ACTION Apartment Association

Ballot measure would lock lower taxes for older homeowners

10/16/2018 9:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Proposition 5 on the Nov. 6 ballot would sharply expand the tax benefit for homeowners over 55 years old, the severely disabled and natural-disaster victims.

Rent Control Board Candidate Profile: Nicole S. Phillis

10/16/2018 9:27 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Read her profile and responses at: http://www.smdp.com/rent-control-board-candidate-profile-nicole-s-phillis/170030

Challenge to Santa Monica's Home-Sharing Law Reaches Court of Appeals

10/16/2018 9:12 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

November 15, 2018 -- The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday began hearing arguments in a lawsuit filed by Airbnb and HomeAway that seeks to invalidate key sections of Santa Monica's pioneering homesharing law.

Attorneys for the two online companies are seeking to invalidate portions of the City's law that penalize online platforms for booking short-term rentals of unlicensed properties.

On Friday, the plaintiffs argued that the local ordinance is upending their business model by forcing them to remove illegal listings and poses an economic threat to the growing industry if other cities follow suit, according to a report in courthousenews.com.

Proposition 10: California’s rent-control ballot measure explained

10/16/2018 9:08 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

California voters face a momentous decision this fall on the future of rent control — at a time when stress over high rents, displacement and homelessness has reached a boiling point.

You’ve probably heard plenty of conflicting messages about the merits of this statewide ballot measure, Proposition 10. To help you make sense of this complex debate and what it could mean for landlords and the nearly 6 million renters in California, we lay out the basics

Appellate Court Clears Path for Martin Expo Town Center Development

10/16/2018 9:05 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Olympic Boulevard and Bundy Drive

Plans to construct a mixed-use complex featuring apartments and offices at the current site of Martin Cadillac in West Los Angeles can move forward, according to a ruling last week by California's Second District Court of Appeal.

The Martin Cadillac project calls for the construction of a 10-story, 160-foot tall office building featuring roughly 200,000 square feet of rentable space. A seven-story, 516-unit apartment building is planned for the northern and western perimeter..

Temporary freeze on market rate rent increases likely if Prop. 10 passes

10/15/2018 9:01 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

he Rent Control Board (RCB) favors freezing base rents for all controlled units if Proposition 10 passes to allow time for permanent solutions to be developed.

At their Oct. 11 meeting, the RCB approved a conceptual plan that would prevent any increase in rents for new tenants pending an amendment to the City Charter. The proposal would redefine “base rents” as whatever rent was paid when Proposition 10 is made official and would allow for regular annual adjustments thereafter.

Rent Control Board Candidate Profile: Steve Duron

10/15/2018 8:50 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

I have served on the Rent Control Board for the past four years

Read his profile at: http://www.smdp.com/rent-control-board-candidate-profile-steve-duron/170004

Taking it to the Streets: Addressing Mental Illness in Westside Homeless

10/15/2018 8:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

by Dr. Samantha A. Stewart

Dr. Samantha A. Stewart is the Venice Family Clinic Director of Psychiatric Services and a proud member of the street outreach team.

With homelessness on the rise in Los Angeles, particularly on the Westside, now is the time for innovative approaches to address the health – both physical and mental – of people living on the streets. Venice Family Clinic approaches homelessness as a health issue and mobilizes integrated street outreach teams comprised of health care and social work professionals. Our mobile teams visit encampments and public places to deliver health care and supportive services.

2018 Santa Monica City Council Election Guide

10/15/2018 8:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Where SM City Council candidates stand on all the issues.

The race for Santa Monica City Council is heating up, with seven candidates vying for three seats up for grabs in the November 6 election. Challengers Ashley Powell, Greg Morena, Scott Bellomo and Geoff Neri, hoping to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, are taking on incumbents Kevin McKeown, Sue Himmilrich and Pam O’Connor, who are looking to get elected based off their experience and knowledge in governing.

The School Bond Challenge By SM.a.r.t

10/15/2018 8:42 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In about four weeks we will be voting on a school bond. This $485 million bond will cost over a billion dollars by the time the bond is retired in 30-40 years depending on how it is parceled out. This proposed bond has many deficiencies. Currently there is no master plan how the money is going to be spent at each school. Our school population is shrinking as families find it harder and harder to find affordable housing in Santa Monica and our City’s limited income population continuous to gray. The 15.4% “out of district” permitted students add diversity to our schools but we receive no financial benefit from their home cities, and they represent about 1/7 of our student population.