ACTION Apartment Association

California proposes reducing incentives for rooftop solar

12/14/2021 11:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The state’s three major utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison — say the savings solar customers get now are so great that those customers no longer pay their fair share for the operation of the overall energy grid.

Council to Debate Term Limits for Regional Boards

12/14/2021 11:46 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

On Tuesday night, the City Council is expected to decide whether to impose term limits on two regional boards that have been represented by the same appointees for more than two decades.

As part of the recommended policy changes to boards and commissions, the Council will consider limiting terms on the boards of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California and the Los Angeles County West Vector Control.

City to conservatively implement controversial housing bill SB 9

12/09/2021 10:05 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

While the bill applies to all Single-Unit Residential (R1) Districts, the City has discretion in how it handles applications to split lots or build duplexes.

Staff is in the process of developing an ordinance outlining how Santa Monica will manage development applications in R1 areas, which will be presented to Council no later than March 2022. In the meantime, staff will publish an information memorandum on the City’s approach to implementing SB 9 until an ordinance is approved.

Councilmembers Want Answers to "Simple" Questions About Homeless Efforts

12/06/2021 1:22 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Last December, Phil Brock was sworn in after finishing first in the race for City Council by promising to tackle Santa Monica's entrenched homeless problem.

A year later, he and his two fellow Change slate Councilmembers have placed an item on next Tuesday's agenda seekig answers to basic questions Brock says they have been asking all year.

Building Conversion in Today’s Market Environment. SMa.r.t.

12/06/2021 1:20 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Currently, businesses both large and small are reformulating their requirements for their space and working environments. More management, staff, and employees are working remotely, which will require less square footage commitments or, in some circumstances, to locate in smaller satellite locations. Eventually, there will most likely be a more significant return to the workplace, and occupancy levels will increase for the current existing built-out space. That said, it appears that the absorption factor will not re turn to pre-pandemic occupancy levels. Many companies have already permanently changed their employment strategies and no longer require full-time office occupancy for their employees.

Santa Monica Rents Drop for First Time This Year

12/02/2021 9:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Rents in Santa Monica dipped by 1.8 percent last month, marking the first decrease since last December, according to Apartment List's latest monthly report.

The drop comes as rents nationwide grew by 0.1 percent, the lowest month-to-month increase this year, according to the report released Monday.

States, cities running out of rental assistance monies

11/30/2021 10:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Several large states and cities have exhausted their federal rental assistance, the Treasury Department said Monday, in a sign that spending on a massive program aimed at averting evictions has picked up speed.

Council protests being grouped with Valley cities in draft Congressional District map

11/30/2021 10:17 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Council is uniformly opposed to the draft Congressional District map that would divide Santa Monica from much of the Westside and lump it into a district with large portions of the San Fernando Valley.

SMa.r.t. Column: Santa Monica – Who Does the City Work For?

11/30/2021 9:56 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

There is a general, and growing, discomfort in the relationship between the residents and their city. People who live here are asking themselves and each other – who does the city work for? Those few residents who tuned in to the meetings of Oct 12 and Oct. 26 saw plainly what is driving the city’s priorities – and what is not. The clear takeaway was that the concept of a balanced city that works for all, is fading.

Changing this trajectory is critical. The stakes are enormous.

Focus on Housing Rights and Resources Continues at City Attorney’s Office

11/23/2021 8:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

To help hold the line against that feared wave of eviction and to stay ahead of the pandemic’s effects, the Public Rights Division of the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office (PRD) has increased its already considerable efforts in community outreach, enforcement, and proactive projects.