ACTION Apartment Association

Venice hotel told to revert to apartments

03/22/2019 8:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Arguing that turning apartments into hotel guest rooms undermines Los Angeles’ efforts to improve access to housing, a Westside planning board this week ruled against a businessman who has been trying to legalize his conversion of a 32-unit apartment building on the Venice boardwalk.

“This seems to be contrary to all the city’s policies to preserve affordable housing,” said West Los Angeles Area Planning Commissioner Esther Margulies during a hearing on Wednesday evening.

Venice businessman Carl Lambert later said he would appeal the planning commission’s 3-0 ruling on his request to the Los Angeles City Council.

$1.4 Million Gets 23 Homeless People Into Santa Monica Housing

03/21/2019 8:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

(That's $60,900 per individual)

Santa Monica's Newest Rent Control Tenants Leaving More Quickly

03/21/2019 8:28 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica's once-stable rent controlled market has become a revolving door as vacated units fetch skyrocketing rents, according to the Rent Control Board's Annual report.

The median price for rent controlled units in Santa Monica is at an all-time high, giving new tenants little incentive to hang on to their units, the report found.

2018 Rent Control Board Annual Report

03/20/2019 11:35 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Santa Monica Rent Control Board has released the 2018 Annual Report summarizing developments during the year along with the most comprehensive and current information about controlled rental housing in Santa Monica.

Current Santa Monica City Council Saved From Election by California Appeals Court (For now)

03/20/2019 11:23 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The California Court of Appeal offered temporary relief to Santa Monica's current City Councilmembers, who were facing a special election this summer. Justices Elizabeth Grimes, Maria Stratton, and John Shepard Wiley of the appeals court signed an order staying an earlier ruling by a trial court that the city must hold special elections for city council via newly-drawn districts by August 15.

Appeals Court Grants Temporary Stay Allowing Council to Serve After August 15

03/19/2019 3:41 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A California Appeals Court ruled Monday that Santa Monica's seven City Council members can continue serving while the City's appeal of a voting rights lawsuit is heard.

The temporary order stays a ruling by Superior Court Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos that prohibits Council members not elected under a district system from serving after August 15.

Judge issues temporary stay of order for council to vacate

03/19/2019 11:57 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Implementation of district-based elections will be on hold pending the City’s appeal of its recent loss following a recent ruling by the California Court of Appeal.

The City’s appeal automatically halted the order to hold new elections but Palazuelos’ order for current members to vacate their seats required additional judicial action.

California Court of Appeal Issues Temporary Stay in Pico Neighborhood Association and Maria Loya v. City of Santa Monica

03/19/2019 11:51 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The California Court of Appeal today issued a temporary stay of paragraph 9 of the trial court’s order pending further order of the Court of Appeal. Paragraph 9 of the trial court’s order prohibited any person who was not elected through a district-based election from serving on the Santa Monica City Council after August 15, 2019.

Renewable energy program expanding to businesses

03/19/2019 11:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica residents have been receiving cleaner electricity since February and local businesses soon will too.

City Council decided last September abandon Southern California Edison (SCE) in favor of Clean Power Alliance (CPA), a new utility that provides electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar. Residents now receive 100 percent of their energy from renewable sources as a default and the average customer pays about $6 more per month for electricity. Customers can also opt down to 50 or 36 percent renewable energy, however, or opt out of CPA entirely.

CPA will be enrolling business, industrial and agricultural customers in Santa Monica and 27 other communities in May, said Allison Mannos, the utility’s senior marketing manager.

Santa Monica Lawmakers' Measure Would Make It Easier to Approve School Parcel Taxes

03/19/2019 11:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A ballot measure sponsored by Santa Monica Senator Ben Allen that would lower the threshold for approval of parcel taxes is awaiting referral to a committee, his office said Monday.

Introduced in December, Senate Constitutional Amendment 5 would dramatically improve the chances for school parcel taxes to be approved by lowering the threshold from two-thirds to 55 percent of the vote.