In what would be an about face for Santa Monica, three newly elected Councilmembers on Tuesday are asking the City to officially oppose two state bills intended to make affordable housing easier to build.

Councilmembers Phil Brock, Oscar de la Torre and Christine Parra -- who ran on an anti-development slate in November -- contend that Senate Bills 9 and 10 would shift local control of key zoning issues to the state and eliminate community input.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/February-2021/02_08_2021_Council_Discussion_Item_Signals_Split_from_Previous_Housing_Policy.html

The City has sued a major Santa Monica property owner engaged in a legal battle over its housing polices for allegedly raising a tenant's rent during a State emergency.

The lawsuit charges WS Communities, LLC and 1433 Euclid Street, LLC with unlawfully raising a tenant’s rent by more than the allowed 10 percent during a declared emergency.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/February-2021/02_08_2021_City_Charges_Major_Landlord_with_Illegally_Raising_Tenants_Rent_During_Emergency.html

California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has advised Councilmember Gleam Davis that she has a financial conflict of interest that bars her from participating in any decisions concerning the Miramar Hotel.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/February-2021/02_05_2021_Councilmember_Davis_Has_Financial_Conflict_of_Interest_in_Miramar_Project.html

Allegedly fraudulent and malicious conduct has prompted the City of Santa Monica to file a lawsuit against local landlords who are accused of violating the City’s Tenant Harassment Ordinance and eviction moratorium.

The complaint filed last week states Youseph and Hanokh Golshirazian, and SoCal Investment Company, LLC, have allegedly attempted to drive rent-controlled tenants out of their homes since they first purchased their 30-unit residential property located at 153 San Vicente Boulevard in 2017.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/city-sues-santa-monica-landlords-fraudulent-behaviors-during-pandemic/201644

Read Declaration at: https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/12.30.20-EO-N-85-20-Wildfire-Price-Gouging-signed.pdf

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