By SYVJ Staff
With the Santa Ynez Valley Community Plan being discussed
all across the valley, the Valley Journal thought it would be interesting to
know how community members felt about the issue of affordable, low-income
housing being planned in or near their neighborhoods.
We asked them: Where do you think affordable,
low-income housing should be located in the county? How would you feel if the
low-income housing was located in your neighborhood?
Santiago Ibach - Buellton - I would like to see affordable housing here in Buellton, definitely. It wouldn’t bother me if affordable housing was near me because we need it. I wish I could buy a house.
Pierrette Chapman - Solvang - I would like to see affordable housing in Lompoc. I would be distressed because they’re planning on doing it, and furthermore, the county rule is one house with one guest house per acre. I really feel the county shouldn’t break its own rules.
Ron Anderson - Buellton - I feel there should be some in and around every city. Every city needs affordable housing. To make affordable housing work, it should be classified as less square footage.
Joe Kalina - Solvang and Santa Ynez - Affordable housing should be throughout the entire county, anywhere where there’s new development. In my neighborhood I would not be opposed, if there were some sort of architectural standards and rules about parking in the streets.
Francia DeFranco - Santa Ynez - I’d like to see it in Los Alamos. I would be OK because I live near the high school, and I’d be OK with it being there.
Nina Plaut - Buellton - Buellton is a good spot. I would like to see another shopping center and a clinic. I wouldn’t mind if affordable housing was near me.
Ofeli Rivera - Lompoc - We should have it everywhere. There’s hardly any affordable housing anymore. How much is it? What is affordable housing to some people may not be affordable housing to others. Some people cannot afford even $1,000 a month. I don’t think it matters. It wouldn’t bring the values down, since we can’t tell what is and what isn’t.
Carol McMillen - Solvang - I don’t know if I have an answer. My big concern is the high traffic impact.
Dan Hemming - Solvang - I’d like to see it in Lompoc, and Buellton; I guess Santa Ynez, Goleta, Santa Maria. I live in a five-acre zoned area, so it wouldn’t happen, but I might not be too happy if my property value went down.
Richard Roe - Los Olivos - I’d like to see half in Santa Ynez and half in Buellton because there’s nowhere else to build around here. I wouldn’t oppose it here. If we need it, we need it.
Richard Spencer - Los Alamos - I think every city should have reasonable housing because it sure in the heck isn’t reasonable now. I think it’s fine. At certain high income areas, people can’t afford to live there.
Patrick Ryan - Shell Beach - Affordable housing should be located in every city. There should be opportunity for everyone to have affordable housing in every community. I’d feel OK about having it in my neighborhood; there is a small amount in Shell Beach.
Paul Hemming - Los Olivos - I think low-income housing should be situated in an area with potential jobs or factories, more like Lompoc or Santa Maria because Santa Maria has really blossomed as far as new business and buildings goes. It would put low income housing people closer to potential work. No, I wouldn’t want low-income housing in my neighborhood because it’s a ranch area.