Tag: Housing

SANTA MONICA—On May 27, the city of Santa Monica announced that Santa Monica renters will soon be able to apply for financial assistance as a result of the new Santa Monica Renter Aid program, funded by the Santa Monica City Council on May 26. The program is the first major funding allocation from Measure GS and will be a partnership with The People Concern.

Santa Monica Renter Aid is part of the city’s broader investment in homelessness prevention and renter protections, approved by the City Council in March 2025. The program will launch in summer 2026 and will provide targeted financial assistance and housing stabilization services to eligible renter households facing housing instability or at risk of homelessness. The program is aimed to assist approximately 150 vulnerable renter households each year.

“Santa Monica renters are the backbone of our community, and this program is about making sure they can stay here,” Mayor Caroline Torosis said. “Santa Monica Renter Aid puts Measure GS dollars to work exactly as voters intended, keeping working families housed before a crisis becomes a catastrophe. This is homelessness prevention that is a smart investment for our city.”

Santa Monica renter households earning at or below 120 percent of the area median income, or about $126,000 annually for a one-person household and $180,000 for a four-person household in Los Angeles County, will be eligible. Households experiencing significant housing instability or those at greatest risk of homelessness will be prioritized.

Santa Monica Renter Aid will feature multiple access points for residents, including:

-An online application through the city’s website
-Multilingual application materials and outreach
-Paper applications
-In-person office hours at Virginia Avenue Park and housing navigation support through community partners

Measure GS was approved by voters in November 2022, creating a dedicated funding source for homelessness prevention, affordable housing production and renter support programs. The city’s Resident Oversight Committee and SM City Council prioritized programs that provide direct assistance to renters and help preserve housing stability for vulnerable households.

The People Concern, a longstanding partner with the city in addressing homelessness, will regularly report outcomes to the city. Additional data points will include the program’s effectiveness in helping residents remain housed, successful linkages to other city programs such as the Right to Counsel program and feedback from participant surveys.

Additional details about program access, application instructions, outreach efforts and events will be announced before the program launch.

By Danny Jones

BEVERLY HILLS—On Wednesday, December 3, the city of Beverly Hills will be hosting a Rent Stabilization and Housing Workshop. The event will allow individuals to learn more about Rent Registry and how it can benefit them.

The workshop will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The workshop will take place in-person at the Beverly Hills City Hall Municipal Gallery located at 455 N. Rexford Dr.

Virtual option available at www.beverlyhills.org/rentstabilization. To learn everything, you need to know about rent control, registration, and more.

-Understand the rent registry requirements
-Get your questions answered by City staff
-Ensure compliance and avoid penalties

The Rent Stabilization Division administers and enforces the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which applies to most residential rental properties in Beverly Hills with two or more units.

Maximum Annual Rent Increases

The maximum allowed annual rent increases for rent stabilized tenants is outlined in Beverly Hills Municipal Code Sections 4-5-303 (Chapter 5 tenants) and 4-6-3 (Chapter 6 tenants).

The current maximum allowed annual rent increases are as follows:

Tenant Type	Update Schedule	Last Update	Maximum Allowed Rent Increase
Chapter 5	Monthly	September 11, 2025	3.14%
Chapter 6	Annually in June	June 2025	3%

* The chapter 5 rent increase allowable percentage will be delayed at this time due the government shutdown. Please check back for further updates.

Only one rent increase for each tenant is permitted for every 12 months. Additionally, a 30-day Notice must be delivered personally to tenants or served by mail as described in California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1013 (see also California Civil Code Section 827).

RSVP now and reserve your spot. For more details, call the askBH Customer Service Hotline at 310-285-1000 or visit www.beverlyhills.org/rentstabilization.

 

By Danny Jones

SANTA MONICA—On Tuesday, May 27, the city of Santa Monica announced on its website that three related cases brought against a Santa Monica landlord, including one case brought by the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office under the city’s Tenant Harassment and Housing Anti-Discrimination ordinances, have settled, with the landlord agreeing to pay $685,000 to settle all lawsuits, including a stipulated judgment and injunction in the city’s case.

According to a news release from the city of Santa Monica, the city’s case alleged the landlord intentionally failed to register tenancies at his triplex with the Rent Control Board and to disclose to his tenants they had just cause eviction and rent control protections. They later harassed and intimidated them, after receiving multiple letters from the city of Santa Monica.

The city alleged that a family of four was constructively evicted after the landlord falsely claimed he was planning to owner-occupy their apartment, while nearly simultaneously purchasing a $1.4 million dollar home for his family and placing the triplex up for sale.

It is further alleged that the landlord persistently and unlawfully entered the tenants’ unit and once yelled at the tenants in front of their minor children, making them cry and removed the tenants’ access to the outdoor common area, all of which drove them to vacate in May 2023.

