February 10, 2017 -- The City Council could soon consider a measure that would require Santa Monica landlords to assess tenants’ water bills based on actual monthly use.

This would be a major change from the current method of Ratio Utility Billing Systems (RUBS) in which units are charged through a formula that takes the cost of the entire multifamily complex and spreads it among units based on size, number of bathrooms or other criteria.

Also, many landlords don’t charge their tenants for water use at all.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/February-2017/02_10_2017_Santa_Monica_Rent_Board_Recommends_Landlords_Install_Water_Meters_for_%20Each_Unit.html

Rebuttal by Todd Flora at: http://smdp.com/letter-to-editor-32/159794

A new report shows the City of Santa Monica is struggling to meet its affordable housing quota, a ratio set by voters back in 1990 when they passed Proposition R, according to a new report released by the City.

During the 2016 fiscal year, developers built seven new apartment buildings in the City. Prop R requires thirty percent of all new multi-family housing go to middle or low-income households. With 175 brand new apartments open for rent in 2016, only 34 of them were below market-rate, or just 19 percent. This is the third year in a row the City has failed to meet the benchmark.

Read More: http://smdp.com/city-failed-to-build-enough-affordable-housing-for-third-year-in-a-row/159694

A coalition of state and local leaders is pressing California to lift restrictions on urban water use after the wettest winter for years.
Water regulators in Sacramento on Wednesday will decide on a recommendation to extend the drought rules, uncertain if rain and snow will continue through spring.

Read More: http://smdp.com/coalition-calls-for-end-to-california-drought-emergency/159685

February 8, 2017 -- The “Plaza at Santa Monica,” a major mixed-use project on City-owned land downtown that helped fuel a slow-growth ballot measure, is making the rounds in a new, scaled-down version.

The second level would include an 11,000-square foot-public park, a 12,000-square foot “cultural amenity” and the 48 affordable housing units.It also includes 42,200 square feet of retail.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/February-2017/02_08_2017_Plaza_at_Santa_Monica_Project_Scaled_Back.html

Many of Santa Monica’s older apartment buildings lack individual water meters and some local officials want to discuss new rules to force property owners into upgrading their water systems.

Read More: http://smdp.com/rent-control-board-to-debate-requirement-to-install-individual-water-meters/159675

“Ellis” evictions are reportedly on the rise in Santa Monica and throughout California in cities with rent control or eviction protections. The Ellis Act is a state law that allows owners to remove residential properties from the rental market. Landlords have used it to evict tenants from an estimated 2,100 rental units in Santa Monica since the law passed in 1986.

Read More: http://smdp.com/ellis-evictions/159671

According to a new survey of 1000 Americans aged 55+ from The NHP Foundation, a not-for-profit provider of service-enriched affordable housing, 30% experience anxiety about being able to afford where they live at least once a month, with 42% of retirees reporting such anxiety at least once daily.

Read More: http://www.smobserved.com/story/2017/02/07/news/one-third-of-boomers-report-housing-affordability-anxiety/2592.html

The following topics provide additional information about Section 8 Rental Assistance

1. What is Section 8?
2. Who can qualify for the program?
3. How much can a household earn and still be eligible?
4. Are there preferences given based on urgent need?
5. How are rent contributions determined?
6. What determines the subsidy amount?
7. What is the relationship between the City of Santa Monica Housing Authority and property owner?
8. What type of housing is eligible?
9. How can a household apply for the program?
10. Special Programs
    • The Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS)
    • The Shelter Plus Care Program

Read More:  http://www.smgov.net/Departments/HED/Housing_and_Redevelopment/Housing/Section_8_Frequently_Asked_Questions.aspx

See the Registry at: https://data.smgov.net/Permits-Licenses/Home-Sharing-Registry/qza6-nc9s

February 6, 2017 -- Landlords are vowing to appeal a court ruling last week that upheld a Santa Monica law banning income discrimination against the holders of Section 8 vouchers, the federal subsidies used to help low-income tenants find housing in privately owned apartment buildings.

The January 30 ruling in Los Angeles County Superior Court stemmed from a 2015 lawsuit by the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) that alleges the City's anti-discrimination law is invalid.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/February-2017/02_07_2017_Landlords_to_Appeal_in_Santa_Monica_Legal_Fight_Over_Section_8_Vouchers.html