The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to extend price gouging protections for residents displaced by the January wildfires, as housing instability persists months after the disaster.

The motion, introduced by Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath and Kathryn Barger, extend protections through August 30.

Read Moer: https://smmirror.com/2025/07/wildfire-price-gouging-protections-extended-for-displaced-residents/

Citing "emergency circumstances," the City Council Tuesday night ousted six Downtown Santa Monica board members and replaced them with temporary members that include two former mayors and a former City Manager.

The unprecedented move was prompted by the "dysfunctionality" of a board that has been "completely skewed" toward property owners who are undermining efforts to revive the the city's central core, said Councilmember Barry Snell, who made the motion.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/July-2025/07_30_2025_Council_Purges_Disfunctional_Downtown_Board.html

 Only Beverly Hills surpassed Santa Monica in rental costs, with one-bedrooms priced at $3,010. The city outpaced third-place Irvine, 

Read More on page 1: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp_backissues/072925.pdf%0A

The latest Proclamation -- which extends the local emergency through December 31, 2026 unless terminated earlier -- "allows the City to expeditiously increase City services and programs to address and prevent homelessness," staff wrote.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/July-2025/07_29_2025_Santa_Monica_to_Renew_Homelessness_Emergency.html

The order, titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on American Streets," makes it easier for States and cities to remove homeless individuals from public spaces, especially those who need treatment for drug addiction and mental illness.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/July-2025/07_25_2025_Santa_Monica_to_Feel_Impact_of_Trumps_Homeless_Order.html

Hall said he introduced the item because he has a problem with giving taxpayer dollars to organizations that actively lobby the city. He said that while the public money had been used to help build membership for the groups in the past, that membership was now being targeted with political endorsements.

Read More: https://smdp.com/government-politics-2/santa-monica-council-orders-study-of-neighborhood-group-funding/

The point-in-time count conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) on the night of February 20 counted 812 homeless individuals in Santa Monica, up from 774 counted in 2024.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/July-2025/07_24_2025_Santa_Monica_Sees_Increase_in_Homeless_Count.html

July 21, 2025 10:26 AM
by Mayor Lana Negrete

Read her speech at: https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/2025-state-of-the-city-speech-by-mayor-lana-negrete

The project, led by EAH Housing at 1318 Fourth St., will feature 122 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, all designated as 100% affordable housing. The development includes a 20,000-square-foot ground-floor grocery market and a two-level subterranean parking garage. Located in the Bayside Conservation Zoning District, the city-owned property is exempt from the Downtown Community Plan and Zoning Ordinance due to its affordable housing designation.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/07/board-considers-new-design-of-six-story-affordable-housing-development/

“As the City is broke and on the edge of bankruptcy, proponents seem to suggest starting simply—create walking paths, install basic amenities, plant shade trees, and wait for a generous philanthropist to fund the full transformation.” writes Bob Taylor

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/07/sm-a-r-t-column-smo-so-many-options-part-4-its-the-economy-s/