ACTION Apartment Association

Union of Residents of Santa Monica

02/07/2024 1:06 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

by Charles Andrews

We need some umbrella, some place we can go, we beleaguered residents who care about Santa Monica’s future, and recognize and value our unique past, to be able to stand up in the present to the organized, moneyed forces of greed and political influence who do not care about any of that.

Petitioners, school district clash on proposed voting map

02/05/2024 11:14 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Held on the Malibu campus of Santa Monica College on Jan. 31, the committee held a public hearing to receive input on the legality of the voting map submitted as part of a petition aiming to establish district based voting in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) elections. The petition, initially submitted in 2022 by Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman on behalf of Malibu residents, claims that the district’s at-large voting system is unfair to minority voters, and proposes a division of the district into seven geographic “trustee areas.”

Santa Monica Marked as a Priority Amid Statewide Housing Development Goals

02/05/2024 10:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City of Santa Monica became one of 37 California localities designated by Gov. Newsom as “Prohousing”, making it a funding and resource priority during a statewide acceleration effort of housing development.

SMa.r.t. Column: B(U)Y RIGHT

02/05/2024 10:43 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

“By Right” state housing laws that give developers, in certain projects, the ability to ignore codes ‘by right.’ Well, that is the lovable jargon developers have jumped in bed with at the State level to have it their way, and then lucky them, even getting their hands held at the City level, yielding to their every desire—a ménage à trois.

Governor adds Santa Monica to “prohousing” list

02/02/2024 11:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

To encourage that development, the Prohousing Designation rewards communities with “funding incentives and additional resources that help scale up those innovative efforts.”

Santa Monica Sees Biggest Annual Rent Drop in Region

02/02/2024 10:47 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica had the largest annual rent decrease in the LA region, dropping by -5.4 percent after prices fell in January for the third straight month, according to the latest monthly report by Apartment List.

Rents in Santa Monica decreased -1.4 percent in January, following a -3.5 percent drop in December and a -1.7 percent decrease in November, according to data based on listings posted on the popular rental website.

Study Reveals Housing Struggles for Latino Renters

01/31/2024 10:14 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Titled “Facts about Latino Renters in Los Angeles County,” the analysis draws from the Latino Data Hub, offering a comprehensive look into the number and characteristics of renters grappling with housing cost burdens. The study comes at a critical juncture, just days before substantial policy changes are set to take effect in the largest city within L.A. County, potentially exacerbating housing affordability issues for Latino households in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Promenade Property Owner Says Crime and Homelessness Are Rising in Santa Monica

01/30/2024 10:03 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

by John Alle

DTSM, Inc will soon be a relic of the past. Property and business owners would be no worse off. That is in the works...DTSM Property and Business Owners are paying ridiculous assessments to have the funds misappropriated and a staff that continues to grow.

Consider who the longest serving Councilmembers are, and ask if we are any better off, or if things are getting worse.

S.M.a.r.t Column: Serf City

01/29/2024 9:11 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Conceptually, the idea for this trickle-down housing scheme is that in exchange for including a small percentage of deed-restricted, reduced-rent units designated for moderate, low, and extremely low-income renters, developers can mostly ignore all local development restrictions, zoning ordinances and approval processes to build dense, over-sized, generic, low-concept projects that are out of scale with the neighborhood, the city and its infrastructure, as well as its cultural aesthetic and natural resource limitations. Some may feel that this is a worthwhile trade-off. For the moment, we’ll put aside the concept that building tens of thousands of luxury, market-rate apartments, with a small percentage of “affordable housing” thrown in, will reduce homelessness in Santa Monica. It won’t, but that’s a discussion for another day.

2024 Santa Monica State of the City

01/25/2024 10:50 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Thursday, February 29 · 5 - 7pm PST

John Adams Middle School (JAMS) Performing Arts Center

2425 16th Street Santa Monica, CA 90405