DEEGAN ON LA-Now that it’s been killed in committee, the attempt to repeal the Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act, a state law that prohibits rent control in new housing constructed after 1995, moves the controversial subject from the hands and minds of state legislators to the voices and votes of the public through a prospective ballot initiative in November. 

Both pro and con forces are referring to the very relevant issue of what is “affordable” housing when arguing for and against Costa Hawkins. Those for rent control (and against Costa Hawkins) often can’t afford to rent where they want without rent controls in place, while those against rent control (and for Costa Hawkins to remain in place), can’t afford to make profits by owning buildings where rent control is enforced.

Read More: http://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/los-angeles-for-rss/14844-would-getting-rid-of-costa-hawkins-provide-more-affordable-housing

(at Santa Monica Public Library)

February 6, 2018 -- On February 1, Mayor Ted Winterer delivered the annual State of the City Address. Following is the text of his speech.

Good evening, everyone.

As you just saw, 2017 was an amazing and productive year, and 2018 brings new challenges.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2018/02_06_2018_OPINION_The_Road_Ahead_Mayor_Ted_Winterers_State_of_the_City_Address.html

February 5, 2018 -- Five mixed-use apartment projects, most of them downtown and all from three to five stories in height, go to the Santa Monica Planning Commission on Wednesday, as the City’s future of greater density -- but also more housing -- continues to roll forward.

In all, the developments will total 211,415 square feet and would add 243 multi-family housing units, although less than eight percent are reserved as “affordable.”

The Downtown Community Plan (DCP) reserved up to 30 percent of units in such apartment complexes as “affordable” housing, or 35 percent if the units are being built off-site.

However, the DCP does not apply to pending projects where “applications were deemed complete prior to November 16, 2016,” as one report by City planners noted -- which encompasses most of housing developments now rolling out of the City’s development pipeline.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/February-2018/02_05_2018_Five_Mixed_Use_Apartment_Projects_Go_to_Santa_Monica_Planning_Commission.html

Prosecutors reviewing possible conflicts of interest involving Santa Monica politicians have widened their inquiry to include architecture work at a home belonging to a school board member and a city councilman, a spokeswoman with the district attorney’s office confirmed last week.

Meanwhile, the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission has opened its own investigation into the politicians’ business ties, an FPPC spokesman told The Times.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office first launched its inquiry in November after a Times article detailed how Maria Leon-Vazquez — a board member overseeing Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District — cast several votes approving hundreds of thousands of dollars in contracts with her husband’s consulting clients.

Read More:  http://enewspaper.latimes.com/desktop/latimes/default.aspx?pubid=50435180-e58e-48b5-8e0c-236bf740270e

Lincoln Boulevard transformation continues with two more developments seeking approval

Two proposed mixed-use buildings along busy Lincoln Boulevard will go before the Planning Commission Wednesday. There are the latest properties bringing hundreds of new apartments and thousands of square feet of commercial space to one of Santa Monica’s busiest boulevards. Both properties are owned by WNMS Communities, a spin-off of NMS Properties, the largest manager of apartment complexes in Santa Monica.

1318 Lincoln Blvd

A total of four units will be saved for very low income households, including two one-bedroom units (600 square feet) and two, two bedroom (850 square feet) apartments.

1650 Lincoln Boulevard

Eight units will be reserved for very-low income residents, including four one-bedroom (600 square feet) and four two-bedroom (850 square feet) apartments.

Read More at: http://smdp.com/lincoln-boulevard-transformation-continues-with-two-more-developments-seeking-approval/164243

(Part 1/2)

In this two part article SM.a.r.t. (Santa Monica architects for a responsible tomorrow) takes on the thorny issue of the optimum Santa Monica population.

When we look ahead at the population of Santa Monica, there are conflicting views of how many people should live, work and visit here. Some people believe we have already crossed the line of too many residents, now at approximately 94,000, and too many visitors; more than 7 million per year, as demonstrated by countless social indicators.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2018/02/sma-r-t-simply-many-people-part-1-2/

Here's why the crisis has been decades in the making.

The growth of a homeless day camp at the halls of civic power speaks to the breadth of Los Angeles' burgeoning homelessness problem.

The number of those living in the streets and shelters of the city of L.A. and most of the county surged 75% — to roughly 55,000 from about 32,000 — in the last six years. (Including Glendale, Pasadena and Long Beach, which conduct their own homeless counts, the total is nearly 58,000.)

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-homeless-how-we-got-here-20180201-story.html

There are plenty of places to live, but only one Santa Monica, California, and this tech savvy beach-side town just landed a spot on Livability’s list of Top 100 Places to Live.

See video: https://smmirror.com/2018/02/westside-beat-santa-monica-lands-spot-livabilitiys-top-100-places-live-list/

February 2, 2018 -- Rents in Santa Monica stayed flat last month, following a year of increases which were “moderate” for the location, but still 84 percent higher than the national average, analysts said Thursday.

Year over year, the city’s rents rose 3.7 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to the report by Apartment List, which tracks rents nationwide.

The seaside city’s increase in rents actually lagged behind the statewide increase of 4.1 percent.

But Santa Monica’s rent total rent hikes last year put it in 39th on a list of 56 Southern California cities listed, far below other popular coastal communities like San Clemente (about 8.5 percent) and Long Beach and Newport Beach (each about seven percent).

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/February-2018/02_02_2018_National_Apratment_Survey_Finds_Santa_Monica_Rents_Increased_Moderately_in_2017.html