HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/8/2020 Item 5, Philbin
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Garrett Philbin <garrett@beawesomenotbroke.com>
Sent:Wednesday,
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Regarding the proposed ADU changes to CAs new ADU laws
Dear Planning Commissioners of San Luis Obispo,
I am a concerned resident of SLO who will be attending the meeting this evening, and would like to
address some of the proposed ADU changes to the states new ADU laws. The state has passed these bills
with the intention of creating more affordable housing in a denser and more sustainable way and the
City of SLO’s proposed changes seem to directly oppose that goal.
I'm a third generation SLO resident, 33 years old, who recently moved back to the city after 13 years of
living in Miami, Austin, Portland, and New York City. I'd love to stay here, but it's too expensive to buy,
and renting would take such a high proportion of my income that I wouldn't be able to save for a down
payment in less than 10 years. Right now we're living in my parents' house to try and start saving
money. Yet even if we did, new developments like Righetti Ranch, where some houses are going for $1
million+, just aren't in our price range.
We need more creative, and smaller, housing options. We need more flexibility, not more restrictions.
My partner Amelia and I would love to stay here, and are open to living in smaller houses (<800 sq feet),
living in community, whatever it takes to get a toe-hold and build equity. If the city makes it harder for
people like us to afford to live here, it will decrease the age/income diversity of the community and
force more people to commute (which goes against SLOs environmental goals).
We both work remotely, so we can technically live anywhere. Just last year we did a five month road trip
where we worked and traveled all across the western part of the US. Yet even after those travels, we
still want to live here. If we could afford it.
Please make the path easier for us, not harder.
Garrett
Garrett Philbin
I help people become financially free so they can put more of their mind, time, and money toward building an equitable
world
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