The tenants were forced to move to a new apartment at significantly higher rent and the landlord re-rented their apartment at a higher rent.

Immediately after a tenant in a different unit requested repairs and to replace her roommate as permitted by the Rent Control Law, the city of Santa Monica alleged that the landlord started harassing and retaliating against her, including by demanding she vacate or sign a new lease with her as the only tenant, requalify for occupancy and pay a higher rent.

The landlord took away multiple amenities, refused to make repairs and placed illegal and unreasonable conditions on roommate replacement, making the apartment unaffordable to the tenant.

The city of Santa Monica alleged the landlord intentionally discriminated against the same tenant, who is immunocompromised, on the basis of her disability, by refusing to consider her repeated requests for reasonable accommodations that he remediate mold in the unit and temporarily relocate her pending the remediation, something he was already required to do under the warranty of habitability.

He responded to her requests, stating in writing that the building is not suitable for tenants with “special conditions,” and that it is “not a wise choice for someone with respiratory issues” or for those who “require special care and attention.”

“The City Attorney’s Office strives to educate landlords about their legal obligations under Santa Monica’s tenant protection laws and to gain voluntary compliance, but when a landlord adamantly refuses to comply, as was the case here, we vigorously enforce those laws,” said City Attorney Doug Sloan.

As a part of the settlement with the city of Santa Monica and two separate settlements resolving the tenants’ lawsuits, the defendant agreed to:

-Pay $685,000 to the tenants and the city.

-No longer manage any residential rental property in Santa Monica and hire a city-approved third-party property manager to manage any residential rental property he owns in the city.

-Professionally test and remediate the mold in one unit and temporarily relocate the tenant during remediation, if necessary.

-Comply with all Santa Monica and California tenant protection and fair housing laws, including specifically, by engaging in a dialogue (the legally required “interactive process”) with a tenant who has requested reasonable accommodations, in an attempt to reach a reasonable accommodation, refraining from making discriminatory statements regarding any tenant’s disability, and refraining from refusing to rent to persons with disabilities or imposing any special conditions on occupancy by such persons.

-Attend three hours of city-approved landlord-tenant training.

-Pay a minimum penalty of $10,000 per violation if he is found to violate the agreement.

For more details on Housing Protections in Santa Monica visit: https://www.santamonica.gov/topic-explainers/housing-protection.

By Danny Jones

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On March 1, the city of West Hollywood announced on its Facebook page it is evaluating future zoning updates to reduce barriers to creating affordable and diverse housing.

Recommendations will prioritize affordability and how new housing development aligns with community demographics and the city’s diverse housing needs. Community members are invited to learn more and provide feedback, thoughts, and recommendations regarding housing production, affordability and accessibility, equity, environmental stewardship, and strengthening neighborhoods at one of two upcoming Zoning Improvement Program for Housing meetings during the month of March:

Plummer Park In-Person Community Meeting on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. at the Plummer Park Community Center, Rooms 5 and 6, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. No RSVP is required.

Online Community Meeting on Tuesday, March 11 at 12 p.m. online via the Zoom platform.  For registration, please visit https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7sl2SkGsTG6v3mYevCLERQ.

The Zoning Improvement Program for Housing (ZIP) supports the implementation of West Hollywood’s 6th-Cycle Housing Element by reducing zoning-related hurdles to new housing development. It will help better align West Hollywood’s zoning code with housing affordability and neighborhood equity goals while responding to new opportunities for transit-oriented development and mixed-use communities.

Severe housing insecurity across Los Angeles County has been decades in the making due to the lack of housing growth compared to population growth in the region. The impacts of the housing crisis, such as overcrowding, cost burden, and homeownership rates, disproportionally burden those most vulnerable. As a result, the State of California responded with legislative changes to facilitate housing construction, and additional pressure has been placed on jurisdictions statewide to respond to this crisis at the local level.

To inform recommendations, the city is analyzing the impacts of zoning at multiple scales. Mapping and data analysis will demonstrate the implications of zoning on land use in neighborhoods throughout West Hollywood. Lot-level studies will be developed to assess the potential for different forms of housing development given lot dimensions, zoning requirements, and financial considerations. The updates will consider the proximity of housing to important community amenities, including significant transit investments (such as future stations for the proposed Metro K-line extension and existing major transit stops), employment centers, public facilities, and recreational open space. The impacts of zoning changes will be incremental to balance contextual design and equitable housing access for all.

Robert Vecchio posted on Facebook, “Zoning laughable! This only allows builders to build apartments building with 10% low income. This city council has ruined West Hollywood. Business are closing left and right.”

