Innovative Solutions and Collaboration: Key Takeaways from the 2025 SLO County Housing Summit
The 2025 SLO County Housing Summit brought together key stakeholders, policymakers and industry leaders to discuss the pressing challenges and opportunities in our region’s housing landscape. The event featured a keynote address by 2026 California gubernatorial candidate and former Senate Pro Tempore, Toni Atkins, followed by panels focused on the next generation of homeowners and local government efforts. The summit emphasized the importance of collaboration, innovative policy solutions and proactive engagement to address the ongoing housing crisis in San Luis Obispo County. The 2025 SLO County Housing Summit was emceed by Jocelyn Brennan, who brought her comprehensive understanding of the California housing crisis rooted in years of experience of navigating the complexities of government processes, policy development and entitlement for housing and energy projects.
A Vision for Housing Policy: Senator Toni Atkins Keynote & Discussion
Senator Toni Atkins, a longstanding advocate for housing reform, opened the summit by stressing the need for bold action and comprehensive housing policies. She highlighted her legislative efforts, including Senate Bill 9 (SB 9), which allows homeowners to create duplexes or subdivide their properties, and SB 10, which streamlines the development of denser housing near transit areas. Atkins underscored that solving the housing crisis requires a mix of funding, streamlining processes and incentivizing development at both a local and statewide level. She also reinforced that housing is a fundamental human right and that addressing affordability is critical to California’s future.
Ermina Karim, who facilitated the conversation with Senator Atkins, further explored these themes in a discussion following the keynote. Karim, a prominent community leader and advisor, asked Atkins about the long-term impact of SB 9 and SB 10, the challenges of balancing local control with state mandates, and the importance of streamlining housing development. Atkins reiterated that no single policy can solve the crisis alone and emphasized the need for both regulatory reforms and financial investments to ensure sustainable growth.
The Next Generation’s Housing Challenges and Preferences
Moderated by Molly Kern, CEO of the SLO Food Bank, this panel featured key voices from the next generation of housing advocates: Jessica Goswick, Associate Architect with Architects FORA, Michael Massey, Founder and President of Generation Build and Dalia Flores, Senior Project Manager for People’s Self-Help Housing. The discussion shed light on the shifting preferences of the next generation of homeowners and renters. Unlike previous generations that prioritized single-family homes, today’s younger demographic is more open to high-density living, multi-family housing and mixed-use developments that offer affordability and walkability. Panelists highlighted that the cost of homeownership has skyrocketed, with the average home price now nearly ten times the median annual income. This financial barrier forces many young adults to remain renters, often struggling with high rental costs and limited availability.
The discussion underscored the need for increased affordable rental options and innovative ownership models, such as cooperative housing. The panel also emphasized that public engagement in housing discussions must be more accessible, including virtual participation and outreach at community events.
Government Efforts to Streamline Housing Development
Moderated by Donna Lewis of Rate, this panel featured key local government leaders working in development: Trevor Keith, Director of Planning and Building for the County of SLO, Timmi Tway, Community Development Director for the City of SLO, Megan Martin, Community Development Director for the City of Grover Beach, and Warren Frace, Community Development Director for the City of Paso Robles.
The discussion focused on policies currently in place to facilitate housing development. Key strategies included updating zoning regulations, promoting infill development and leveraging state policies such as SB 9 to enable increased housing density. The panelists stressed the importance of political support in ensuring these policies translate into tangible results.
Officials also discussed challenges in the approval process, advocating for streamlining measures such as ministerial approvals for certain projects to reduce bureaucratic delays. The panel emphasized the need for stronger community engagement to counter NIMBY opposition and build political will for housing initiatives.
The Importance of Collaboration
As the summit concluded, Jim Dantona, CEO of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, reinforced the need for ongoing collaboration between government entities, developers and community advocates. He outlined four key action items to improve housing availability: fostering collaboration, engaging the next generation, championing innovative policies and committing to continuous dialogue. Dantona emphasized that solving the housing crisis is not a one-time effort but requires continuous policy refinement, investment and collaboration.
The 2025 SLO County Housing Summit reinforced the need for a multi-faceted approach to housing challenges—one that includes policy innovation, generational adaptability and community engagement. By working together, stakeholders can create a more sustainable and inclusive housing future for San Luis Obispo County.