Santa Monica on Wednesday launched an outreach program to ensure residential tenants and landlords who have fallen behind on rent or utility payments have a chance to apply for financial relief from the State.

Commonly referred to as “Housing is Key,” the $7.2 billion relief program is now taking applications to help income-eligible households pay past and future amounts owed, City officials said.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/August-2021/08_04_2021_City_Launches_Effort_to_Ensure_Needy_Households_Apply_for_Relief.html

Assemblymember Richard Bloom raised more than $500,000 in six months in the race for County Supervisor thanks in large part to maximum donations from dozens of unions and special interest groups.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/August-2021/08_03_2021_Bloom_Amasses_Large_Warchest_in_Supervisor_Race.html

The City of Santa Monica is taking applications for 39 one-bedroom units with private balconies in a senior building that will soon complete construction near Downtown.

Magnolia Villas Senior Housing Development, 1445 and 1453 10th Street, received an $11.4 million investment from the City and will provide affordable apartments across a mix of low-income levels.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/August-2021/08_03_2021_Santa_Monica_Senior_Building_Accepting_Applications.html

On July 27, council members unanimously approved White’s city manager contract, which includes a $340,000 salary, sevens months of $3,000 monthly rental assistance, and nine months of severance pay under specified conditions.

White, who will begin his position on Oct. 11, declined to speak with the Daily Press, citing a packed schedule finishing his job in Berkeley and preparing to move with his wife.

A law that will arm Los Angeles city officials with a tool for clearing encampments by allowing them to set up zones in which living on sidewalks and other public right-of-way areas would be prohibited, will officially go into effect Sept. 3, according to the City Clerk.

The City Council, which approved the ordinance on Wednesday, July 28, before it was signed the next day by Mayor Eric Garcetti, is also expected to consider a “street engagement strategy” in which outreach teams would work to provide shelter or housing to those now living in public areas, before clearing encampments.

Read More: https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2021/07/30/whats-next-la-ban-on-sitting-lying-down-and-sleeping-on-sidewalks-will-launch-sept-3/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=tw-PasStarNews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com

In a new survey of Los Angeles County renters, 49% of households reported that they were unable to pay all of their rent during the pandemic. The study, by researchers from UCLA and the University of Southern California, found the median amount renters owe their landlords is $2,800.

Read More: https://patch.com/california/santamonica/ucla-nearly-half-l-tenants-owe-back-rent

As a result of the City’s failure to issue tax forms to attorneys for certain settlement payments, an IRS audit sought over $3 million from the City, but is now resolving the issue with a $116,416 payment.

The Internal Revenue Service’s audit focused on the City’s settlement payments for years 2017 to 2019.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/city-originally-estimated-to-owe-irs-over-3-million-settles-with-116416/207111

As we find ourselves approaching August, the question is what, if any, progress has been made on conceptual design and management improvements for one of our city’s significant assets, the Promenade, since our series of articles on these pages this past February.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2021/07/sma-r-t-column-promenade-progress/

On Monday, top police brass will hold a community meeting via teleconference to discuss the department's response to an after-action report on the May 31, 2020 riots.

The report by the OIR Group released in May found the Department was woefully unprepared and had no action plan or clear leadership.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/July-2021/07_29_2021_Police_Chief_to_Hold_Public_Meeting_on_Riot_Report_Monday.html

AND: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2021/07/29/smpd-invites-community-to-join-in-conversation-about-their-response-to-oir-group-report-on-august-2

Santa Monica City Council made changes to Santa Monica’s Affordable Housing Production Program and Housing Trust Fund that gives affordable housing waitlist priority to households displaced from Santa Monica in the 1950s and 1960s due to urban renewal policies.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2021/07/city-council-prioritizes-housing-for-historically-displaced-households/