Located between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara you’ll find the sleepy city of Camarillo. It’s best known for its Mediterranean climate and high-tech businesses. Thanks to its convenient location, which allows easy access to both the upscale suburban lifestyle in Santa Barbara and the urban atmosphere of Los Angeles, residents living in Camarillo have the luxury of experiencing the best of both cities.

With the city’s obvious amenities, growing tech industry, and overall convenience, why don’t more millennials live in Camarillo? Many of the city’s residents include young families and seniors, but it seems that many millennials — even those who grew up in Camarillo — are choosing to move away. According to the United States Census Bureau, the millennial generation makes up just under 13 percent of the city, while residents over the age of 55 make up over more than double that amount at 30 percent.

Many locals believe millennials are being driven out of the city due to its unattainable home prices, which only 25 percent of residents living in Ventura County can actually afford. According to Data USA, the median household income for Camarillo residents is an estimated $88,152, which is considerably higher than Los Angeles’ median house income of $52,024 and Santa Barbara’s at $66,107. Because younger generations can only afford to live in micro-units or stay at home, many are discouraged from setting up a permanent home in Camarillo.

There is a clear gap between the city’s baby boomer generation and millennials, but is there a way to bridge the disconnect? Perhaps. 

Los Angeles home rendering courtesy of Shea Homes  

An ongoing trend shows young people are waiting longer to purchase homes while seniors facing retirement are reluctant to join assisted living facilities. The lack of interest from these two highly sought-after markets has inspired many solutions from developers, including intergenerational co-living and building active adult homes on undergraduate campuses, which could make senior living facilities obsolete.

In Camarillo, home builder and developer Shea Homes recently proposed a new 55+ active adult development project that would include 175 single-family homes and 106 duplexes, 0.26-acre bike trail, one-mile private trail, and a 4,900-square-foot recreation center. The city’s planning commission unanimously approved the 281-unit residential development, but it still needs to go in front of Camarillo’s City Council. Additionally, the 83-acre property still belongs to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, so the project has a few obstacles to go through before construction can begin.

What stood out about this ambitious plan was its proposed location, which is slated for a vacant parcel at St. John’s Seminary undergraduate campus near Upland and Lewis. Even though the development has a long way to go before its expected fruition in 2019, this could be the city’s first step towards solving the divide between millennials and baby boomers.