ISLA VISTA, Calif. – What's been called by a UC Santa Barbara student leader as the largest slum in Santa Barbara County, is now going to be getting a routine inspection.
The community next to UC Santa Barbara has 23,000 tenants – many who live in dangerous conditions.
Supervisor Laura Capps says in addition to the bluff top balconies with erosion underneath, and sometimes inadequate fencing on the cliffs, the inside of the structures are also very dangerous.
She showed recent pictures and went on a walking tour to point out bad wiring, overcrowded living conditions with fire dangers, broken staircases and said there's also a concern over mold.
Capps said it is "unlike anywhere else in the county."
This all comes with a big price tag.
"We have exorbitant rents. $3,000 for a room and if one person were to occupy that they would have to make about $120,000 a year to afford it (and) very expensive security deposits that do not translate to an upkeep," said Capps.
A fellow supervisor who had not seen it up close and took a tour, was convinced the proposed inspection program is necessary.
Bob Nelson said, "it does shock the conscience. There is a problem out there." He said there are spots, "you wouldn't want your kids to live in, you wouldn't want to be living in. I have actually got two kids in college who live in college housing at another university, a public university, and it is nothing like this. It wouldn't be acceptable for them to be living in this."
The new pilot program will be in place for a year.
It will be funded with money the county received in a settlement with UC Santa Barbara over a disputed long range plan that had housing impact issues.
The inspections will be both proactively done, and a response to complaints.
One student government representative said they were badly needed. Paolo Brinderson is a UC Santa Barbara Off-Campus Senator.
He said because the student turnover rate is high, that doesn't justify the living conditions. "It means that larger issues are not address and landlords can go tenant after tenant after tenant without these serious issues being addressed and these issues rental pile up."
(more details, video and photos will be added here later today.)
Isla Vista Inspection Program Approved by County Supervisors after Numerous Health and Safety Concerns News Channel 3-12.
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