Santa Barbara · community
Community pulse
What residents are talking about in Santa Barbara public meetings, ranked by community engagement.
SEIU Local 620 supervisory unit labor negotiations
Casa de la Raza property purchase
Rent stabilization funding (remote)
Budget priorities (remote)
Budget priorities and housing
Police funding and budget transparency
Rent stabilization funding
Police staffing compromise
Housing and rent stabilization
General unit staffing and classification study
UUT amendment / Measure G
Pension and fiscal caution
Housing trust fund
Affordable housing funding
Arts and community grant funding
City workforce protections
General public comment / mayoral candidacy
Climate resilience
Tenant protections / rent increases
Rent stabilization
Rent freeze (Item 2)
In the news
12 articlesRecent coverage of Santa Barbara from local and regional media.
Work Needed on New Santa Barbara Renter Eviction Rules, Council Says
New renter eviction rules need more work and conversation before approval, the Santa Barbara City Council decided on Tuesday. Proposed amendments to the city’s just cause eviction ordinance tackle owners evicti...
Nov 1, 2026Fifth District Supervisor Campaigns Pass $530K in Pre-Election Push
The fundraising campaigns of Maribel Aguilera and Ricardo Valencia for the Fifth District county supervisor seat have surpassed $534,000 total, making it the spendiest local race on Tuesday’s ballot. ...
Nov 1, 2026Santa Maria High School students walk out to protest ICE after assault on disabled student
A few dozen students turned out for the event on Friday, garnering honks, engine revving and shouts of support from people driving by. Volunteers for 805 UndocuFund showed up to lead the students in chants.
Oct 31, 2026After 45 Years, Goleta School Board Member Prepares to Say Goodbye
For 45 years, Richard Mayer has been a stable presence shaping the Goleta Union School District.  But in December, the distinguished UC Santa Barbara psychology professor and researcher will say goodbye to...
Oct 31, 2026Kristen Sneddon: Santa Barbara Is Not for Sale
Santa Barbara is not for sale. That is what we need to tell major developers and powerful, well-funded real estate interests in Tuesday’s election. They have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into our ci...
Oct 31, 2026City of Santa Barbara hopes to strengthen tenants’ eviction rights, but Just Cause Ordinance still needs work
Santa Barbara city officials proposed 11 changes to the city’s Just Cause Ordinance, which would restrict landlords from evicting tenants without specific legal reasons, at a Tuesday night meeting. The city’s J...
Oct 30, 2026Bill Macfadyen: Santa Barbara Salon’s Eminent-Domain Fight With City Is Anything But Clean Cut
Election Day is Nov. 3, but the decisions that matter most to Santa Barbara County won’t end when the votes are counted. However long that takes in California. From housing and water, sanitation and roads, pub...
Oct 30, 2026Who will be the next mayor? It doesn’t matter for some residents fearful of the next ICE raid
The race for Santa Barbara’s next mayor is the last thing on Lorena Penaloza’s mind. Penaloza, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, was born and raised in Santa Barbara. She is the mother of four, and runs a sto...
Oct 30, 2026Bill Macfadyen: Santa Barbara Salon’s Eminent-Domain Fight With City Is Anything But Clean Cut
Bill Macfadyen: Santa Barbara Salon’s Eminent-Domain Fight With City Is Anything But Clean Cut Noozhawk
Oct 30, 2026Santa Barbara Unified tightens consequences for racism, hate-motivated conduct following ‘blackface’ TikTok post
Concerns about a pattern of racism in Santa Barbara Unified schools reached a fever pitch after a TikTok post of San Marcos High School students in an ethnic studies classroom depicting ‘blackface’ circulated nearly a month ago
Oct 29, 2026Plans to Build Another Battery Center in Goleta Put on Pause
On Monday, Goleta’s Planning Commission voted to hit pause on a proposal to build a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at a site on Viajero Drive operated by Scale Microgrids, LLC, located across Hollister Av...
Oct 29, 2026Santa Barbara Unified Updates Protocols to Address Racist Acts
The Santa Barbara Unified School District is rethinking its response to racist acts, following public outcry over white students at San Marcos High School portraying “blackface” in a social media post last mont...
Oct 29, 2026