ACTION Apartment Association

Incredibly Overpaid Santa Monica Police and Firemen Endorse City Council Incumbents

09/25/2018 11:06 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica employs very well qualified police and fire personnel. It's an open secret that Santa Monica Police and Fire fighters are also the most overpaid first responders in the world. It's not unusual at all for a Policeman to make $100,000 a year. The chief of police makes more than $350,000 a year.

It will probably not surprise you to learn that "the Santa Monica Police Officers' Association (SMPOA) and the Santa Monica Firefighters (SMFF), Local 1109 are proud to support the following candidates for City Council in 2018: Kevin McKeown Sue Himmelrich Pam O'Connor Greg Morena." The SMRR candidates in other words.

S.F. Supervisors Water Down Controversial Rent Control Resolution

09/25/2018 10:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

It’s in the hands of voters this November, but a symbolic resolution to express San Francisco’s support of Prop. 10 was last put forth to the Board of Supervisors by Supervisor Aaron Peskin. They last voted on it Sept. 4 but it failed (it needed eight votes to pass but only garnered seven), bouncing it back to the Land Use and Transportation Committee to review. This in itself was tricky; Supervisors Katy Tang and Ahsha Safai both sit on that committee and voted not to support Prop. 10 earlier this month.

But today they changed their mind… sort of. They both voted that they would support the resolution, but only if amendments were made guaranteeing that if Costa-Hawkins were repealed single-family homes would be exempt from rent control, and new units could only be rent controlled pending an economic assessment.

Property Management - Prop 10 Info

09/24/2018 11:41 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Read the full proposition here; with editorial comments: Property Management- Prop 10 Info (2).pdf

Beachfront apartments heading to Planning Commission

09/24/2018 9:17 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Big change is on the way for one of Santa Monica’s few undeveloped plots of ocean view property, as the Beverly Hills hoteliers behind Shutters on the Beach and Casa del Mar move forward with plans for apartments and retail near the beach. The Planning Commission will review development agreements for two, mixed-use apartment complexes from Thomas and Edward Slatkin at their Oct. 3 meeting.

A 22-unit apartment complex with a modern, modular design and ground floor retail and restaurant space is planned for the current vacant lot south of Casa del Mar at 1921 Ocean Front Walk.

The developers have offered to build four moderately affordable units off-site, at their second project at 1828 Ocean Avenue. Tenants would have to make fifty percent of the medium income to qualify to move in.

Santa Monica Planning Officials Assuage Fears of Downzoning Pico Boulevard

09/24/2018 9:06 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

September 21, 2018 -- Some Pico Boulevard business owners are growing increasingly worried the busy thoroughfare will be downzoned as part of a plan City officials are embarking on to help preserve the neighborhood.

City planning officials say the fears surrounding the plan -- which is meant to address a wave of gentrification Pico Neighborhood residents worry is threatening the character and affordable housing supply -- are unfounded.

"We are at the very beginning of the process," Planning Director David Martin told the Lookout Friday. "There are definitely no proposals on the table to make any changes in zoning.

After years of dramatic increases, rents are finally showing signs of slowing

09/24/2018 8:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

After a remarkable run-up in housing costs that has crimped budgets, forced families from their neighborhoods and contributed to homelessness, it appears rent growth is slowing in Southern California and across the nation.

Experts attribute the tapering in part to an increase in new apartment buildings that, although not giving tenants the upper hand, is giving them a bit more leverage than in years past.

SMRR Basically Endorses the Incumbents for Santa Monica City Council

09/24/2018 8:50 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica has more than its fair share of drama over local elections. The powerful and longtime influential group of Santa Monicans for Renter's Rights (SMRR) has recently noticed fierce (if futile) attacks from new groups of residents opposed to their policies of rampant over-development, unwise fiscal policy, and anti-business positions. Measure TL, which would impose term limits on city council seats that are now effective lifetime positions, is one heroic attempt to wrest some small measure of power from this group, which has handpicked city council members and dominated Santa Monica's civic life for the past four decades.

Conflicting reports seek to guide voters on Prop 10

09/24/2018 8:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Two recent reports out of Berkeley further muddy the water for voters considering whether to vote for Proposition 10, the grassroots initiative that would repeal a state law limiting rent control. If Prop 10 passes, cities like Santa Monica could potentially expand rent control to newer buildings or once again cap rents for new tenants.

Star City Attempt to Solve California Housing Crisis with New Solutions

09/24/2018 8:41 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Despite a severe housing shortage in California, Jon Dishotsky noticed that 60 percent of living spaces was not being used. Living rooms are not actually being lived in. Kitchens are empty most of the time. At the same time, he recalled his father, a Stanford psychology professor, renting rooms to students. From these observations, he came to an idea for a revolutionary new mode of housing, the community-based living experience.

Dishotsky's startup, Starcity, takes underutilized buildings, particularly multi-family, hotel, and office buildings, and converts them into "residential co-living properties."

Incumbents racking up endorsements

09/18/2018 4:38 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A flurry of endorsements for local races was announced today with three organizations taking positions on candidates and/or ballot measures.

Incumbents were generally favored across all races but in some cases, the number of endorsed candidates didn’t match the number of open seats.