So here is how it works: when you buy a house, you record a deed with the RegistrarRecorder, who then sends my Office a copy of that deed. We then evaluate whether a transfer of ownership has occurred and assess the property accordingly. All of those values are added to the Assessment Roll—the list of all taxable property and their values - which we compile each year and send to the Auditor-Controller, who then applies the relevant tax rate. 

Read More on page 3: https://s3.amazonaws.com/smdp_backissues/062121.pdf

Beginning September 1, Santa Monica rent control tenants will see their monthly rent increase by 1.7 percent after the Rent Control Board approved the latest annual general adjustment last week.

The Board last Thursday also voted to cap the increase at $39 a month for units with a maximum allowable rent of $2,265 or higher.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/June-2021/06_18_2021_Rent_Board_Annual_Adjustment_Set_to_Go_Into_Effect.html

The City Council is poised to take a major step Tuesday towards weaning Santa Monica away from outside water sources by funding two major projects totaling nearly $14 million.

In March, staff reported a funding gap of approximately $53 million for water self-sufficiency projects due to the impacts of the COVID-19 shutdown.

To bridge the gap, the Council on March 23 authorized the City Manager to seek up to $84.5 million in federal credit assistance.

The budget gap came one year after Santa Monica doubled its water rates in an effort to meet its water self-sufficiency goal.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/June-2021/06_18_2021_City_Poised_to_Pump_14_Million_Into_Water_Projects.html

Much of recent debate in Santa Monica has centered around the idea that changing zoning in single-family zones would result in lower-priced housing units. Recent projects, however, suggest the actual situation may be more complex than it seems.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2021/06/sma-r-t-column-does-increased-density-lead-to-increased-affordability/

“Our City Council has embraced the concept of 100% affordable housing on city-owned land, a concept that can be a foundation for robust affordable housing production for all communities, particularly those with high land costs,” said Mayor Sue Himmelrich. “This Council understands that our community is more diverse because of our leadership in the production of affordable housing, and our direction is intended to help make that possible while also complying with state mandates on housing production overall.”

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2020/06/16/city-council-makes-changes-to-draft-housing-element-update

With California possibly heading toward an unprecedented crisis as hundreds of thousands of tenants face the expiration of both state and federal eviction moratoriums on June 30, Airbnb is banning landlords from attempting to profit off the pain.

On Tuesday, the short-term rental company enacted a policy that bars landlords from listing properties where they have evicted a renter for failure to pay rent, the Washington Post reports. 

Read More: https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/airbnb-evictions/

Under the terms, Jalili will be paid $133.81 an hour, which equates to an annual salary of $278,332, according to the agenda item added Friday.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/June-2021/06_17_2021_Jalili_City_Reach_Agreement.html

On June 30, the statewide eviction moratorium enacted by the California Judicial Council last April is set to expire. Should Los Angeles County’s renters be left without any further protection, experts believe a worst-case scenario could be on the horizon, with nearly 300,000 renters facing eviction come July 1, with a larger group (512,000) reporting little-to-no confidence they will be able to pay their next month’s rent.

Read More https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/eviction-crisis-california/

The City Council on Tuesday approved a housing plan that relies on public land and funding to build more than 6,100 affordable housing units over the next eight years.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/June-2021/06_16_2021_Council_Approves_Draft_Housing_Plan.html

AND: https://www.smdp.com/city-to-send-housing-element-to-hcd-for-review/205904

Today, Interim City Manager Lane Dilg signed the 37th supplement to align Santa Monica’s local emergency provisions with Los Angeles County and its Safer Return Together to Work and In The Community Health Officer Order as the State of California re-opens its economy after 15 months of Safer at Home orders. 

• The City’s eviction moratorium for residential tenants for reasons other than non-payment of rent is not extended by the 37th Supplement, but it remains in place through June 30, 2021, subject to any subsequent order that may extend that date.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2021/06/15/santa-monica-aligns-emergency-orders-with-la-county-as-state-economy-re-opens