‘Slow Growth’ Policies Raise Housing Prices

Re “Housing Prices in Santa Barbara Alarm Official,” July 1: I am happy to see that Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) is finally waking up to the dire housing situation in her district. However, she glosses over the most significant point: that housing prices are predominantly an issue “for state and local governments.” The real issue is one of supply constraint in the housing market in Santa Barbara County due to political and neighborhood resistance against new housing development. It is no coincidence that Santa Barbara County is the most vitriolic “slow growth/no growth” area in the state and that it has the fastest-rising housing prices.

Supply constraint is a central and critical issue to the housing affordability problem. The real answer is not for more affordable-housing subsidies in Santa Barbara County or other areas in the state that have high housing prices. The real need is for a regional housing body to take the wind out of the sails of the “slow growth” crowd and increase the supply of housing.

Scott K. Choppin

Long Beach