ACTION Apartment Association

California spends billions preventing homelessness, but it’s fighting in the dark

04/29/2026 12:39 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Rental assistance is a key part of homelessness prevention for good reason — eviction for nonpayment of rent is driving homelessness across the state, because of high housing costs. A third of the state’s unhoused adults were long-term leaseholders who had been evicted, many for the first time, a recent study by the UC-San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative found.

Builders Alliance to Host Webinar on Turnkey Construction for Local Residents

04/28/2026 8:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The one-hour session, titled “Understanding Turnkey Building,” is scheduled for April 29 from 6 to 7 p.m. PDT and will be conducted via Zoom. Organizers say the event is designed as an informational resource for community members exploring rebuilding options.

Council Takes Up Plan to Implement Transit Housing Bill

04/28/2026 8:49 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Planning Commission is advising the City Council to take a targeted approach to a controversial new State law that allows large housing developments in residential areas near major transit stops.

The recommendations the Council will take up Tuesday focus on "a two-track approach" to implementing SB 79 that adopts a "tailored" interim ordinance, while developing a more comprehensive plan to replace it.

Negrete Announces Bid for Reelection

04/28/2026 8:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Negrete joins Mayor Caroline Torosis as two of three incumbents who have declared their candidacy. Councilmember Jesse Zwick has not announced whether he plans to run for one of three open seats.

Hankey Capital unveils 23-story condominium tower plans for downtown Santa Monica

04/27/2026 2:21 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The proposed 256-foot skyscraper near the E Line would replace existing rentals with 119 luxury units and five affordable residences.

SMRR Asks Council To Study Housing at Airport

04/27/2026 2:19 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Instead, the site should be used for the 3,000-unit affordable housing development SMRR and other pro-housing advocates have been pushing for on the 192-acre site that will become available when the Airport closes at the end of 2028.

Santa Monica Rent Control Board Eyes Ballot Measures on Tenant Protections, Fees

04/21/2026 1:57 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

he Santa Monica Rent Control Board voted unanimously Thursday to advance four proposed amendments to the city's rent control charter toward a public hearing, with commissioners debating the merits of new tenant protections and a revised fee structure they hope to place before voters in November.

Lawmakers move to shield LA Metro from housing law

04/21/2026 1:29 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

SB 1361, authored by Sen. María Elena Durazo and scheduled for a Senate Housing Committee hearing Tuesday, would prevent SB 79 from applying to planned but not-yet-operational transit stops in jurisdictions that had already committed by Jan. 1, 2026 to build at least 10,000 housing units — at least half of them income-restricted — by 2032.

Court of Appeal Strikes Down Los Angeles Relocation Assistance Ordinance Tied to Lawful Rent Increases on Costa-Hawkins Exempt Units

04/21/2026 1:07 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In a ruling announced on April 16, 2026, the California Court of Appeal has invalidated a City of Los Angeles ordinance requiring housing providers to pay relocation assistance to tenants who voluntarily vacate following a lawful rent increase on units exempt from local rent control under the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act

SM.a.r.t Column: SPRING IN SANTA MONICA?

04/10/2026 2:25 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Our city is currently coming through a cycle of decline, hoping to enter a more ascendant phase. But it is encountering two major headwinds that, in spite of everyone’s best efforts, do not augur well for our future.