ACTION Apartment Association

County offers relief to landlords impacted by Covid-related nonpayment of rent

04/05/2022 10:46 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In particular, officials are seeking to support landlords who are unable to pay their property taxes or mortgage as a result of the County’s tenant protections during the pandemic.

As the April 11 delinquency date for property taxes approaches, the County has opened up an online portal for landlords to request a penalty cancellation.

Santa Monica landlords who are struggling with mortgage payments can seek relief through the Los Angeles County Mortgage Relief Program.

Five-Story Mixed-Use Development Seeks Approval in Downtown Santa Monica

04/04/2022 11:56 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

This new proposal would rise at the closed BancWest site on the corner of 4th and Colorado Avenue at 407 Colorado. It would be a 60 unit complex with roughly half being studio units and the other half being one bedroom units. Six of the one bedroom units would be deed restricted as affordable housing for very low income households. The proposal lists no planned parking structure.

New California law extends eviction ban for some renters

04/01/2022 12:43 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Lawmakers voted Thursday to ban evictions for anyone with a pending application until June 30.

Mayor Launches Campaign to Hike Luxury Real Estate Tax

04/01/2022 12:20 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Mayor Sue Himmelrich has launched a campaign for a ballot measure that would dramatically hike Santa Monica's transfer tax on "high end" real estate to help fund "homelessness prevention" and build affordable housing.

The proposed tax measure -- which also would help fund the local School District -- would charge a real estate transfer tax of $53 per $1,000 on properties valued at $8 million or more, primarily apartments and commercial properties.

California lawmakers extend eviction ban for some renters

03/31/2022 11:56 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Lawmakers voted Thursday to ban evictions for anyone with a pending application until June 30.

Why is it taking so long to get rent relief to tenants and landlords?

03/31/2022 10:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

BY THE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD

Eviction protections are supposed to expire Friday, but hundreds of thousands of California households that have filed for rent relief have yet to have their applications approved or the money delivered. A little over a year after California began accepting applications, more than 275,000 requests for aid — 56% of those submitted — are still pending.

Santa Monica Rents Increase for First Time Since October

03/30/2022 9:23 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The 2.8 percent rise in March was higher than the 0.8 percent increase nationwide, according to the report.

Median rents in Santa Monica currently stand at $2,087 for a 1-bedroom apartment, up from $2,014 in February, and $2,625 for a two-bedroom, up from $2,533.

SMa.r.t. Column: The Value of Our Boulevards

03/29/2022 10:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Following is a composite of past articles dealing with the accelerated demise of our beachfront environment together with the increasing control of the development community over City Council and Planning staff, and the re-direction we can take to right the ship!

Mixed-use development planned at 4th and Colorado

03/28/2022 9:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The proposed property includes 60 residential units, with about half of them studios and half of them one-bedrooms. Six of the one-bedroom units would be designated affordable housing for Very Low Income households. The building would also house close to 7,000 square feet of commercial space, with preliminary architectural drawings showing a coffee shop on the ground floor. There is no vehicle parking included in the application.

Demise of R-1 Zoning Will Lead to New Blockbusting

03/28/2022 9:18 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Now a new era of blockbusting may be upon us, thanks to the landmark housing density laws passed last year, known as SB 9 and SB 10. SB 9 does away with almost all single family, or R-1, zoning by allowing all but a few residential lots to be split down the middle, with two new apartments or condominiums and an “additional dwelling unit” (grandma-style one-room structure) on each half.