ACTION Apartment Association

Few LA County tenants skipping rent if they can pay

08/31/2020 7:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

But the new study — a deep dive into how renters are handling rent and finances during the health crisis — found that 95% of households without a job loss or that hadn’t contracted COVID-19 say they paid their rent.

New Leasing Requirements for Rental Units

08/29/2020 1:47 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City officials approved new rules governing rental units that prevent landlords from offering leases less than a year in length.

The adopted ordinance states leases must be longer than 365 days and rental housing units cannot be furnished. Advertising any lease of a residential rental unit that does not comply with these requirements is also prohibited and violators will be subject to fines and penalties, according to the new ordinance, which was adopted by City Council Tuesday night

SM Police Chief Tries to Assure Public After Rumors of Local Looting Appear on Social Media

08/29/2020 1:46 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

I've been forwarded some FB posts from members of your community groups questioning possible events here in our city this weekend. I want to reach out and open lines of direct communication between us so we can work through this weekend together and keep our community informed.

Today, at 12pm, the Westside Chicano group has organized a march, which will start at 11:42am at 14th and Olympic and continue to Virginia Avenue Park, which they expect to reach by 1pm. The rally is expected to end at 3pm.

SMa.r.t. Column: What’s Shaking?

08/29/2020 1:43 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

While COVID-19 and the lockdown, social distancing and masks have been a primary concern that we all share, now is the time to look ahead to the upcoming elections, as campaigns are beginning to rise in the national consciousness. This election, we trust, will result in a new positive direction for us all. Similarly, here in Santa Monica we are also gearing up for our local elections, which will include five of the seven city council seats. Change is in the air.

Council Votes to Seek Consultant to Conduct Full Police Probe

08/29/2020 1:41 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Frustrated by delays, the City Council on Tuesday voted to authorize the quick hiring of a consulting firm to investigate the Police Department's response to the May 31 riots.

Miramar Redevelopment Headed to Planning Commission

08/28/2020 10:33 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Eight-and-a-half years after going before the Planning Commission, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel's developer will be back next Wednesday with a very different proposal to redevelop the century old hotel.

The new 500,000-square-foot mixed-use project -- which includes 312 luxury hotel rooms, 60 condominiums and a 42-unit affordable apartment building across the street -- is nearly identical to the proposal unveiled in April 2018 by the Miramar's owner MSD Capital, L.P.

Slow-Growth Watchdog Group Asks for Changes to Miramar Hotel Redevelopment

08/28/2020 10:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

One week before the Miramar Hotel redevelopment gets its first major hearing, a prominent slow-growth watchdog group announced it is opposing the current proposal.

The Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) on Wednesday urged the Planning Commission to recommend that the developer redesign the project to address circulation issues and remove luxury condo units on the top floor.

Will Crime, Overdevelopment Upset the Santa Monica Status Quo?

08/28/2020 10:31 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

As one candidate aptly stated, “The Council will continue to be run by special interests unless residents unite for change”

State leaders to unveil eviction moratorium on Friday

08/28/2020 10:28 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A bill to extend a statewide eviction moratorium is expected to be unveiled in the California Legislature Friday morning, just in time for the Senate to meet a deadline to approve the measure, a state landlord group announced Thursday, Aug. 27.

SaMo Residents Steamrolled By Union Interests on “Plaza” Development

08/27/2020 9:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

If there’s one thing we know about Unite Here Local 11, it’s that the union can usually count on its friends in the Santa Monica City Council to promote its agenda. So, it should come as no surprise that earlier this week, the Council delivered yet another win for Local 11 by voting to move forward with the “Plaza at Santa Monica” development.

The union has long supported the Plaza