ACTION Apartment Association

The case for pretrial diversion

09/30/2022 9:10 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The legal jargon may not be intuitive, but it essentially means landlords charged with misdeeds — from tenant harassment to price gouging — are compelled to meet some criteria to avoid a potential guilty verdict.

SMa.r.t. Column: City Council Endorsements

09/30/2022 8:27 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Lana Negrete is the very model of a homegrown renter, small business owner and entrepreneur. Ms. Negrete, appointed a year ago to a vacant City Council seat, was born and raised in Santa Monica, has long owned a widely-admired local small business, and has experienced the benefits and challenges of a resident who is committed to supporting local schools, preserving neighborhoods, solving the homelessness crisis and increasing public safety.

Armen Melkonians, a civil and environmental engineer, is a former member of SMa.r.t. In his work, Mr. Melkonians’ problem-solving approach is highly focused, with an engineer’s attention to detail. He is deeply familiar with the way that cities (and Santa Monica in particular) use rules to help approve or block projects, and is expert at navigating the complex pathways that lead to successful projects.

LA council committee recommends end date for city's COVID eviction moratorium

09/29/2022 1:20 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The council's Ad Hoc Committee on COVID-19 Recovery and Neighborhood Investment voted 4-0 to sunset protections for tenants unable to pay rent due to COVID-19 financial impact. The committee's recommendation follows the council's Housing Committee discussion earlier this month, in which it approved an amendment to the Los Angeles Housing Department's report that would extend eviction protections beyond LAHD's Dec. 31 recommendation.

L.A. County supervisors propose adopting permanent rental protections

09/29/2022 9:16 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday proposed permanently adopting several rental assistance programs, as rental protections — many of which were put in place during the early days of the pandemic — are set to expire at the end of the year.

Some of the proposals would be the first of their kind in L.A. County, including allowing tenants to avoid being evicted if they fall behind on about a month's rent.

California governor signs laws to boost housing production

09/29/2022 9:10 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws Wednesday that would open up much of the state’s commercial land for residential development. It’s a long-sought victory for affordable housing advocates, who say such sites are ready-made for apartments because they are often near populated areas and come with ample parking.

New study reveals fault zone off Santa Monica coast could cause up to 7.8 magnitude earthquake

09/29/2022 9:08 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Instead of a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, which is already considered severe, scientists now say the fault system is capable of triggering up to a 7.8 quake. While the difference may not seem major, it is an increase of close to four times the amount of energy being released, according to calculations by the United States Geological Survey.

Santa Monica Adopts Zero Emission Building Code and EV Charger

09/29/2022 9:04 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Last night, the Santa Monica City Council adopted two policies that will drastically reduce the carbon footprint of new construction projects and facilitate EV adoption in Santa Monica beginning January 1, 2023. The Zero Emission Building Code requires new buildings to be all-electric. The EV Charger Reach Code, an amendment to the state Green Building Code known as CALGreen, requires that new projects increase the number of EV charging spaces to help ensure that EV drivers have a spot to plug in, particularly in new multifamily buildings.

Local Landlords Charged with Rent Gouging

09/28/2022 9:18 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

On September 26, 2022, a judge for the California Superior Court placed defendants 1433 Euclid Street, LLC., and WS Communities, LLC., landlords of the property located at 1433 Euclid Street in Santa Monica, on a 12-month diversion program in connection with misdemeanor criminal charges of rental housing price gouging in violation of state law.

AND: https://smdp.com/2022/09/28/landlords-will-pay-35k-to-avoid-criminal-prosecution-for-price-gouging/

Mayor Himmelrich Quashes A Motion Critical of Her Meeting Misconduct

09/28/2022 9:12 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Mayor Sue Himmelrich, with the assistance of new City Attorney Doug Sloan, refused to allow a vote on a motion by Councilmember Oscar de la Torre at last night's City Council meeting. The kicker? De la Torre's motion was an attempt to address Mayor Himmelrich's regular and significant violations of parliamentary procedure, which hinder efficient, effective, and fair City Council meetings.

Santa Monica Rents Hold Steady in September

09/28/2022 9:07 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Still, Santa Monica's 2.9 percent year-over-year rent growth is far slower than the 13 percent jump at this time last year, according to data compiled from listings on the popular website.