ACTION Apartment Association

New Study Highlights Risks Of Proposition 10

10/04/2018 8:49 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

New Study Highlights Risks Of Proposition 10 For Homeowners And Single Family Home Renters

The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act prevents cities from applying rent control to single family rental properties. Proposition 10 on the November 2018 ballot would repeal Costa-Hawkins and give cities unrestricted power to control rents on all types of rental properties, including single family homes.

NOMA Neighborhood election meeting

10/03/2018 11:01 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Focusing on upcoming Election Day, the North of Montana Neighborhood Association (NOMA) will be featuring candidates for Council and Local Ballot Measures at its meeting Thursday night, October 4, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Montana Avenue Library. The public is invited. Next NOMA meeting, November 1, will feature presentations from Candidates for the School Board, the College Board and the Rent Control Board.

Your Chance to Ask 2018 Election Candidates a Question

10/03/2018 9:49 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Calling on questions for City Council, Rent Control Board and School Board candidates.

Election season is approaching and for voters, arriving at the polls informed is just as important as going to the polls in the first place.

The Santa Monica Mirror will be sitting down with every candidate running for City Council, Rent Control Board and School Board for a 10-minute question and answer session that will be streamed live and posted online after for residents to watch. Each candidate will be asked the same set of questions, depending on the respective race they are running in.

We are calling on Santa Monica residents and our readers to submit questions they would like asked to these candidates. These questions should reflect a pressing issue facing Santa Monica and ask candidates how they intend to address the particular issue.

Why Are Santa Monica's Elections So Noncompetitive This Year?

10/02/2018 8:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Political Observers Weigh In

Some will point to a lull in the development wars, others to what they see as an all-powerful local political machine or a voting rights lawsuit that could change the way Council members are elected.

Still others point to the high-stakes drama in the nation's capitol that could be distracting voters from local issues.

But for whatever reason, the November 6 race for three open council seats -- as well as the four local measures on the ballot -- have generated the least interest in decades.

"There isn't a real outcry about development, and so people are less motivated to run," said former Mayor Denny Zane.

"We have elections, and the thing is a done deal," said Tricia Crane, a local slow-growth activist and vocal critic of City Hall. "People have just given up."

Santa Monica Public Safety Unions Endorse Four City Council Candidates in Race for Three Seats

10/02/2018 8:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Two more major political groups in Santa Monica have endorsed more candidates than there are seats available in the race for City Council.

The Santa Monica Police Officers' Association (SMPOA) and the Santa Monica Firefighters (SMFF), Local 1109 threw their political muscle and campaign warchests behind three incumbents and one challenger in the November 6 race for three Council seats.

The two public safety unions announced they would back Councilmembers
Sue Himmelrich, Kevin McKeown and Pam O'Connor, as well as challenger Greg Morena for City Council.

Proposition 10 just throws gasoline on the housing crisis fire

10/02/2018 8:22 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

This November, Californians will see several taxpayer threats on the ballot, not the least of which is Proposition 10, titled “Local Rent Control Initiative.” This measure would open the floodgates to big government bureaucracies, burdensome regulations and a loss of property rights. The word must be getting out, because a poll released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California shows Proposition 10 lagging.

Two Housing Bills, Sponsored by Santa Monica Lawmaker Signed into Law

10/02/2018 8:20 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

October 1, 2018 -- Two housing bills and a bill banning toxic chemicals were among the measures sponsored by Santa Monica lawmaker Richard Bloom signed by the Governor last week.

The housing measures address inconsistencies in applying housing density bonuses on the coast and reform the process used for determining and apportioning regional housing needs.

The State's most recent report found that Santa Monica built more than four times its allocation of housing units between 2008 and 2014, said former Mayor Denny Zane.

Residents prepare to battle Ocean Park developments

10/01/2018 9:07 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Neighbors fighting a five-story apartment complex planned for 1828 Ocean Avenue have vowed to appeal a Development Review Permit if it clears the Planning Commission this Wednesday, hoping to find sympathy from the City Council. The neighbors along San Vicente Terrace worry the 47-foot building will create a canyon facing the low-slung homes on the opposite side on the narrow, one-way street.

At the moment, a row of ficus trees obscures the property, which serves as a valet parking lot for guests staying at Casa Del Mar. The hoteliers behind the luxury hotel and Shutters on the Beach submitted plans for two mixed-use complexes to add more than a hundred apartments beachside neighborhood.

Both lots used to be owned by the city. The most recent sale came in 2012, when the City sold the lot at 1921 Ocean Front Walk to Edward Thomas Hospitality Companies for $13.5 million. The money from the sale went to the Citywide Housing Trust Fund to pay for affordable housing elsewhere.

Fundraising figures reflect quiet election season

10/01/2018 9:02 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Fundraising for candidates and issues in this year’s November election is off to a slow start with most campaigns reporting a few thousand dollars in donations for the first reporting period.

City Council challenger Ashely Powell was the exception, reporting more than $63,000 in donations in the first few months of the season, but most campaigns reported significantly less.

In the race for Rent Control Board, Incumbent Nicole Phillis was in first place with $5,700 in fundraising and no expenses. Her 58 donors included several current RCB Commissioners, School Board members, College Board candidates and SMRR officials. She also received a donation from Sonya Sultan, the mother of fellow candidate Naomi Sultan.

Challenger Lori Brown raised $5,128 and had no expenses. Her 21 donors included property management companies and several realtors.

The Need for Supportive Housing

10/01/2018 8:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Scarlett Yingvorapant, Communications Manager at The People Concern

Everyone should be housed, healthy and safe.

But for many, ending homelessness is not simply about finding a home. It is about being comfortable in that home, maintaining that home, and having the tools and support to rebuild your life.

There are individuals experiencing homelessness who struggle with mental illness, substance addiction, acute and chronic medical conditions, histories of trauma, or a combination of these issues. In the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Homeless Count for 2018, 26% reported a serious mental illness, 15% reported a substance use disorder, 10% reported both substance use disorder and serious mental illness, and 6% of people report experiencing homelessness because they are fleeing domestic/intimate partner violence.