ACTION Apartment Association

Small landlords left struggling when renters stop paying

03/18/2021 8:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Economists say small property owners have been uniquely pinched by the pandemic as renters move out or stop paying. Despite a federally mandated mortgage forbearance and $2.6 billion in rental relief from the state, some landlords who slip through the cracks wonder how much longer they can absorb the costs.

City, Chamber Launch Grants Program for Struggling Businesses

03/18/2021 8:25 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City and Chamber of Commerce have established a loan program to help as many as 1,000 small local businesses recover from the coronavirus shutdown, officials announced Wednesday.

The SaMo Small Business Recovery Grant Program will provide up to $10,000 in "urgent rescue funds" to small businesses who are "struggling to survive."

AND: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2021/03/17/city-and-chamber-of-commerce-launch-effort-to-support-small-business-grants

Need help paying rent? California is accepting rental relief applications

03/17/2021 9:15 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The application system, for tenants and landlords, went live Monday. Within the first 24 hours, more than 20,000 applications were started.

Community Invited to Take Survey to Inform City Manager Recruitment

03/17/2021 8:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The community is invited to get involved through a survey and upcoming listening session.

Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission

03/17/2021 8:55 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Apply.

City Council sets priorities ahead of budget process

03/16/2021 9:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In a 4-3 vote following Dilg’s remarks, City Council chose addressing homelessness, creating a clean and safe Santa Monica, and pushing for an Equitable and Inclusive Economic Recovery as its top priorities for the upcoming biennial budget process.

One year into the pandemic, rents remain expensive in Santa Monica

03/16/2021 9:43 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

While there was widespread speculation of plummeting rents in urban areas during the pandemic, Santa Monica remains an expensive city to rent in.

This is also true for new market rate leases on controlled units, which barely dipped over the last year, according to data from the Rent Control Board. Rent controlled units represent over half of the City’s total rental stock and under Santa Monica’s Rent Control laws, units reset to market rate when a tenant vacates an apartment.

Council Narrows Focus on Top Priorities

03/16/2021 9:35 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Addressing homelessness and ensuring public spaces are clean and safe are the two top priories that will guide tough budget decisions in Santa Monica over the next two years.

At a special retreat session Saturday, the Council also included an "equitable and inclusive economic recovery" to the short list of priorities.

Council pulls noise protest over ‘miscommunication’

03/15/2021 8:27 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica City Council was set to discuss new regulations regarding public assemblies, targeted residential protests, and noise on Tuesday, but Councilmember Phil Brock said the proposed ordinance was not what he sought to enact before he asked to pull the item from the agenda this week.

City Council Sets Community Priorities Ahead of Biennial Budget Process

03/15/2021 8:22 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

“The City Council today chose to focus for the next two years on the two issues overwhelmingly favored in the unscientific survey of the public’s priorities, addressing homelessness and promoting clean and safe neighborhoods."