Three hot buttons dominate Santa Barbarian conversations these days. Housing, homelessness and the evolution of State Street.
Everybody has an opinion. Some are adamant theirs is the right solution.
But others, including City Councilmember Mike Jordan, are tasked with actually creating resolutions to these all-consuming issues.
Many struggle to find housing in Santa Barbara they can afford.
“Putting more housing downtown is key to increased vibrancy,” Jordan said. “We have to identify the types of people we want to attract. Do we need more high-income people here or more doctors, nurses, teachers and firefighters?
“How do we become more effective in producing the kind of housing we really need?”
Jordan clarified the two types of affordable housing–Affordable with a big “A” and affordable with a small “a.”
The former is funded through partnerships with government programs such as the Housing Authority’s Workforce Housing Program. This approach addresses the needs of low to moderate income workers increasingly caught in the gap between skyrocketing rents and ineligibility for other assistance.
The Housing Authority strives to make it possible for more people to live where they work, in Santa Barbara. This minimizes the impact of commuting on our environment and quality of life in Santa Barbara.
Those caught in the latter make too much money to qualify for government programs but don’t make enough money to afford a house or pay rent. This group often includes single teachers, fire fighters, nurses and other professionals. Their options are to live with others or find housing outside of Santa Barbara.
“It’s hard to help our children afford a house or pay rent and live here,” Jordan said. “There is no realistic pathway for them to live here affordably.”
Thankfully, groups like the Housing Authority, Santa Barbara Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, the City of Santa Barbara and People’s Self-Help Housing are working hard to find workable solutions.
We might be making progress on finding ways to tackle the complex homeless issues.
Jordan is active in the efforts to address homelessness. He points with excitement to the new day center on Chapala. “We have migrated away from the historical nightmare of shelters,” Jordan said. “We are moving toward more of a comprehensive holistic approach of offering all the services in one place.”
The Daytime Navigation Center, operated by the Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SB ACT), offers such services as mental health and addiction services, medical services, workforce development and housing navigation—all in one place.
“The new day center is really welcoming,” Jordan said. “It uses resources to maximize results so that we don’t have the challenge of searching for individuals and bringing the services to them. Rather each service provider meets those in need at the center.”
The evolution of State Street seems to be on everyone’s mind.
Jordan is hopeful we can figure out a way to optimize the design of State Street. “It’s clear to me that many people, even most, would like to see State Street developed into something that is less car oriented and more pedestrian oriented,” Jordan said. “But there is disagreement on how many blocks should be designated to pedestrian-only traffic.”
Jordan thinks three to four blocks should be permanently dedicated to pedestrians. The remainder could be car oriented. This portion can be temporarily turned into pedestrian-only when needed, like for parades.
“I consistently hear from an overwhelming number of Santa Barbara residents in favor of State Street being pedestrian oriented, so that’s what we’re planning on,” Jordan said. “But remember the naysayers voices will always be louder because the others don’t see a threat.”
But bikes are a problem. So, Jordan wants the pedestrian area to be bike free. He acknowledges it will be hard to get cyclists to walk their bike in these areas. But he thinks a way can be found.
He suggests Anacapa and Chapala can be used to divert bike traffic from the pedestrian area. He thinks automatic gates could be used to divert cyclists up Chapala or down Anacapa. Plus, a shuttle would travel up and down the center of State Street, which could also be available as a fire lane.
The City is working with Move to educate elementary students about bike rules and etiquette. They plan to include training for middle schoolers and high school kids soon. Hopefully, if young people are trained in rules of the road and bicycle riding etiquette, our roads will be safer for everyone.
Jordan said that some cities have passed an ordinance for electric bikes to require an operator’s license. But some attorneys say this is illegal because licenses can only be issued at a state level.
“I am hopeful we can figure out a way to make this work for everyone,” Jordan said.
Jordan’s life took a circuitous path to live in Santa Barbara.
He grew up in San Pedro, but his grandparents retired in Santa Barbara in 1956 and bought a house on the Mesa. He visited his grandparents often and came to love the area. So, in 1989, after his grandmother passed away, Jordan moved his family to Santa Barbara.
Jordan and his wife, Dayna, both graduated Chico State as recreation majors. They lived in Japan for seven years, running recreation programs for US Navy personnel and their families on naval bases. Two of their four children were born in Japan, and they returned to Santa Barbara when they were pregnant with their third child.
Since there were no jobs in recreation in Santa Barbara, Jordan took a job at Ogilvy Gilbert Norris & Hill Insurance. HUB International Insurance eventually took over and Jordan continues to work there after 25 years, focusing on local and regional employers with employee counts between 25 and 200.
He has served on the City Council for almost five years. Dayna has worked as a trainer and masseuse at Cathedral Oaks and Santa Barbara Athletic Club for 35 years.
Jordan has served as a City Planning Commissioner and City Water Commissioner, Creeks
Advisory Board member, and Governor Brown appointee to the Regional Water Quality
Control Board. He has served on numerous local boards including Downtown Santa
Barbara, Santa Barbara Family YMCA and the La Mesa Neighborhood Association.
Mike and Dayna Jordan are 35-year residents of the Mesa, where they have raised four children who attended local public schools.