ACTION Apartment Association

This is Santa Monica’s Vacancy Rate

05/22/2023 8:11 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City of Santa Monica saw an incremental decrease in its total population along with an uptick in total housing units at the start of 2023 compared with 2022, according to data released by the California Department of Finance.

Los Angeles Councilwoman targets “vanlord” industry

05/19/2023 9:29 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Venice Councilwoman Traci Park is taking action to address the growing concern about “van lords” who rent out RVs to people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

Park presented a motion on Tuesday seeking to tighten regulations on RV sales and leasing in public rights-of-way that would try to limit the number of vehicles on local streets.

While Santa Monica has a longstanding prohibition against public camping that includes living in vehicles, the van rental business has been a problem in Venice for years.

Say NO to Expanded Rent Control in California

05/18/2023 9:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Senate Bill 466 by Sen. Aisha Wahab would enable cities and counties in California to impose rent control on newer properties, eroding the exemption for housing constructed before 1995 under the landmark Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.

While anticipated amendments to the bill are expected to continue to exempt single-family homes and condominiums under Costa-Hawkins, SB 466 would still dismantle essential aspects of California’s foremost rental housing-protection law. It's critical to make your voice heard: Ask your legislator to vote against this bill when it comes up for a vote.

Real Estate Transfer: Baby Boomers Secure Generational Wealth by Transferring Property to Children

05/18/2023 9:42 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Much of that fortune is in real estate, and boomers can use their properties to secure their wealth for posterity — but they have to do it right.

“Individuals with accumulated wealth often consider how best to transfer that wealth to their loved ones — and how to preserve and grow value for future generations,” said Melissa Goikhman, a New York City-based estate planning attorney and founder of Legacy Wealth Counsel. “This is where estate planning and intergenerational wealth planning meet.”

Population decrease and housing increase drive local vacancy rate to 10%

05/16/2023 7:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica’s total vacancy rate, including single family homes and multi-unit housing could be as high as 10 percent according to new data released by the State of California Department of Finance this week.

New Program Can Help Protect Southern California Homes in the Event of an Earthquake

05/16/2023 7:24 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Residents Have Until May 31 To Apply For Seismic Retrofit Grants

The good news? The California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) recently launched a new pilot program to help homeowners in select cities safeguard their soft-story residences against the threat of an earthquake.

Eligible homeowners in 82 different ZIP Codes in the cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena, San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley can apply for grants to retrofit their soft-story homes. We anticipate initially awarding a total of 375 grants. Funding will vary in amount and will be up to 75% of the total retrofit cost with a maximum of $10,000 or $13,000 depending on house type and what a retrofit would entail. Registration is open now and will continue through the end of
May. More information on how homeowners can apply can be found at www.EarthquakeSoftStory.com

SM.a.r.t - Parking Wars Part 2

05/16/2023 7:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The car is (unfortunately) here to stay

Just because the State is forbidding these new residents from having cars, people who can afford cars will not abandon them because their cars provide, in spite of their drawbacks, exceptional speed, convenience, safety and cultural value. Simply put the car will not “go away” until there are real transportation alternatives of equal speed, convenience, safety and cultural value.

Unanimous Council Vote Masks Deep Disagreements About Homelessness

05/16/2023 7:17 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In the end, it was unanimous. All the Councilmembers present agreed that the City should continue, and in some cases expand, the ambitious and costly programs and initiatives it began embarking on decades ago to tackle an entrenched homeless problem.

But beneath the unity were major disagreements over basic questions: Who should the homeless programs ultimately help? And what is the best way to achieve a goal so elusive it persists despite more than $40 million a year in spending?

Millions in new spending approved as homelessness emergency is extended

05/12/2023 8:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Council approved a series of multi-million dollar contracts this week to aid in the ongoing fight against homelessness. The actions came as the city officially received its annual report on the state of homelessness in Santa Monica.

During Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting, staff presented findings from the 2023 Annual Interdepartmental Homelessness Report along with nine recommendations it is hoped might help alleviate the crisis currently affecting Santa Monica, all of which were passed unanimously.

Santa Monica City Council Extends Local Emergency Order

05/12/2023 8:56 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In response to City staff’s comprehensive annual update on addressing homelessness, the Santa Monica City Council on May 9, 2023, voted to extend the Local Emergency Order on Homelessness to May 31, 2024, and focus current and new investments to maintain and scale up initiatives to support vulnerable populations at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. These investments include using new resources from Measure CS, approved by voters in 2022, and, in the future, using resources from Measure GS, also approved by voters in 2022 but currently pending litigation as to its validity, to expand field-based services; create new deed-restricted affordable housing and expand homelessness prevention programs; establish a Homeless Strategic Plan as recommended by the City’s internal auditor; and create a new Housing and Human Services Department to lead implementation of the Strategic Plan, enabling the City to achieve Measure CS, GS, and audit report objectives more rapidly.