The Five-Spot: Deconstructing Trump's 2026 Proposed Budget Cuts, Rental Caps and Climate Rollbacks
Trump ensures his second term is worse than the first with increased environmental push backs, attacks on LGBTQ+ rights & climate science, plus proposed cuts to Native programs, housing aid and more
(Editor’s note: Newsmakers intern Shelby Appice, who will graduate from UCSB in June with a major in Communication and minor in Professional Writing, is tracking the local effects of the Trump Administration in her “Five Spot” column).
By Shelby Appice
Five ways that Santa Barbara is plagued by Trump policies, right now:
Budget Proposal Targets Native Communities
President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal includes a 24 percent cut to core tribal programs — slashing funding for housing, education, infrastructure and law enforcement in Native communities. This includes a $617 million reduction to Bureau of Indian Affairs programs and the elimination of grants that fund tribal housing development and school construction.While Santa Barbara County isn’t home to large reservations, we do reside on and share the ancestral lands of the Chumash people — and these cuts would ripple locally. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, a federally recognized tribe, depends on federal programs for housing and self-governance infrastructure. Cuts to tribal law enforcement and development support may strain the tribe’s ability to address community needs or expand local services and business initiatives.
The proposed elimination of the Native American Housing Block Grant program is especially damaging as it has helped tribes across the country become more self-sufficient. Here, the Chumash-run housing programs and health services often fill critical gaps for Native and rural residents alike.
Congress still has to approve any of these cuts, but the proposed budget is a clear statement of priorities — and what local tribal communities like Santa Ynez stand to lose if it is enacted.
Budget Proposal Slashes Federal Rental Aid
President Trump’s proposed 2026 budget would also slash federal rental aid by 40 percent, forcing states — including California — to fill the gap if they want. For Santa Barbara, where thousands of low-income households depend on Section 8 vouchers and housing costs routinely top around $3,000/month, this could be catastrophic. The plan would also impose a two-year cap on rental assistance for able-bodied adults, ignoring the long-term housing challenges people face in the markets.Funding cuts also would jeopardize local programs that provide supportive housing, emergency shelter, and fair housing enforcement — already stretched thin in areas grappling with homelessness and a dire lack of affordable units. Homeless services organizations here, like SB ACT and PATH, rely on federal dollars and thus remain vulnerable.
Critically, the Trump plan would hand states block grants instead — a system often linked to reduced oversight and diversion of funds. With the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) already warning local authorities to brace for the end of emergency housing vouchers due to lack of funding — a way Santa Barbara has prevents homelessness — the county remains alert.
If passed by Congress, this budget would deeply destabilize housing security here at home.
Oil Spill Anniversary Amplifies Growing Climate Concerns
It has been 10 years since the Refugio Oil Spill in Santa Barbara — one of the worst coastal disasters in California history. Despite the spill’s devastating impact on marine life and habitat, the pipeline’s new owner, Sable Offshore Corp., is pushing to restart the same pipeline.President Trump’s second term is seeing an even faster rollback of environmental protections than his first — with more than 145 anti-environmental actions already. From reopening offshore drilling to abandoning global climate commitments, this administration is accelerating fossil fuel expansion at the expense of clean air, water, and a livable planet.
Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement again, defunded international climate efforts, and is gutting U.S. climate science institutions — including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the State Department’s Office for Global Change. The administration also shut down the Sixth National Climate Assessment blocking U.S. scientists from contributing to global climate research.
A paddle-out at Refugio State Beach to protest the restart effort and demand permanent protection for the Gaviota coastline was held Sunday morning, May 18, with the message that aging, corroded pipeline is too dangerous to restart — and that Sable Offshore is polluting local waterways and avoiding regulatory authority.
Administration Undermines LGBTQ+ Rights
While there is no precise or single statistic for the LGBTQ+ population in Santa Barbara County, it's known to be an inclusive area with a vibrant LGBTQ+ presence — especially with the college campuses nearby.Trump’s return to the White House has ushered in an aggressive escalation of anti-LGBTQ+ policies. In his first 100 days, backed by the far-right “Project 2025” agenda, the administration has unleashed over 250 documented attacks on LGBTQ+ people — many of which are being challenged in court.
From executive orders restricting gender-affirming care and banning accurate IDs, to censorship of LGBTQ+ history on government websites, the impact is widespread and chilling. Locally, this assault threatens the safety and visibility of Santa Barbara County’s LGBTQ+ community, particularly youth, students, and asylum seekers.
The Pacific Pride Foundation offers community wellness and personal wellness services along with other support resources for the LGBTQ+ community across Santa Barbara County.
Local Residents Mobilize Through Community Organizing
As national policies under the Trump administration continue to disrupt communities, local resistance is mobilizing. On from noon-2 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, Santa Barbara will host a series of Community Organizing Roundtables to build on last month’s gathering of over 150 residents. The event — spread across three locations in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Isla Vista — is focused on turning shared outrage into collective action.Attendees will break into smaller working groups to plan local initiatives around immigration rights, environmental justice, housing, and reproductive freedoms. It’s not a protest — it’s a strategy session for those ready to take the next step. Organizers hope these decentralized discussions will foster deeper neighborhood connections and energize long-term organizing under increasingly authoritarian federal conditions.
