ACTION Apartment Association

Proposed San Diego law would prohibit landlord bias against people with federal housing vouchers

07/03/2018 8:06 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

San Diego would be following the lead of San Francisco, Santa Monica and several other cities by passing such an anti-discrimination law, which would only force landlords to consider applicants with vouchers, not require them to be chosen as tenants.

Gimme Shelter podcast: The rent control war

07/02/2018 9:31 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

One housing issue will overshadow all others this election: Rent control. Matt and Liam discuss why renewed negotiations to remove a controversial rent control initiative from the ballot went nowhere, and what the campaigns will look like this fall. First, Matt proposes a solution to the Los Angeles Clippers’ battles with the California Environmental Quality Act in the Avocado of the Fortnight (3:30). Then a discussion about why negotiations over rent control have been so fruitless (11:23). Debra Carlton, senior vice president of public affairs for the California Apartment Association, stops by the studio to talk about the landlords’ perspective (24:00). And Amy Schur, campaign director for Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, calls in to give the tenants’ side (47:30).

Podcast: https://calmatters.org/articles/gimme-shelter-podcast-the-rent-control-war/

Development Wars Heat Up

07/02/2018 9:06 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Ballot initiative would reduce the City’s power over development.

Santa Monica voters will be asked in November to choose how much control Santa Monica City Council has over new developments under a voter initiative approved by the Council on Tuesday, June 26.

The initiative would require a supermajority approval by City Council for any projects within either the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) or Downtown Community Plan (DCP) that would exceed the existing height or floor area ratio limits specified in the City’s zoning code. Exempt from this supermajority requirement would be 100 percent Affordable Housing Projects and developments on property owned by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified District (SMMUSD).

and http://smdp.com/development-will-be-back-on-the-ballot-in-november/167210

Safeguard Against Rent Control Chaos

07/02/2018 9:04 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Possible repeal of Costa-Hawkins Act could roll back rents to 1978 rates.

The 1995 Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act is a California law that limits cities’ ability to impose rent control. Santa Monica is one of 15 cities in the state with rent control policies that are curtailed by this act. A statewide initiative on the 2018 ballot, however, seeks to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act. If voters approve this repeal, rents in Santa Monica will be rolled back to 1978 rates.

Three Bills by Santa Monica Lawmaker Pass Key Committees

07/02/2018 8:55 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

June 29, 2018 -- Three bills by Santa Monica Assemblymember Richard Bloom -- tackling fishing, toxic chemicals and affordable housing on the coast -- passed out of key committees this week, his office announced.

AB 2797 -- which passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday -- assures projects are not found to be inconsistent with the California Coastal Act merely because they receive a density increase under state law.

The bill addresses a recent court decision that undermined the application of density bonus law in the coastal zone, Bloom said.

The decision upheld the City of Los Angeles' denial of a project that contained two low-income units on the basis that the increased density made it visually incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

Council Approves Ballot Measure Requiring Super-Majority Vote on Development

06/29/2018 11:11 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

June 28, 2018 -- In an effort to quell Santa Monica's development wars, the City Council on Tuesday voted to place a measure on the November ballot that would require a super-majority vote to make changes to the City's zoning standards.

The proposed Charter Amendment -- which would sunset in 10 years -- would have no impact on proposed developments currently in the planning pipeline ("Super-Majority' Ballot Measure Would Have No Impact on Proposed Developments," June 21, 2018).

12 ballot measures to decide in November

06/29/2018 10:23 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Here’s the final list of propositions that made the cut for the November election. On the list are proposals to slash the gas tax, split the state in three, re-introduce rent control, absolve major corporations of their legal debt, and borrow billions to fund houses, hospitals, and water canals. Take a look. You have four months to decide.

Joe Trippi, America's Top Democratic Strategist Joins California's 'Affordable Housing Act' Ballot Campaign

06/29/2018 10:19 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Backers of the Affordable Housing Act, a ballot initiative to repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, select Joe Trippi and Trippi Norton Rossmeissl Campaigns as lead strategist and media consultant on the California campaign for a November initiative to return control on rent regulation to local communities.

Anticipating a fierce, well-funded campaign by mega-corporate landlords and Wall Street real estate investors, backers secure a battle-tested, powerhouse strategist.

SM Council Votes to Explore Scaled-Down Rental Ballot Measure

06/28/2018 7:42 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

June 27, 2018 -- Scaling back a request to explore two far-reaching rental ballot measures, the Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to draft a Charter Amendment setting a 2018 base rent if California voters repeal vacancy decontrol.

Council members were hesitant to explore the two measures proposed by Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR) that would have expanded local rent control and set a tax to build affordable housing.

Elections lawsuit headed toward trial

06/28/2018 7:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City of Santa Monica is gearing up for a showdown next month, as Malibu lawyer Kevin Shenkman prepares to take them to trial July 30 over City Council elections. Santa Monica is the first California city to challenge Shenkman regarding the California Voting Rights Act since Palmdale was forced to change to district elections in 2015. The settlement in that case required the city to pay $4.5 million in attorney’s fees for the plaintiffs.