ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica Supervisor Spearheads Rule Requiring 'Cool Roofs'

08/02/2017 10:53 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

August 2, 2017 -- Spearheaded by Santa Monica resident Sheila Kuehl, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday adopted a rule mandating heat-fighting “cool roofs” for all new construction, building additions and major roof replacements in unincorporated areas.

Supervisor Kuehl, whose Third District extends to beach communities including Santa Monica, said the law will require new roofs be made of sun-reflecting materials, which absorb up to 65 percent less heat than conventional roofs, cooling interior and ambient temperatures.

Santa Monica developers face 'experiment' in providing affordable housing

08/02/2017 7:47 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Beset by the highest rents in Los Angeles County, Santa Monica officials are adopting a new affordable housing standard they say will create more residential units for lower-income households, although critics say it will only serve to depress housing production.

Under the city's new policy adopted last week, developers who want to build in downtown Santa Monica must price as much as 30 percent of the units below market-rate. The taller and denser the building, the more affordable housing units there have to be.

Rents rise in LA for the sixth month in a row

08/02/2017 7:42 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Rents in Los Angeles continue to steadily climb higher, with median prices increasing for the sixth month in a row, according to a report from rental website Apartment List.

In the city of LA, rents ticked up half a percent in July, compared with June. The median price for a one-bedroom apartment is now $1,340. A two-bedroom unit will cost you $1,730.

Zoning revisions continue at Planning Commission

08/01/2017 8:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

At their Wednesday meeting, Planning Commission will begin preliminary discussions on policy issues that have arisen since adoption the Zoning Ordinance in 2015. About 17 policy issues are up for discussion during this round of debate.

Affordability levels of deed restricted units for Tier 2 projects should be dictated by objective housing needs.

Eliminate the requirement for Administrative Approval review for multi-unit residential development in the Ocean Park zoning districts.

Council approves new loan source for affordable housing

07/31/2017 8:26 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Setting aside money to fund affordable housing was an easy decision for City Council at their July 25 meeting, but deciding who gets to spend it was harder.

Council approved revisions to the city’s housing trust fund guidelines on Tuesday that included establishing a new dedicated fund of about $15 million a year to build and/or retain existing affordable housing units. The money would be available to nonprofit housing organizations but the council split over giving staff the authority to release the money without Council approval.

Multi family units are composting

07/31/2017 8:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Residents in Santa Monica are collecting their food scraps and saving them to create a natural soil.

Recently Global Green, Santa Monica based non-profit has educated over 650 households on the benefits of composting food scraps and provided valuable training and resources. This action has led to nearly 85,000 pounds of organic waste being composted.

In a multifamily property, those who generate the trash do not have to pay for its removal nor are responsible for its removal. Instead it’s a 3rd party, the property manager, who is responsible. That gap between generation and responsibility is one of the challenges in a successful program.

Santa Monica Council Approves Experiment in 'Last Resort' Subsidies for Elderly Poor Renters

07/28/2017 2:44 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 28, 2017 -- The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday approved a pilot project of “last resort” subsidies for an impoverished elderly population which, after decades living in rent-controlled apartments, can no longer make rent.

Preserve Our Diversity (POD) was approved unanimously, but City officials acknowledged it will help only 26 households –- out of an estimated 6,000 households in Santa Monica so “rent burdened” they are in jeopardy of eviction.

“There are thousands of people in the same situation,” said Michael Soloff, chairman of the City’s Housing Commission, which first recommended the subsidizes to the council as part of an overall package of affordable housing initiatives in 2015.

AND

http://smdp.com/council-approves-new-subsidy-for-senior-renters/161919

Will Santa Monica's affordable housing goals backfire?

07/28/2017 7:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Can Santa Monica be a model for other cities in terms of provision of affordable housing? Or did it just shoot itself in the foot?

Rents Across The US Hit A New All Time High

07/28/2017 7:30 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

But what was most notable in the latest Census data is that for yet another quarter, more Americans opted not to own, but rather rent, and in Q1 the median asking rent jumped by 7.4% Y/Y, from $864 in Q1 to $910.

Santa Monica Landlords' Water Meter Suit Against Rent Board Moves Forward

07/27/2017 1:29 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 27, 2017 -- A Santa Monica landlord group can move ahead with a lawsuit against the city's Rent Control Board (RCB) alleging property owners have the right to charge new tenants for water in buildings that have a master meter.

The Superior Court's decision to reject the Rent Board's motion to dismiss the case filed by ACTION Apartment Association last year was handed down on July 14.

“The RCB tried to avoid judicial review of their policy by asserting procedural arguments that are now behind us so that the policy will be reviewed on its merits,” Don Woods, the plaintiff's attorney, said in a statement issued Wednesday.