At its 6/21 meeting, the Santa Barbara City Planning Commission may tighten up rules requiring developers to provide affordable housing by imposing “inclusionary requirements” on projects with as few as two units. (The threshold now is 10 or more units.) Depending on where the developments are proposed, builders will have to sell 10-20 percent of the units at below-market rates. Smaller project developers will be given the option of paying in-lieu fees. Some developers complain the new rules will further force developers to cater to low- and high-income home buyers, to the exclusion of middle-income shoppers.
