ACTION Apartment Association

Rent prices slightly down while local real estate is ‘seller’s market’

05/24/2024 12:45 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

According to a May Los Angeles rent report from Apartment List, Santa Monica apartment prices dropped over the past month by 0.6%, one of only six out of the 26 Los Angeles metropolitan area cities to see a decrease throughout April and into May. The median one-bedroom apartment price in Santa Monica now stands at $2,340 per month, while the median two-bed is at $2,805.

City Files Lawsuit Against Landlord Over Alleged Discrimination and Harassment

05/24/2024 9:03 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The city alleges that Atef intentionally discriminated against a tenant with a disability. The tenant, who is immunocompromised and has lived at the property since 2021, requested multiple times in the past year for reasonable accommodation to remediate toxic mold in her unit and to be temporarily relocated during the process. Atef allegedly refused the request, stating that his building is not suitable for tenants with “special conditions” or those with respiratory issues.

AND: https://smdp.com/2024/05/23/pico-landlord-facing-multiple-tenant-harassment-lawsuits/

County Launches Second Round of Rent Relief Program

05/24/2024 9:02 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The program -- spearheaded by the LA County Board of Supervisors --- "is an effort to reduce evictions of tenants for non-payment of rent," County officials said.

The funds will be distributed to "qualified landlords adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic" to cover "unpaid rent and eligible expenses dating from April 1, 2022 to the present."

"To qualify, units must still be occupied by impacted tenants," County officials said.

AND: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2024/05/24/los-angeles-county-re-launches-rent-relief-program-with-68-million-in-grant-funding

Two Housing Bills Clear State Senate

05/22/2024 8:03 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Introduced by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), SB 951, which removes layers of discretionary permitting in the Coastal Zone, passed 35 to 0 and will had to the Assembly.

Meanwhile, SB 1037, which fines cities that egregiously violate state housing laws, passed 23 to 9. Both bills must be approved by the house by August 31.

A Call on City Leaders to Clean Up this Mess by Houman David Hemmati MD PhD

05/21/2024 8:26 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The city's focus on addressing a non-existent housing crisis, local climate crisis, and supposed issues of racism and equity, not to mention a war on the other side of the world, while ignoring the real and pressing problems of crime, drugs, and homelessness, is a dereliction of duty. Santa Monica has become a shadow of its former self, in a span of about just a half a decade, due to the misguided priorities of its leaders.

Illegal hostels are popping up in L.A. neighborhoods

05/21/2024 8:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In a mostly quiet neighborhood of older homes and small apartment buildings, some residents have drawn their own no-go zones around what might sound like a crash pad for traveling backpackers: hostels.

At least two of them have popped up on West View Street in Mid-City Heights in the past few years, with more in surrounding neighborhoods.

Little blue box hopes to ‘chirp’ away at crime

05/20/2024 8:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

You might have already seen his posts on the social media app Nextdoor, but long-time Santa Monica local Stephen McMahon has come up with an ingenious way to discourage the homeless from making camp and taking drugs in his building’s courtyard parking space and thus also preventing the inevitable repeat burglaries.

His idea is straightforward and is a testament to the axiom that necessity is the mother of invention. He combined the concept of blue flashing light — that is known to keep people awake, which is why it’s often used in warehouses and on heavy machinery — together with the extremely annoying sound of crickets and created a deterrent that he has proved to be highly successful.

SM.a.r.t. Column: A Path Forward for Santa Monica: Part II

05/20/2024 8:33 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

One of the most effective ways to influence state policy is through grassroots organizing and advocacy. This involves building a broad-based coalition of residents, community organizations, and advocacy groups who are committed to advancing affordable housing solutions. By working together to educate the public, mobilize supporters, and pressure elected officials, these coalitions can help to create the political momentum needed to secure increased funding and stop incentives for market-rate housing. Such assistance needs to be applied only to the affordable housing portion.

City’s tallest apartment building could come to 6th and Colorado

05/15/2024 12:04 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The footprint of the project is probably smaller than you might think; it only covers two lots and measures approximately 150 ft by 150 ft. It is set to be positioned between 6th Street and 6th Court, facing onto Colorado Avenue, opposite the Big Blue Bus depot. Currently there is a row of abandoned outlets in that location that are frequently used by the homeless as illegal, makeshift shelters.

More than 1,200 LA-owned homeless housing units remain vacant two years after $800 million spending spree

05/15/2024 11:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

An exclusive investigation by the Westside Current has uncovered more than 1,200 vacant City-owned high end apartments and motel and hotel rooms in two dozen Homekey buildings that are supposed to be providing interim or permanent supportive housing to homeless people in LA. At least five buildings have never been occupied. The properties range from low-end motels to luxury apartments HACLA acquired from for-profit developers, in many cases for record-breaking prices.