We also lack adequate public transportation and modern roads. We need to work on housing, transportation and infrastructure in tandem so that people can afford to live and work in the same community. The challenges of our district’s high housing costs must be addressed in a collaborative effort among cities with the support of state legislation. We need to grow our affordable housing stock, create higher wage jobs and improve transportation options for people throughout the district. I advocated for housing in my campaign for City Council and accomplished getting it approved by the council as a major city goal. I will continue to fight locally and will bring that fight with me to Sacramento.
Jordan Cunningham: The cost of living is astronomical on the Central Coast. To keep middle-class folks here, we have to make housing more affordable, and we have to pursue economic development strategies that bring head-of-household jobs here. This entails increasing the supply of housing and I have supported many bills to do just that (including most recently SB 1120). Economic development is critical, and industries like specialized manufacturing, commercial space development, health care, technology and offshore wind production are all part of that equation. I have been at the forefront of encouraging private and government investment in our communities, as well as a state leader in funding career technical education.
California State Senate, District 17
John Laird: The answer is jobs, housing and health care. In San Luis Obispo County, there is the added economic challenge of the closure of the Diablo Canyon plant. I would want to work with local officials, the business community, Cal Poly and Cuesta College in making sure we can partner on each of these issues.
Vicki Nohrden: I will work to make it easier to create new housing stock and systematize building processes across the state so it is easier and clearer for Californians to create more single family homes. We cannot afford to approach housing from water district to water district, or planning department by planning department basis any more. In addition to increasing housing stock, I will also support businesses. Affordability depends on housing stock and head-of-household jobs. I will work to promote both so that families can live, and work, and thrive on the Central Coast.
U.S. House of Representatives, 24th District
Andy Caldwell: Challenge the status quo, which my opponent has been protecting his entire political career. We need better paying jobs across the entire economic spectrum including blue-collar manufacturing and industrial jobs.
Salud Carbajal: We need to address the cost of living in our community and expand job opportunities so that middle-class workers can continue to work, live, and learn on the Central Coast. In the coming years, we will face the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, which provides 10% of the state’s electricity and employs thousands of people in our region. I believe this presents an opportunity to transform the Central Coast into a green energy hub. I’ve introduced legislation to soften the economic impact of Diablo Canyon’s closure by providing tax credits for renewable energy development in our community to bring in well-paid jobs and help combat climate change while we’re at it. I’ve also facilitated discussions with the Departments of Defense and Interior and taken legislative action to move forward the possibility of off-shore wind development off of the coast of Morro Bay so that our region can take advantage of that unique and emerging energy opportunity.
How to get involved with Outspoken
This isn’t the end of the conversation.
As part of the Outspoken project, Tribune reporters are talking with candidates about the Citizen’s Agenda and other election topics. Future stories will delve into the environment, diversity, homelessness and the availability of childcare.
Under 40 and want to share your priorities? Fill out the form below.
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 9:10 AM.
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