ACTION Apartment Association

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.

Santa Monica Council Sets Highest Affordable Housing Requirement in State for Downtown

07/27/2017 1:00 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 27, 2017 -- The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday narrowly voted to require up to 30 percent of all new multi-family housing downtown be designated affordable, likely the highest threshold of its kind in California.

The 4-3 vote came after hours of warnings from developers who said they would be unable to shoulder the cost of more affordable units, and renters, who said the council must address the critical shortage of housing for lower-income earners.

AND

http://smdp.com/final-dcp-debate-defined-by-affordable-housing/161896

Apportioned Water Meters Remain Legal in Santa Monica

07/26/2017 1:28 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Donald F. Woods esq
Action Attorney

Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s Demurrer to RUBS Policy Lawsuit Defeated

Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s Attempt to Avoid Judicial Review of its RUBS Policy Defeated

07/26/2017 1:06 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

On July 14, 2017, the Superior Court rejected Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s attempt to dismiss at inception the complaint of ACTION Apartment Association seeking a judicial declaration that housing providers with master meters for water can apportion the water charges among the tenants based upon a sharing arrangement allowed in the City of Los Angeles and most other municipalities.

Read Don Woods' statement & press release: Press Release re Demurrer.pdf

Santa Monica City Council Approves Downtown Community Plan

07/26/2017 1:00 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Hall released the following press release today regarding approval of the Downtown Community Plan:

The Santa Monica City Council unanimously approved the Downtown Community Plan (DCP) at last night’s City Council meeting on July 25, 2017. The DCP is the central planning tool that will guide the future of Downtown Santa Monica over the next 15 years.

Dear Mr. Hawthorne [and the DCP]

07/26/2017 8:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Charles Andrews

I read your piece Sunday, about our fair city, in the LA Times Calendar section, headlined “‘A grand bargain’ and a model?” — and I too ended with a question mark.

Perhaps you were well-meaning, and you just got bamboozled. It happens. People, even journalists, come in with a less than erudite notion of Santa Monica. We have a long history, a complex one. Our politics are legendary, but not in a good way. People will tell you stuff, and it sounds reasonable, and when you check it superficially it seems accurate. But I fear you got only part of the picture, and drew your conclusions from that.

rious City

Solving affordable housing: Creative solutions around the U.S.

07/25/2017 12:30 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

But when city leadership, government leaders, and nonprofits get creative and get serious about solving the issues, solutions can take shape.