ACTION Apartment Association

L.A. leaders weigh a new idea to halt rent hikes: Force landlords to sell their buildings

02/05/2020 7:51 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Los Angeles leaders have relied on different strategies for slowing the growth in housing prices — limits on rent hikes in older buildings, new restrictions on Airbnb and incentives for developers who build affordable housing.

Now, City Councilman Gil Cedillo has another idea for keeping rents low in his district: Force a landlord in Chinatown to sell its building to the city.

On Friday, Cedillo announced plans for having the Board of Public Works — the agency that oversees sidewalk repairs, street repaving and the construction of bridges — use its power of eminent domain to acquire a 124-unit apartment building from landlord Thomas Botz.

Drug offenders accept substance abuse treatment under new program

02/04/2020 9:01 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

For the past five weeks, individuals arrested in Santa Monica on nonviolent drug charges have had the option to enter substance abuse treatment before facing a judge.

The Joint Outreach and Linkage to Treatment, or JOLT program, allows individuals in Santa Monica Police Department custody to immediately start a month-long course of treatment at a local addiction center before appearing in court. The city of Santa Monica is funding the program in the hopes that meaningful treatment will divert low-level drug offenders away from the criminal justice system.

SMa.r.t. Column: I Can See Clearly Now!

02/03/2020 9:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

It is a new year, and as most people have already made and broken their 2020 resolutions, more straight talk about Santa Monica is in order. Yes, our eyes are wide open about the city we love.

~ Our City Council has spent between $10 Million and $20 Million challenging a superior court ruling that district elections are necessary. A law firm sent many cities an identical letter a few years ago, alleging that our “at-large” election system violated the California Voting Rights Act.

Micro-unit project heading to ARB on Monday

02/01/2020 10:14 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

One of six new developments featuring tiny apartments will head to the Architectural Review Board in February.

Under a settlement negotiated between the city and developer WS Communities, the ARB retains its authority over design elements of six proposed projects but the City is requires to issue an ARB decision on an expedited timeline with additional time restrictions on appeals.

The project to be discussed on Feb. 3 is located at 1338 5th Street.

City Council approves water rate hike

01/31/2020 10:01 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Santa Monica City Council approved a water self-sufficiency plan Tuesday that will double the price of water and wastewater removal by 2024.

The rate increases will finance about $42 million in infrastructure projects that will allow Santa Monica to stop importing water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California by 2023. Officials said relying on local groundwater and recycled water will shield residents from the impacts of climate change, such as higher rate hikes and water rationing, that Metropolitan Water District customers may bear throughout the next decade and beyond.

Serious crime falls 16% in Santa Monica

01/31/2020 10:00 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Serious crime was down 16% last year in Santa Monica, local officials said this week.

After reaching a historically low level in 2014, the rate of Part 1 crimes, which include murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, theft, grand theft auto and arson, rose 29% between 2015 and 2018. But in 2019, 16% fewer Part 1 crimes were reported than in 2018.

Three people were murdered in 2019, a decrease from seven people in 2018. The number of rapes fell from 47 to 35.

After failure, California leaders vow to pass housing bill

01/31/2020 9:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Desperate for more housing in the nation’s most populous state, the leader of the California Senate committed Thursday to passing a law this year to boost production in a state facing a shortage of 3.5 million homes.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins’ comments came moments after the Senate failed to pass the most ambitious housing bill in memory: One that would have forced local governments to let developers build small apartment buildings in some neighborhoods reserved for single family homes.

Calling All Residents: Attend State of the City Free of Charge

01/31/2020 9:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

When: Wednesday, February 12, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Where: SGI Auditorium, 525 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 90401

Controversial housing bill SB 50 falls short in Senate vote

01/30/2020 7:24 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A controversial zoning reform bill supporters hoped would help ease the state’s housing crisis failed in the Senate on Wednesday, following a two-hour debate and two excruciatingly close votes.

City Council Approves New Water and Wastewater Rates

01/29/2020 2:31 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Last night, the Santa Monica City Council held two public hearings and approved new rates for water and wastewater in order to continue to offer high-quality and reliable drinking water to Santa Monica’s 93,000 residents and 2,700 businesses. The rates will nearly eliminate costly imported water over the next five years and continue essential water pipe replacement projects.

Under the new rate structure, Santa Monica water customers will see an average 17 percent increase, each year, in water and sewer bills over the next five years.