The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs has made the forms available to help renters qualify for protections recently enacted by the Board of Supervisors. The safeguards apply throughout the county, including all 88 cities and unincorporated areas, and aim to prevent displacement due to financial hardship caused by the fires.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/03/notification-forms-for-eviction-protections-and-rent-relief-now-available-for-wildfire-impacted-tenants/

The dire fiscal prognosis comes one week before the City Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday "to lay out priorities and a framework" for the 2025-2027 Operating Budget.

The five-year forecast shows that General Fund expenditures will "significantly exceed revenues" until Fiscal Year 2028-29, even with the use of new business license and parking facility taxes, said Finance Director Oscar Santiago.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/March-2025/03_03_2025_City_Must_Use_Savings_to_Stay_Afloat.html

AND: https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/city-council-to-discuss-biennial-budget-plan-focused-on-economic-growth

The Bergamot Station Arts Center, 4th/5th/Arizona and Downtown Parking Structure 1 are the last of five City owned sites designated as "surplus land" to build 1,880 affordable units.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/March-2025/03_03_2025_Council_Sets_Aside_3_Affordable_Housing_Sites.html

The new proposal, by allowing architects to vouch for submittals for the safety, sustainability, and code compliance, where any warranty or promise undermines the standards of care. If something goes wrong – whether it’s a structural failure, a fire hazard, or an ADA violation – the architect doesn’t have the shield of sovereign immunity that the city does. Furthermore, with limiting city staff budgets for inspectors, would third-party inspectors be retained by the architect? That can increase risks to potentially face lawsuits, crippling insurance claims, and damage to their professional reputations. 

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/03/sm-a-r-t-column-the-perils-of-passing-the-buck-how-self-certification-threatens-public-safety-in-building-design-and-construction/

Two of the five sites identified in the Housing Element are now in the pre-development phase.

The remaining sites are:

• 1333 4th St. and 1324 5th St. (collectively known as 4th/5th/Arizona) 
• 2500 Olympic Blvd. (Bergamot Station Arts Center) 
• Main Street public parking lots 9, 10 and 11

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/council-approves-next-steps-for-affordable-housing-development-of-two-city-owned-sites

In its lawsuit, the City alleged the Defendants "engaged in a campaign of harassment against a family of four with two young children, trying to drive them out of their long-term rent-controlled home" at 1745 Franklin Street, according to the City Attorney's office.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/February-2025/02_26_2025_Landlord_to_Pay_in_Tenant_Harassment_Suits.html

AB 1893 updates the builders remedy provision under the Housing Affordability Act (HAA) to include certain mixed-use projects that include at least 500 net new residential units, according to a memo from City Community Development officials.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/February-2025/02_25_2025_New_State_Housing_Law_Could_Impact_Santa_Monica.html

The city of Santa Monica will host a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to provide updates and answer questions from Santa Monica businesses and residents about Palisades Fire recovery.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2025/02/25/palisades-fire-santa-monica-to-host-virtual-town-hall-on-recovery

Placed on the agenda by recently elected Councilmembers Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin and Natalya Zernitskaya, the discussion item proposes raising the local contribution cap from $410 to $1,500.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/February-2025/02_24_2025_Council_Set_to_Hike_Campaign_Contribution_Limits.html

Tenants who were just getting by before the fires now face a daunting housing search after the January fires leveled entire neighborhoods. The LA fires destroyed more than 16,000 homes, businesses and other structures in upscale Pacific Palisades and working-class Altadena, where the U.S. Census reports 22% of homes were occupied by renters.

Read More: https://smdp.com/business/real-estate-housing/how-la-wildfires-are-making-an-already-tough-rental-market-even-worse/