By Mary Marlow, chair of the Santa Monica Transparency Project

In the November 2020 election for Santa Monica City Council, a plethora of candidates have registered to compete with incumbents to represent our city in the trying times ahead.

As voters, how do we sift through the various statements, positions, and platforms to decide which candidates deserve our support? The simplest question is the most obvious: do you like the direction the city is going?

While the pandemic has totally upset the political applecart, perennial issues of traffic, affordable housing, development, fiscal management, and the homeless challenge that affects our parks and open spaces are still bedrock concerns for most residents.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2020/09_10_2020_OPINION_5_Seats_22%20Candidates_Your_Vote.html

The California Secretary of State and the original backers of the state's voting rights law have filed letters on behalf of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the City.

In an amicus letter sent last week, the former legislators asked the California Supreme Court to overturn an Appeals Court decision July 9 upholding Santa Monica's at-large election system.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/September-2020/09_09_2020_Secretary_of%20State_Original_Backers_of_Voting_Rights_Law_Support_Plaintiffs_Appeal.html

Planning Commissioner Richard McKinnon -- who ran twice for City Council as a slow-growth advocate -- failed to win re-appointment on Tuesday when the City Council filled two vacancies on the powrful board.

McKinnon will be replaced by Ellis Raskin, an attorney specializing in land use and environmental law, who serves on the City's Urban Tree Task Force.

Planning Commission Chair Leslie Lambert -- considered an outspoken advocate for housing development -- was appointed to a second two-year term.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/September-2020/09_09_2020_McKinnon_Fails_to_Win_Reappointment_to_Planning_Commission.html

Just days before courts resumed processing eviction filings after a five-month freeze, California this week enacted statewide protections through next year for tenants struggling to pay rent amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 8 million Californians have filed for unemployment since mid-March and advocates fear a massive eviction wave as both tenants and landlords have lost income.

Here’s what you need to know about the new rules, according to the state, lawyers and housing advocates.

Read More: https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2020/09/california-eviction-protections/

With the moratorium on commercial evictions set to expire on Sept. 30, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, with the help of lawyers from Pettit Kohn, held a Zoom presentation last Thursday on landlord and commercial tenants’ rights.

While a recent state bill extended eviction protections for residential tenants, commercial tenants in Santa Monica will be expected to pay rent again starting in October. 

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/smcc-presents-on-landlord-and-commercial-tenants-rights/196163

Blasting incumbents for ushering in "unsustainable growth" and pushing the City into "financial chaos," a prominent slow-growth group on Tuesday announced it will back three challengers in the race for four full-term Council seats.

The Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) -- which last year terminated its political action committee -- dove into this year's Council race with a call to upset the status quo at City Hall.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/September-2020/09_08_2020_Slow_Growth_Group_Backs_Three_Challengers.html

Last week, California lawmakers turned away legislation to allow for duplexes in neighborhoods now reserved only for single-family homes, the latest failure following multiple unsuccessful efforts in recent years.

Read More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gimme-shelter-why-the-bid-to-allow-duplexes-in-california-s-single-family-home-neighborhoods-failed/ar-BB18PkyB?ocid=hplocalnews

Renters have a variety of options when searching for a rental property online. Luckily, there are some things you can do to make your listing stand out. If you’ve never listed a property online before, you might be wondering how to attract renters so you can fill your vacant unit and start collecting rent. First, start with the ad.

Read More: https://www.apartments.com/rental-manager/resources/article/how-to-list-a-rental-property-online?utm_source=io_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=io_newsletter_september_a&utm_content=middle_article&dclid=CMPBhtD_2esCFaoQrQYdcCIEEw

As Cozy joins forces with Apartments.com, new and improved features will be available to property owners and managers.

Read More: https://www.apartments.com/rental-manager/resources/article/how-does-apartments.com-compare-to-cozy?utm_source=io_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=io_newsletter_september_a&utm_content=main_article&dclid=CI3xlKb_2esCFY4IrQYdF3gLFw

The Trump administration has issued a directive halting the eviction of some renters though the end of 2020 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The directive comes as eviction moratoriums are now expiring across the nation.

Read More: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-renter-eviction-moratorium-coronavirus-spread/

AND: https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-administrations-temporary-eviction-halt-covered/story?id=72769863