Doesn’t acceptance of those 15 “builder’s remedy” projects beg the question of ‘follow the money’? Questions abound. Why was there not absolute clarity on what was needed to meet the State mandates for the initial submittal? Why does the state rely on arbitrary ‘interpretation’ leading to rejections? Why are 15 “builders remedy” submittals being considered when HCD had acknowledged that Santa Monica had a substantially compliant HE? Why didn’t the State give the City a heads up? If we were in Denmark we might think something is rotten.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2023/01/sma-r-t-column-the-beachtown-remedy/

As reported by Urbanize Los Angeles, the site is at the northeast corner of Wilshire and 6th Street and the new structure will be four stories tall and hold a total of 40 units, a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. 

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2023/01/mixed-use-development-underway-at-601-wilshire-in-santa-monica/

The Santa Monica funding will be used to convert an existing City-owned facility into a behavioral health center to accommodate 24/7 intakes from first responders and local emergency rooms, City officials said.

The initial phase of the 24/7 center will focus on people experiencing homelessness, officials said.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2023/January-2023/01_06_2023_City_Receives_Funding_to_Tackle_Behavioral_Health_Needs.html

Rents in Santa Monica grew at a slower rate last year than they did in 2021 and are now slightly higher than at the start of the coronavirus shutdown, according to a report released by Apartment List on Thursday.

Rents increased 7.2 percent in 2022, after rising 12.5 percent in 2021, according to data compiled from listings on the popular website. They are up by 1.5 percent since March 2020.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2023/January-2023/01_05_2023_Santa_Monica_Rents_Cooled_Down_Last_Year.html

Bass and Park Wednesday announced that the Mayor’s new Inside Safe initiative is underway in Venice. According to Bass’s office, outreach has begun to people living in encampments surrounding the A Bridge Home site at the intersection of Sunset Avenue and Pacific Avenue. The Mayor noted that “people have already accepted housing” under the program, a new, citywide, housing-led strategy to bring people inside from tents and encampments and to prevent encampments from returning. 

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2023/01/la-mayor-bass-and-councilwoman-park-announce-launch-of-initiative-to-address-homeless-in-venice/

The New Year brings with it the annual tradition of new laws taking effect at the local and state level. This year’s crop of rules cover a variety of topics including public safety, rent and traffic.

Santa Monica rules:

Read More: https://smdp.com/2023/01/02/laws/

The City of Santa Monica’s State of the City will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. The Santa Monica community is invited to the virtual event streamed live on YouTube.

Read More on page 7: https://s3.amazonaws.com/smdp_backissues/010323.pdf: 

The City of Santa Monica's State of the City will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. The Santa Monica community is invited to the virtual event streamed live on YouTube.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2022/12/20/city-of-santa-monica-hosts-state-of-the-city-on-february-7

New real estate scams that claim they cure homelessness pop up like mushrooms after a rain.   Here are several new ones, with undoubtedly more on the way. 

They all need to be debunked, as I try to do below. 

Read More: https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/cw/planning-watch-la/26112-real-estate-scams-purporting-to-fix-homelessness