Showdown Looms as Rent Control Battle Rages

04/12/2017 8:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Rent control is firmly established in liberal bastions like Berkeley, San Francisco, and Santa Monica, but it’s a new idea in the city of Santa Rosa. A June vote on whether to endorse or block the city council’s decision to impose rent control will either open the door to a new surge in rent control ordinances or make other cities and state legislators think twice about going further down the road of regulation.

AND

Calls for rent control increasing across California

RCB Will Discuss Tenant & Owner Rights During Earthquake Retrofitting Process

04/10/2017 9:15 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

REGULAR RENT CONTROL BOARD MEETING

Council Chamber, City Hall, 1685 Main Street

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 – 7:00 P.M.

See Agenda item # 12: https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/Rent_Control/About_the_Rent_Control_Board/Agendas_and_Minutes/2017/RcB041317.pdf

Paint Recycling Event - Sat. April 22, 8am - 2pm

04/10/2017 8:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Now’s your chance to clean out your garage. Drop off your old leftover paint for recycling.

City of Santa Monica City Yards • 2500 Michigan Avenue

Read More on page 6: http://backissues.smdp.com/040717.pdf

Also, read more at: http://www.paintcare.org/ca

The largest effort to expand rent control in decades is on hold in Sacramento

04/07/2017 7:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

AB 1506 Vacancy Control Bill is on Hold

As state bill that would let cities dramatically expand rent control has been put on hold for a year by its author amid fierce opposition from landlords.

The proposal from Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) would repeal the landmark Costa-Hawkins Act, a 1995 law that barred rent caps on single-family homes and apartments built after that year.

Final Draft of Santa Monica Downtown Plan to Be Released Next Week

04/06/2017 11:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The “question should continue to be asked by residents: Who stands to benefit from the planned massive development of our downtown?” said Tricia Crane in an email to members of Northeast Neighbors this week, urging them to attend the meeting.

Rent control no answer to California housing crisis

04/06/2017 8:12 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Now momentum is building behind another failed strategy: rent control. Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, has introduced a bill to repeal a 1995 state law — the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act — that limits the scope of local rental control laws. Bloom and his three co-sponsors hope to take away rent-control exemptions for duplexes, condos and single-family homes and to let local-rent control laws cover far more properties than now allowed, including newer housing stock.

Rent control is no solution to a housing crisis caused by a housing shortage.

Notice of Public Hearing-Measure R Parcel Tax

04/06/2017 8:03 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Education of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will conduct a public hearing on the matter of the 2017-18 Special Parcel Tax (Measure R) regarding applying a Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) adjustment. The public hearing will be held on May 4, 2017

Subsequent to the public hearing on May 4, 2017 at the regularly scheduled meeting, it is the intention of the Board of Education to adopt a resolution to levy the tax at the rate of $396.23 per parcel, which includes a 2.7% CPI adjustment.

Read More at SMDP, April 6, pg. 11: http://backissues.smdp.com/040617.pdf

Restrictive Vacation Rental Ordinance heads into uncertain waters

04/06/2017 7:53 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Two years after passing one of the most restrictive vacation rental ordinances in the nation in order to curb neighborhood AirBnbs, the City finds itself defending the ordinance on two legal fronts.

Last week, a District Court judge allowed an 82-year-old senior citizen to continue with her lawsuit against Santa Monica’s restrictive vacation rental ordinance based on an alleged violation of the Coastal Act. Meanwhile, rental giant AirBnb has also challenged the ordinance based on Federal Laws.

Zumper Analysis Shows Santa Monica as Most Expensive City to Rent In

04/06/2017 7:50 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Zumper Los Angeles Metro Report analyzed over 30,000 active listings in March across 20 metro cities to show the most and least expensive cities and cities with the fastest growing rents.

No Foolin’ [Charles Andrews]

04/05/2017 7:36 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

MASTER PLAN OR CHAOS?

For example, I recently had a member of the SMRR Steering Committee tell me, “The majority [of SMRR membership] and on the Steering Committee don’t believe we should be allowing more and more housing as a way to solve the high rents.” So I asked, “But if the majority at SMRR do not believe in building more and more, then why is it happening, from City Council members handpicked by SMRR?”

ECEC - Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC)

What would be the reasons for building a large Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) not in a residential neighborhood but on the edge of Downtown, taking up space at the CIVIC Center we are trying to re-imagine, that will serve mostly children who do not live in Santa Monica (employees of City Hall and Rand Corporation), leased to Santa Monica College (SMC) for $1/yr (a giveaway of at least $25M of our money), kicking in additional millions of City cash to boot...