By Cal Lutheran News
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF., Feb. 6, 2025 — To earn a living wage on the Central Coast, an individual with two children needs to earn $60 or more an hour. A majority of positions in Ventura, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Benito and Monterey counties don’t pay anywhere near that. The Feb. 28 conference, “Affording a Dignified Life on The Central Coast of California,” will spotlight how this lack of affordability goes beyond impacting families; it also affects the community, region and the state. The conference will be hosted by California Lutheran University School of Management’s Center for Economics of Social Issues (CESI) and held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Lundring Events Center on the Cal Lutheran campus.
The half-day conference is based on the findings of the 2025 study, “Affording a Dignified Life on the California Central Coast,” by Jamshid Damooei, Ph.D. He will release the report at the conference.
“Is California a land of opportunity for many of its people or a mirage of a better life that does not materialize for the majority?”Damooei asked. “I strongly believe living in poverty is a condition we can avoid. Everyone is entitled to affordable housing and food, and early childhood education should be universal.”
The conference’s most critical outcome will be to highlight the issues surrounding affordability and urgently reach policy implications that can be discussed at all levels of government, foundations, nonprofits and business communities.
Sabith Khan, Ph.D.,director of the Master of Public Policy and Administration program at Cal Lutheran, and Kirk Lesh, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics at Cal Lutheran will give the presentation, “Addressing Housing Insecurity Among Migrant and Vulnerable Populations in Ventura County.”
Khan also will moderate the keynote panel of thought leaders, who will explore affordability issues facing the Central Coast and the state and begin a dialogue of possible solutions. The panel includes Vanessa Bechtel, president and CEO of the Ventura County Community Foundation; Bruce Stenslie, president and CEO of the Economic Development Collaborative; Cesar Morales, Ed.D., Ventura County Superintendent of Schools; and Sean Veal, vice president and CRA investment manager at City National Bank and adjunct professor in the MPPA program at Cal Lutheran.
“It’s crucial to recognize that our economic challenges aren’t theoretical — they are real and critically impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals in our counties and the region,” said Damooei.
Study findings explored at the conference include:
- Across the region (Ventura, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Benito and Monterey counties), the average childcare costs are 95% of a family’s income at the 100% poverty level (single parent with two children).
- Between 49% and 74% of families were eligible for state or federal financial support for preschool, but there is no evidence they are receiving even a fraction of it.
- $4,099,070,139 in potential funds could have been allocated to the Central Coast region for preschool education, housing vouchers and federal and state low-income food assistance programs (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as “food stamps.”)
- Santa Barbara and Ventura counties had the highest dollar value of unused entitlements related to preschool education, food stamps and housing vouchers: $1,017,367,609 for Santa Barbara County; $1,211,312,547, Ventura County.
Damooei will also unpack the complex reasons why money is being left on the table.
“We know that the way to empower communities begins with progress toward a just socio-economic environment,” said Gerhard Apfelthaler, Ph.D., dean of the School of Management at Cal Lutheran. “We need to get to the point where people of all backgrounds can meet their essential needs without spending their entire paycheck or slipping into debt.”
Cal Lutheran is located at 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks. There is no cost to attend for Cal Lutheran faculty, staff and students. Tickets are $50 for community members. Register at https://bit.ly/CESI25.
View additional selected findings from the study, “Affording a Dignified Life on the California Central Coast:” Link
# # #
About the Center for Economics of Social Issues (CESI): CESI is an academic center at California Lutheran University. The center is dedicated to exploring the economic aspects of social progress, health, human rights and other important issues within our communities. Resources, articles, speakers and an extensive online database are provided to promote discussions on the interaction between social issues and economics.
About California Lutheran University: Founded in 1959 and federally recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2016, California Lutheran University is home to over 2,200 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. Our students come from 58 countries and represent many faiths and spiritualities. Our dedicated, accomplished faculty teach in small classes, guiding our students as they grow into open-minded leaders who are strong in character and judgment, confident in identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice. Everyone at Cal Lutheran is committed to helping students pursue their passions, discover their purpose and transform their communities. Learn more at CalLutheran.edu.
Media Contacts
Tom Hoener
Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
California Lutheran University
thoener@CalLutheran.edu
Sarene Wallace
PR Consultant
805-816-5616
sarenewallace@CalLutheran.edu
