ACTION Apartment Association

Column: The Fantasy World of California Housing Policy

02/20/2023 9:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Some of that housing is needed, but there’s no hard evidence backing the state’s claims that 1.8 million new units must be built by the end of 2030 both to avert a disastrous rise in homelessness and fill the needs of first-time home buyers looking for something they can afford.

In fact, the state auditor last April reported that estimates of need from the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) are unreliable because they’re based on information inputted to state computers by workers who never vetted it at all. Devastating as this report should have been, it was completely ignored by both lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom; no one in any office that deals with housing said a single public word about it.

Definitely not too late - by Charles Andrews

02/16/2023 11:00 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

For those of you who have despaired of politicians ever making things better, you won’t like my answer. But – corrupt politcians got us into this mess, and ones who will put the interests of residents first will get us out.

North of Montana 7th Most Expensive Zip Code in U.S.

02/16/2023 10:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

North of Montana was the 7th priciest zip code in the U.S. last year with a median home sale price of $4.378 million, according to a ranking released this week by PropertyShark.com.

Rent control denies economic reality

02/16/2023 10:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Rent control in fact makes affordable housing less available. It raises rent for everyone who isn’t in rent-controlled housing. And if a community imposes rent control on most or all rentals, construction will grind to a halt. The rental properties that exist, meanwhile, will decay as landlords no longer can afford to keep them up.

LA County Approves Record Breaking Budget to Combat Homelessness

02/16/2023 10:41 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

According to the Board’s announcement, this budget will help fund a heightened focus on three key missions for the County in collaboration with cities and other local partners in these key areas:

Reducing encampments to bring unsheltered people indoors
Increasing interim and permanent housing placements
Ramping up mental health and substance use disorder services for people experiencing homelessness

Council Votes to Declare Homelessness Emergency

02/16/2023 9:52 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council Tuesday night unanimously voted to declare a Local Emergency on Homelessness that will boost funding and speed up hiring to address a worsening crisis.

The move will make it easier to receive help -- including funding -- from County, State and Federal governments and "remove barriers to building affordable housing," City officials said.

No Reliable Data to Support Key Housing Number

02/15/2023 10:27 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

How many of Santa Monica's nearly 27,500 rent control households pay more than 50 percent of their income in rent, making them "severely rent-burdened"?

Although the number is used to approve City policies, establish financial support programs and pass tax measures, the answer ranges wildly:

From less than 500 (the number who qualify for rent relief under a new City program) to more than 6,000 (the number used to support former mayor Sue Himmelrich's transfer tax hike) to more than 10,000 (the number the City uses to approve policies).

Council Caught in a Tight Spot on Development

02/14/2023 8:05 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council on Tuesday will face a volatile political dilemma -- change the unique nature of Santa Monica's four Neighborhood Commercial (NC) districts or open the floodgates to virtually unchecked State-sanctioned development.

Neighborhood residents, businesses and the Planning Commission are urging the Council to remove "upzoning" the NC districts from the 2021-29 Housing Element when it takes up the issue at a study session.

Plans to densify Main St., Montana, Pico and Ocean Park alarm planners

02/13/2023 10:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Planning Commission previously debated the issue and asked Council to request an amendment to the Housing Element to preserve existing limitations on development along Neighborhood Commercial (NC) zones that include portions of Montana, Main Street, Ocean Park Blvd. and Pico Blvd.

As currently written the housing element allows denser projects in those areas that would create housing above ground floor retail and the Commission said such action would jeopardize the city’s economic recovery.

Santa Monica Set to Declare Homelessness Emergency

02/10/2023 9:15 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The move comes amid a rising number of Police and Fire department calls for service, encampments, public deaths, arson and vandalism tied to the homeless, according to City staff's report to the Council.

The state of emergency would make it easier to work with other government agencies, seek grants and "take expedited actions to address imminent health and safety impacts" caused by homelessness, staff said.