A monthly poll of some 170 "civically engaged" Santa Monica residents found that the vast majority -- 80 percent -- don't believe the City is on the right track.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/April-2021/04_22_2021_Council_Votes_Get_Mixed_Reviews.html

With a unanimous vote last week, City Council amended and extended an emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance, which, among other things, allows Tesla’s proposed 24-hour, self-service electric vehicle recharging facility to once again move forward with construction.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/tesla-supercharger-project-receives-green-light/204124

A newly proposed bill in the state assembly would strip municipal golf courses of their park status protections and encourage their conversion to low income housing developments.

AB 672 was introduced on Feb. 21 by AD58 Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, who represents a portion of South East L.A. County including Bell Gardens. Under the bill municipal golf courses could be rezoned into housing developments that offer 25 percent affordable units and 15 percent open-space.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/proposed-bill-could-convert-penmar-golf-course-to-low-income-housing/204075

All the funky charm, history, tradition, arts feel and sense of place I came here for was vanishing, plowed under, built over, run out of town. Such a unique, vital, world-famous resource being destroyed. LA’s beachside break, breath of fresh air, slipping away. Sad. Angry. Who’s responsible? I finally decided I had to find out.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/did-you-know/204077

So why did California's State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) decide that the Southern California region should plan for an additional 1.34 million residents over the next nine years? As it stands, today's SoCal citizens can expect to be asked to ration their water use over the summer - and periodically over the years.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2021/04/21/news/california-quietly-slides-into-a-drought-while-officials-say-to-build-for-134-million-more-thirsty-residents/5551.html

At $400,000 per unit (a typical cost for city construction) Total cost: $2.4 Billion

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2021/04_20_2021_LETTERS_Paying_More_for_Affordable_Housing.html

Bankrolled with $13.3 million from the City, the 48-unit low-income project at 1819 Pico Boulevard includes 33 units that target very low-income households.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/April-2021/04_20_2021_New_Low_Income_Housing_Development_Breaks_Ground.html

The Brentwood Community Council (BCC) unanimously voted to oppose Councilmember Mike Bonin’s plan to bring more temporary homeless shelters to public spaces and parks on the Westside. 

Read More: https://brentwoodnewsla.com/brentwood-community-council-unanimously-opposes-bonins-shelter-plan/

City Council in this cosmopolitan city amends its condo conversion ordinance, and now requires that a property owner converting a rental apartment to a condominium must offer a lifetime lease to the current resident of the unit being converted.

Read More: https://redstate.com/shipwreckedcrew/2021/04/18/san-francisco-ordinance-requires-property-owners-to-make-lifetime-rental-offer-to-tenants-for-real-n363506

Huntington Beach Councilmember Erik Peterson is ready to sue over state mandated housing goals that city officials all over Orange County have been pushing back against for over a year.

Read More: https://voiceofoc.org/2021/04/huntington-beach-might-once-again-go-to-court-over-state-mandated-housing/