ACTION Apartment Association

Glendale adopts Right to Lease ordinance

02/15/2019 9:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Glendale landlords will soon have to offer their tenants a one-year lease and pony up relocation fees if the rent is hiked more than 7% and the tenant opts to leave, punctuating a years-long discussion by city officials about how to prevent rising local rents from displacing residents.

Aging in place—with someone else

02/15/2019 9:29 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Since 1978, the nonprofit Affordable Living for the Aging, or ALA, has been connecting people like Laurette with people like Cate as part of its home-sharing program for seniors. One year ago, ALA matched Cate as a roommate with Laurette.

Where We Stand: Policies and Priorities (Santa Monica)

02/14/2019 9:09 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In 2018, the City and its State advocates pursued advancement of Council policies and priorities in Sacramento by actively monitoring or taking a position on 82 pieces of legislation, many of which tie in directly to outcomes in the City’s Framework for a Sustainable City of Wellbeing.

Santa Monica Coalition Pauses Political Activities

02/14/2019 8:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) -- which helped usher in a slow-growth movement more than a decade ago -- has terminated its political action committee.

In its terminating campaign disclosure statement filed December 27, the group reported spending $4,306 on the November 6 race for three Council seats.

The Coalition, which only endorsed incumbent Sue Himmelrich, is waiting to see what future Santa Monica elections might hold, said its founder Diana Gordon.http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/February%202019/02_13_2019_Santa_Monica_Coalition_Pauses_Political_Activities.html

Social Justice Drives Sepi Shyne

02/14/2019 8:51 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The lack of affordable housing, rent control, and meaningful diversity across all gender identities, sexual orientations and ethnic backgrounds are realities that Sepi Shyne finds disturbing in the city she’s called home for more than a decade, and that’s the catalyst behind her decision to run for the West Hollywood City Council.
Read More: https://www.goweho.com/social-justice-drives-sepi-shyne/16040

Oregon Senators Pass 1st-In-Nation Statewide Rent Control

02/13/2019 8:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Oregon Senate voted 17-11 Tuesday to make Oregon the first state in the nation to adopt statewide rent control and make it harder for landlords to evict tenants without a reason.

The bill now moves to the House.

Challengers Easily Outspend Incumbents in Santa Monica Council Race With Mixed Results

02/13/2019 8:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Two challengers outspent the three incumbents by more than $60,000 in a relatively quiet race for three open seats on the Santa Monica City Council November 6.

The race between seven candidates, the smallest field in at least three decades, saw candidates spend a total of $358,708.

Letters to the Editor: Repeal or reform Ellis Act

02/12/2019 8:53 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council has long sought the repeal or reform of the Ellis Act, a state law which allows owners of rent-controlled properties to evict tenants and to pursue other uses of their properties provided they don’t re-enter the rental market for at least five years. Every loss of controlled rental stock is painful to a Council which has made the affordability of housing for low and moderate income households a priority, but unfortunately state law preempts local authority.

The Resident Survey Results Are In

02/12/2019 8:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City of Santa Monica recently published the results of its Resident Satisfaction Survey. This survey, conducted biennially since 1998 (the last survey was conducted in 2015), provides input from residents on how well the City is delivering services, and helps identify priority focus areas.

Rental Properties – Long Beach City Council To Consider Tenant Protection Policies

02/12/2019 8:17 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

When city staff invited Long Beach property owners and tenant advocates for a joint “tenant protections focus group” meeting in September 2018, it quickly became clear that there was little the two sides could agree on, as recalled by some of those present.

The meeting was part of a process kicked off last January by 1st District Councilmember Lena Gonzalez, who asked city staff to produce a progress report on the city’s search for “revenue tools and incentives for the production of affordable and workforce housing” to include “policies that support tenants adopted in other cities.”