Santa Monica bans algorithmic rental pricing software after wildfire crisis

07/02/2025 12:56 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council’s adoption of the ban comes as the city grapples with a housing crunch exacerbated by January’s devastating Los Angeles County wildfires, which displaced thousands of residents and drove up demand for rental properties.

Santa Monica Rents Drop in June

07/02/2025 12:47 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Despite the -0.7 percent drop last month, local rents have increased by 4.1 percent over the past 12 months, outpacing both the State's 1.5 percent rise and the nation's -0.7 percent dip.

Board Extends Wildfire Price Gouging Protections Through July

06/30/2025 12:41 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to extend housing price gouging protections through July 31, 2025, for residents still displaced by the devastating January 2025 wildfires.

Santa Monica's 2025 4th of July Main Street Parade: Celebrating 150 Years of Cityhood

06/30/2025 12:32 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The 2025 4th of July Parade on Main Street in Santa Monica, organized by Jeffrey Jarow, Senior Vice President of PAR Commercial Brokerage, will celebrate the city's 150th anniversary of cityhood. Hosted by the Ocean Park Association, the parade begins at 9:30 a.m. on July 4, starting at Pico Boulevard and Main Street, proceeding south along Main Street, and concluding at Marine Street.

Santa Monica Businessman Launches Program Offering Homeless One-Way Tickets Home

06/30/2025 12:30 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

John Allee, a Santa Monica business owner, has introduced a controversial new initiative aimed at addressing homelessness in Los Angeles County by offering unhoused individuals free one-way plane tickets to reunite with their families or return to their hometowns. The program, which has sparked both praise and debate, reflects Alle’s belief that reconnecting people with their support networks is a practical step toward reducing homelessness in the region.

Planning Commission Approves 18-Story Residential Tower on 6th Street

06/30/2025 12:09 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The 194-foot-tall building exceeds local height limits by 109 feet under California’s Density Bonus Law

Santa Monica Adopts $793.3M Budget

06/30/2025 11:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Prioritizing Housing and Safety

Tight Budget Zeros in on Public Safety

06/30/2025 11:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The adopted budget adds a police sergeant and a community services officer, beefs up security at three City facilities and adds an emergency paramedic unit.

The budget, which kicks in on July 1, also includes funding to launch a Fire Department ambulance operator program, maintain and repair broken street lights and make streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.

City of Santa Monica Seeks Applicants for City Boards and Commissions

06/17/2025 11:07 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The application window is now open, with vacancies on a variety of advisory bodies, including the Disabilities Commission, the Measure GS Resident Oversight Committee, and the L.A. County West Vector Control District Board, among others.

The deadline to submit applications is Tuesday, June 17, and appointments are scheduled to be made by the City Council on Monday, June 24.

SM.a.r.t Column: California’s Transit Death Spiral: How Housing Mandates Are Backfiring

06/16/2025 10:10 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

California’s ambitious housing mandates were supposed to solve the affordability crisis. Instead, they’re creating a vicious cycle that’s killing public transit and pushing working families further from opportunity. New UCLA research reveals a stunning pattern: every $230 increase in monthly rent predicts a 22% drop in bus and train ridership. This isn’t coincidence—it’s displacement economics in action.