Look closer and the political incentives become clearer. Santa Monica’s left-leaning City Council is not simply responding to abstract state mandates or “chronic shortage” talking points about shrinking household sizes. By controlling the pipeline of heavily subsidized, income-restricted, and supportive units—especially on public land with Housing Trust Fund loans, tax credits, and ground leases—the council and its nonprofit partners get to shape who moves in. Waitlists managed by the Santa Monica Housing Authority and favored operators mean local politicians and bureaucrats effectively pick the winners.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2026/08/21/news/span-classbrnwsbreaking-news-spansanta-monica-frantic-to-build-housing-as-people-move-out-of-los-angeles-county-and-population-declines-why/10046.html