ACTION Apartment Association

Newsom proposed $331 million for housing legal assistance

08/08/2019 2:51 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend $331 million from a settlement with mortgage lenders on legal aid for homeowners and renters.

The proposal announced Wednesday repurposes most of California’s share of a 2012 settlement between states and five large lenders related to the 2008 mortgage crisis. California had previously put some of the money toward servicing housing bonds and other general fund purposes.

Six people wanted to help cut $3.5 million from budget

08/08/2019 2:48 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Hall is seeking six community members to serve on the task force that will decide how to trim $3.5 million from its 2020-2023 budget.

The city is planning to reduce spending over the next decade as it grapples with sky-high pension costs and slowing revenues. The 2019-2020 budget it adopted in June was almost $92 million smaller than the previous fiscal year’s budget, but the city council rejected $1.2 million in proposed cuts before finalizing the budget. Now, the city is seeking input from residents on how to shrink the budget by $1.5 million in 2020-2021 and $2.5 million in 2021-2023.

Reducing Crime and Connecting with the Community

08/08/2019 2:41 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

by Cynthia Renaud, Police Chief

The City of Santa Monica is down 8% in our Part I crimes (Violent Crimes - aggravated assault, forcible rape, murder, robbery / Non-Violent Property Crimes - arson, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft). At this time last year, we had 1,991 Part 1 crimes. This year, we have had 1,832, a decrease of 159 Part 1 crimes. We are seeing the most notable decreases in aggravated assaults, which are down 35%. Burglaries, both residential and commercial, are down 16%.

LA County Adopts One of Nation’s Most Ambitious Sustainability Plans

08/07/2019 4:50 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday unanimously adopted the OurCounty Sustainability Plan, one of the boldest, most comprehensive regional approach to sustainability ever issued by a county in the United States.

Leading efforts to make sure that at least 65% of new housing is built within 1/2 mile of high frequency transit by 2035
Supporting construction of more than half a million affordable housing units by 2045 to improve public health and community sustainability

City Hall hopes to weaponize parking against McMansionization

08/06/2019 3:29 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The city of Santa Monica has released a plan to discourage the demolition of existing homes in single-family neighborhoods.

Santa Monica’s four single-family neighborhoods — Sunset Park, North of Montana, North of Wilshire and a small part of Pico — have seen an influx of new houses that are typically double or triple the size of existing homes. Officials have spent more than a year considering how to incentivize developers to renovate or expand homes rather than replacing them.

City to Announce Rebates for Apartment EV Charging Stations

08/06/2019 3:10 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City this month will begin announcing the multi-family buildings that will recive rebates to help offset the cost of installing electric vehicle charging stations, City officials said.

The second phase of the pilot program -- which offers rebates of up to $3,800 per applicant -- was launched last month to help offset the equipment and installation costs for residents who live in buildings with three or more units, officials said.

Santa Monica to Assemble Budget Task Force to Advise on Budget

08/05/2019 9:34 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

by Rick Cole, City Manager

I am assembling an 11-member Budget Task Force, comprised of six community members and five members from the city workforce, who will advise me on options and priorities for addressing budget shortfalls over the coming six years. I encourage you to get involved and invite you to apply to fill one of these seats.

Another Scheme to Leave Residents Behind!

08/02/2019 9:56 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

SM.a.r.t. was recently made aware of a new home-sharing scheme. It appears to be quite straightforward. Go to Ikea, add a lot of bunk beds to your house or apartment, and list your new hostel or bunk bed hotel on AirBnb.com and Relaxtay.com. Voila, a new business plan and a bargain for tourists stopping in Santa Monica. After all, why sleep at the Fairmont Miramar or Shutters when you can stay with thirty-six new friends at a Santa Monica landmarked residence. Even better, you have two choices in our town. You can sleep in the exclusive North of Montana neighborhood, or you can choose a trendy Sunset Park address. Located at 2002 20th St, Santa Monica 90404 (LIC: 231214) or 710 Adelaide Place, Santa Monica 90402 (Lic: 231764) check-in is at 3 p.m. and check out the next morning at 11 a.m.

Now, SM.a.r.t. wants to be crystal clear. We are not advocates for this scheme.

Appeals Court Orders Santa Monica Landlord to Return Units to Rent Control

08/02/2019 9:51 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The owner of a 13-unit Santa Monica apartment building must return the units to rent control a quarter century after the Rent Board gave the go-ahead to remove them from the market, a California Appeals Court ruled Tuesday.

The Court's ruling overturned a trial court decision last year that found the owner had relied on the Board's decision to spend nearly $500,000 in improvements and renovations.

The Appeals Court found that the lower court had erred last year and ruled that the Board was not authorized to permanently exempt the units from rent control.

Appeal ruling brings disputed building back into rent control

08/01/2019 8:06 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The California Court of Appeals has overturned a trial court verdict against Santa Monica’s Rent Control Board (RCB) in a what has become a two-decade debacle over regulating an apartment building on 20th Street.

Under this month’s ruling, the property will be returned to the rent control inventory and the RCB will not have to pay any fees associated with the original judgment.

The building in question was built more than 20 years before the establishment of rent control and while the building was initially subject to the rules, the owners applied for a permit to take the rent-controlled building off the rental market in 1993 on the grounds the property was uninhabitable and would be too expensive to maintain.