The Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office has filed a criminal complaint charging the owners of a multi-unit apartment building located at 1433 Euclid Street in Santa Monica, with three counts of price gouging. The landlords, WS Communities, LLC and 1433 Euclid Street, LLC, are charged with unlawfully raising a tenant’s rent by more than the allowed 10 percent during a declared emergency. 

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2021/02/05/santa-monica-landlords-charged-with-price-gouging

AND: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-landlords-charged-with-price-gouging/201672

The city needs to look beyond the lunacy of providing 6,000 affordable and 2,900 market rate units in 8 years!  We should update the housing element for our needs, not SCAG’s!  We need our planning department to start working for residents, not the development community!  The pandemic – with its effect on vacancies, the economy, tourist industry, etc. – gives us that opportunity.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2021/02/saving-a-failed-marriage-part-4-looking-to-our-zoning-code-for-family-counseling/

 The State's political ethics watchdog on Thursday advised the City that Councilmember Oscar de la Torre does not have a financial conflict of interest in the voting rights lawsuit against Santa Monica.

The advice from the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) comes after the City Council determined in a 4 to 2 vote last Tuesday that de la Torre has a conflict of interest that bars him from participating in closed door sessions pertaining to the case.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/February-2021/02_04_2021_De_la_Torre_Has_No_Financial_Conflict_of_Interest.html

Construction began last week on the Las Flores housing project — a sleek and environmentally friendly building set to bring 73 affordable housing units to the Pico Neighborhood.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/construction-begins-at-las-flores-affordable-housing-community/201593

Last week the City Attorney’s Office, Public Rights Division, filed a lawsuit against local landlords for violations of the City’s Tenant Harassment Ordinance and eviction moratorium.  According to the complaint, starting in 2017 when the defendants purchased the 30-unit apartment building, the defendants have “engaged in a campaign to empty out the building of long-term tenants.”  

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2021/02/03/city-sues-landlords-for-fraudulently-trying-to-evict-rent-controlled-tenants-during-pandemic

he City of Santa Monica is accepting applications for a program that helps seniors experiencing economic hardship pay for basic needs.

The Preserving Our Diversity (POD) pilot program is currently providing financial assistance to more than 150 very low-income, long-term Santa Monica senior renters, City officials said.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/February-2021/02_03_2021_Santa_Monica_Accepting_Applications_from_Seniors_Needing_Financial_Assistance.html

The Santa Monica City Council voted to approve a temporary pay increase of $5 per hour for grocery and drug store employees in the city.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2021/02/04/news/santa-monica-city-council-approves-combat-pay-for-grocery-store-workers/5273.html

The cash-based assistance aims to help households achieve a minimum amount of monthly after-rent income of $700 for a one-person household or $1,225 for a two-person household. To be eligible for the program you must:

• Be a senior aged 65 or older.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2021/02/support-available-to-additional-low-income-seniors-santa-monica-program/

Not only did Santa Monica police lose control of public order during a chaotic day of looting last May, according to new information that has surfaced since Los Angeles published a detailed expose of the debacle, the oceanside city has made a considerable mess of the aftermath, too.

Read More: https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/santa-monica-police-report/

COVID-19 has taken hold of the Santa Monica economy, but city leaders said they will continue to enhance community services despite diminishing revenues.

During a Mid-Year Budget Report presented last Tuesday, City staff recommended the elimination of five vacant police officer positions so funding could be diverted to fund additional hours for library staffing, homeless service coordination, code enforcement efforts, a tenant counseling pilot program...

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/council-approves-priority-service-enhancements/201563