ACTION Apartment Association

Why is it taking so long to get rent relief to tenants and landlords?

03/31/2022 10:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Eviction protections are supposed to expire Friday, but hundreds of thousands of California households that have filed for rent relief have yet to have their applications approved or the money delivered. A little over a year after California began accepting applications, more than 275,000 requests for aid — 56% of those submitted — are still pending.

Santa Monica Rents Increase for First Time Since October

03/30/2022 9:23 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The 2.8 percent rise in March was higher than the 0.8 percent increase nationwide, according to the report.

Median rents in Santa Monica currently stand at $2,087 for a 1-bedroom apartment, up from $2,014 in February, and $2,625 for a two-bedroom, up from $2,533.

SMa.r.t. Column: The Value of Our Boulevards

03/29/2022 10:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Following is a composite of past articles dealing with the accelerated demise of our beachfront environment together with the increasing control of the development community over City Council and Planning staff, and the re-direction we can take to right the ship!

Mixed-use development planned at 4th and Colorado

03/28/2022 9:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The proposed property includes 60 residential units, with about half of them studios and half of them one-bedrooms. Six of the one-bedroom units would be designated affordable housing for Very Low Income households. The building would also house close to 7,000 square feet of commercial space, with preliminary architectural drawings showing a coffee shop on the ground floor. There is no vehicle parking included in the application.

Demise of R-1 Zoning Will Lead to New Blockbusting

03/28/2022 9:18 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Now a new era of blockbusting may be upon us, thanks to the landmark housing density laws passed last year, known as SB 9 and SB 10. SB 9 does away with almost all single family, or R-1, zoning by allowing all but a few residential lots to be split down the middle, with two new apartments or condominiums and an “additional dwelling unit” (grandma-style one-room structure) on each half.

California lawmakers struck a deal on eviction protections

03/28/2022 8:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

State lawmakers are rushing this week to extend California eviction protections for hundreds of thousands of tenants waiting for rent relief. But some advocacy groups for landlords and tenants alike are unhappy with the bill.

Santa Monica Granted $2 Million in Federal Funds for Parking Structure Affordable Housing Project

03/28/2022 8:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The federal spending bill that was signed on March 15 granted a total of $5.85 million to a group of five projects in Congressman Ted Lieu’s district includes the $2 million for the project that will replace Project Structure Three.

Mayor proposes new tax to fund housing and schools

03/24/2022 10:26 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A trio of Santa Monica officials are mounting a campaign for a new tax on real estate sales to fund homeless services, affordable housing programs and local education efforts.

Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich, her husband Michael Soloff (who is Co-Chair of Santa Monicans for Renters Rights) and Jon Katz (President of the Santa Monica Democratic Club) are soliciting public support for an additional real estate transfer tax on property sales greater than or equal to $8 million. If their petition is successful, the question would be put to voters in November of this year.

Housing bill SB 9

03/24/2022 10:23 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

SB 9 seeks to increase the development of housing in neighborhoods zoned for single family housing.

There are several ways Santa Monica could potentially limit development under SB 9. The City could prevent accessory dwelling units (ADUs) from being added to SB 9 projects, could deed restrict SB 9 units as specifically rental or for sale units, and could extend the owner occupancy requirements for SB 9 units. Santa Monica could also take steps to incentivize the use of SB 9 such as allowing more than 25 percent of an existing single-unit dwelling to be demolished for the duplex pathway or allowing the addition of ADUs on all SB 9 projects.

Council Takes Action on Two Potential State Ballot Measures

03/24/2022 10:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

At last night’s meeting, the Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously to oppose the “Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act,” a proposed California ballot initiative co-sponsored by the California Business Roundtable.