ACTION Apartment Association

Worst Housing Bills Fail; Solution via Market Forces Now Possible

09/05/2020 8:42 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Evidence keeps mounting that California’s longtime housing shortage can be solved by market forces set loose by the lifestyle and workplace changes created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Now the failure of the worst parts of a sweeping housing package in the state Legislature leaves the path clear for those market forces to work themselves out. Had the most wide-ranging of the bills passed, there could have been far less motivation for developers and local governments to heed the accelerating non-political forces.

Council Incumbents Split on Police Endorsement

09/05/2020 8:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Two of the four City Council incumbents vying for four full-term seats have chosen not to seek the backing of the Santa Monica Police Officers Association (SMPOA), which has given candidates a powerful election boost for generations.

Councilmember Gleam Davis and Mayor Pro Tem Terry O'Day -- who were backed by the POA in their three previous Council bids -- said they did not seek the coveted endorsement, which comes as the City considers police reforms.

Councilmembers Ted Winterer and Ana Jara -- who were interviewed by union officials on Thursday -- said they believe it is important to continue engaging with the City's police force.

Miramar discussions to continue next week

09/04/2020 8:25 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

After hours of commentary from local residents and developers, discussion on the Fairmont Miramar hotel project is set to resume next week after the Santa Monica Planning Commission continued its meeting, which stretched into the late hours of Wednesday evening.

Letter to the Editor – Council’s at fault

09/04/2020 8:24 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

It’s ironic for Councilmembers to call for faster action on the May 31 riots and looting (Council calls for quicker action on May 31, Sept. 1) since they’re at fault for its delay.

SMa.r.t. Column: Budget Reform and the New Normal

09/04/2020 8:18 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City has high structural costs. These costs include large in-house staffing as well as very high compensation (e.g. our City attorney earned $440K in 2019 pay and benefits compared to Santa Barbara’s $347K). Beverly Hills outsources its entire legal function. In a 2016 analysis by Transparent California, Santa Monica’s compensation costs per resident were tied with Beverly Hills. At the time, paying employees ten percent less would have saved $30M, almost twice as much as the sales-tax hike to 10.5 percent provided at the time.

O'Day Appeals SMRR Endorsement Vote

09/04/2020 8:16 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Councilmember Terry O'Day on Wednesday challenged actions by Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR) leadership he said illegally denied him the powerful group's endorsement.

In a hard-hitting letter that in large part reads like a legal complaint, O'Day claims SMRR Co-Chair Michael Soloff intentionally prevented the membership from voting to endorse him.

Southern California cities can soon object to giant increases in housing goals

09/03/2020 5:47 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Southern California cities facing enormous increases in the number of homes the state wants them to build over the next decade soon will be able to appeal their “RHNA allocations” under a massive transportation and land-use plan adopted Thursday, Sept. 3.

What You Need to Know About the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020

09/03/2020 8:28 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

he COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 was signed by Governor Newsom on August 31, 2020. The new state law provides that residential tenants who are unable to pay rent during the COVID-19 emergency cannot be evicted for rents that became due between March 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021, if certain requirements are met. The law’s eviction protections apply only where the evictions are based on nonpayment of rent.

The City of Santa Monica already has an Eviction Moratorium that addresses nonpayment of rent during the COVID-19 emergency period. The following FAQ explains how the state law’s eviction protections work in conjunction with the City’s Eviction Moratorium, and how the two laws protect residential tenants in Santa Monica from evictions during the COVID-19 emergency.

New State Eviction Moratorium Sets Guidelines

09/03/2020 8:23 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Under a law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, California renters are protected from eviction through January 31, as long as they pay at least 25 percent of their rent and show financial hardship due to the COVID-19 emergency.

The law -- which only applies to residential evictions for non-payment of rent -- went into effect immediately and works in conjunction with Santa Monica's eviction moratorium, which lasts through September 30, City officials said.

California Legislature Passes New COVID-19 Eviction Protection Bill

09/02/2020 8:46 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

On Monday, one day before the statewide eviction moratorium was set to expire, Governor Newsom signed AB 3088 protecting tenants from evictions due to the financial impacts of COVID-19 until February 1, 2021. Santa Monica’s eviction moratorium was not set to expire until September 30, but the passing of this legislation provides clarity on landlords and tenants rights as California waits in hope of future federal rental assistance.

Under this Bill, tenants cannot be evicted for a failure to pay rent owed due to COVID-19 related hardships between March 4 and Aug. 31, until Feb. 1, 2021. For back rent accrued from Sept. 1 to Jan 31, 2021, tenants will have to pay at least 25 percent to avoid eviction. The legislation does not forgive missed payments and tenants will still owe this money to their landlord.

AND: https://apnews.com/8be5770f4398c52f72dc51dfcd00d680