Event Locations:
Santa Barbara: Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara (USSB), 1535 Santa Barbara Street, Jefferson Hall
Goleta: Tuckers Grove Park, 4800 Cathedral Oaks Road, Picnic Area #7
Isla Vista: Goleta Beach Park, 5986 Sandspit Road
Five-Spot: In Other News…
Endangered Giant Sea Bass Population Growing
UC Santa Barbara researchers have recorded encouraging signs of recovery for the endangered giant sea bass, estimating over 1,200 adults off the Southern California coast. Thanks to community-submitted dive photos and conservation efforts, these gentle giants — once nearly wiped out by overfishing — are slowly making a comeback. The fish, which can grow over seven feet long and live more than 70 years, are a favorite among divers and a key species in kelp forest ecosystems. Divers can still contribute via the Spotting Giant Sea Bass Project, helping scientists track their continued recovery.
SB County to Gradually End Oil and Gas Production
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to begin phasing out all remaining onshore oil and gas production while banning future fossil fuel projects. The future-forward thinking resolution, passed on Tuesday, May 13, marks a bold move toward cleaner energy, with the county aiming to reduce environmental risk and embrace long-term sustainability.
The majority of the board, led by Chair Laura Capps, highlighted the policy as a step toward a clean-energy future — noting how the county should be investing in renewable and clean economy jobs rather than jobs in the dwindling oil and gas economy.
Though oil production currently contributes about $7.1 million in property taxes and supports local jobs, a UCSB report estimates the county could save up to $100 million by 2045 by avoiding public health and climate-related costs. The report noted significant potential savings in mortality-related healthcare due to cleaner air and fewer oil spill emergencies.
I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival
The I Madonarri Street Painting Festival will be held May 24-26 from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. at the Old Mission Santa Barbara. The free three-day festival and community event directly contributes to arts education programs in schools throughout Santa Barbara County. It features local artists and “Madonnari” — street painters — who decorate the Mission plaza pavement with beautiful, large-scale street paintings. The Mission Lawn will also provide live entertainment and food from local vendors.
Ospi: The New Restaurant on the Block
A beloved name in the Southern California dining scene, Ospi, has officially opened its doors in Montecito at 1801 East Cabrillo Boulevard in The Post shopping center. This is Top Chef alum Chef Jackson Kalb’s fourth location — with other locations in Venice, Brentwood, and Costa Mesa. Ospi is described as modern yet sophisticated with thoughtfully curated menus of Italian cuisine including locally sourced meat, seafood and seasonal vegetables. Expect house-made pasta, Romana Tonda-style cracker-thin pizzas, and a full brunch service on weekends. Happy Hour runs daily from 3–5:30 p.m., offering an Italian “Aperitivo” experience with signature cocktails and small bites.
Memorial Day Weekend Cookout and Family Fun
On May 24, the Rosewood Miramar will host a Memorial Day Coastal Cookout from 12-4 p.m. with an afternoon barbeque, concert, beachside activities and lawn games.The Ritz-Carlton Bacara is also hosting family-friendly events for Memorial Day Weekend including the Santa Barbara Youth Makers Market, live wildlife encounters, the Fluff & Stuff teddy-making station, face painting, caricatures, and country line dancing by the beach.
Not the point Jerry. You’re totally off base. Why not help inform readers of reality? Accurate reporting of facts benefits readers by increasing their knowledge. The goal is for all to access their life needs, which includes shelter for most. Tell us, Jerry, when did able bodied Californians, Americans, become entitled to live where they want at the expense of others?
In today’s economy, accessing desired shelter requires sacrifice, delayed gratification, trade-offs, and a plan: how do we get where we want to go; where and how do we each want to live. Deciding how to execute one’s plan for desire results requires decisions and implementation. In my early twenties, my plan included FT paid work during grad school in Dallas, career training in San Francisco and New Orleans, followed by jobs in Sacramento and Long Beach. Many moves and long daily commutes. Goal: to eventually live 1) where there was good weather between my narrow comfort zone of 60-85 degrees, 2) in a location with no or minimal mosquitos, 3) where I could earn enough to pay my expenses: the cost to be alive.
Having developed HUD projects for non-profit sponsors, abuses are many. One available CA option to consider is a long term 30-40 year property lease to build an ADU. NextDoor users have discussed this option. How many pursued it?
It seems to me too many locals want ‘the gift’ of HUD or CA Housing Finance Agency ‘property tax exempt, bond exempt housing’; and rent control to reduce the supply of housing.
Why is it Jerry, these locals, aren’t supporting the cost of SBUSD schools or SBCC? They’re takers or what? .
Time to look at fraud and the core structural housing issue supply, rather than continuously looking only at the demand side. HUD subsidies and rent control are not the answer. With our locally high cash economy of unreported income, and for HUD eligibility SB County poverty defined at $98,000 or less for a single person, there is huge demand for Section 8, an outdated, fraud invested program. Few locals only pay 30% of their income for housing (the HUD guideline); many of us pay 70-80% for housing in South County. Topography, water, infrastructure, and regulations limit supply. Safety of residents, workers, and our guests is highest priority.
Disagree: As a former certified HUD Housing Rep, no one is “ignoring” housing challenges. It’s good that “The plan would also impose a two-year cap on rental assistance for able-bodied adults”, while NOT “ignoring the long-term housing challenges people face in the markets.”
In 1950, it took 2 years savings to buy a CA median price home. 75 years later, in 2025, it takes 15 years savings to buy a CA median price home. And that home will not be in coastal California, one of the highest priced destinations in the country!
Isn’t it time to for journalists to message reality, truths, to readers? Communicate to those who wrongly think they’re entitled. America is a compassionate, capitalist country that historically assisted only those who cannot help themselves: the very young, very old, disable veterans, and as described in other states, “the incurables” with acute physical or mental limitations.