For additional details about West Hollywood’s Zoning Improvement Program, visit the ‘Engage WeHo’ webpage: engage.weho.org/zip.

For more information, contact Michelle Montenegro, West Hollywood Associate Planner, at (323) 848-6813 or at mmontenegro@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

By Trevor

MALIBU—On Thursday, August 1, the city of Malibu announced on its website that on Wednesday, July 31, the city received a letter from the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) stating that its revised draft housing element meets state requirements. To fully comply with State Housing Element Law, the city of Malibu needed to complete some final steps, including necessary code amendments related to our affordable housing sites.

While no re-zoning is required, HCD considers these code amendments part of the necessary changes. The amendments will be processed concurrently with the approval of the Housing Element. The public can see the letter from HCD.

There will be a Planning Commission Public Hearing held on Monday, August 19 at
6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road.

“General Plan Amendment No. 20-001, Local Coastal Program Amendment No. 24-001, and
Zoning Text Amendment No. 24-002 – The proposed project involves a General Plan
Amendment to adopt the 2021-2029 Housing Element Sixth Cycle update. The Housing
Element includes an analysis of the community’s housing needs, opportunities and
constraints, as well as policies and programs to facilitate the construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of housing for all economic segments of the community.

The proposed project includes corresponding amendments to the Local Coastal Program and Malibu Municipal Code including amendments to the following sections: definitions, permitted uses, residential development standards, density bonus, Affordable Housing Overlay, development standards for special uses, parking standards and reasonable accommodation.

The public hearing on the draft Revised 2021-2029 Housing Element. For details, see the notice. A staff report will be available on the City website 10 days before the hearing. Following the Planning Commission hearing, the item will be scheduled for a Malibu City Council hearing.

For more information about the City’s Housing Element, including past versions, visit the Housing Element webpage.

By Trevor

On Friday, May 24, the city of Santa Monica announced on its website that the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) started accepting applications for a second round of the Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program last week.

The deadline to submit applications is Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at 4:59 p.m. PDT. Led by the LA County Board of Supervisors as an effort to decrease evictions of tenants for non-payment of rent, the program will distribute over $68 million in financial support to qualified landlords adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program will provide up to $30,000 per rental unit to landlords for unpaid rent and eligible expenses dating from April 1, 2022, to the present. To qualify, units must still be occupied by impacted tenants, and eligibility will be prioritized based on the following factors:

Affected units located in the high and highest need geographies as defined and identified in the LA County Equity Explorer Tool.

-Landlord or tenant whose household income is 80% or below LA County Area Median Income (AMI).
-Landlords who can fully satisfy tenants’ debt for the eligible period upon receipt of rent relief grant.
-Landlord owns no more than four rental units.
-Landlords who do not meet all four factors may apply but will have lower priority.

If an applicant has already submitted a complete application, the County is advising not to submit another application for the same impacted rental unit/tenant. If an applicant has already been awarded a grant under this Program, the existing application will be reviewed for additional rental arrears and if eligible, will be notified by the Program.

Those interested in applying for the LA County Rent Relief Program can review eligibility requirements and access the application directly by visiting the program portal at www.lacountyrentrelief.com. Submission of a completed application is not a guarantee of funding.

Free technical assistance in multiple languages is available daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early submissions are strongly encouraged.

By Trevor

BEVERLY HILLS—On May 8, the city of Beverly Hills announced on its website that on May 1, the city of Beverly Hills was notified by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) that its revised draft Housing Element that was adopted March 18, 2024, and submitted for review on March 19, 2024, was in substantial compliance with the State Housing Element Law.

“We are pleased that our efforts were recognized and received formal certification by HCD,” said Michael Forbes, Director of Community Development. “I commend the intensive work of our City Staff working closely with HCD during the process and we look forward to implementing the plan’s programs as soon as possible.”

The State of California requires that each jurisdiction’s housing element be updated every eight years and certified by the State. Beverly Hills updated its Housing Element for the 2021 to 2029 period. A major component of this update is the 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment (“RHNA”), in which the State estimates each region’s housing needs for all income groups.

The city of Beverly Hills is continuing to review plans and issue building permits for all types of projects. To learn more and view the certification letter, visit beverlyhills.org/housingelementupdate.

By Trevor

MALIBU—On April 25, the city of Malibu announced that it will be allowing the development of 79 housing units, 47 which are required to be affordable to low-and very low-income homes. The housing plan is expected to be adopted by September 23, 2024. It is a settlement with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Gustavo Velasquez allowing the city to reach compliance with the state’s Housing Element Law.

The agreement, which is in the form of a proposed stipulated judgment and must be approved by the court, is related to California’s sixth “housing element update cycle” for the 2021-2029 time period.

Under the state’s Housing Element Law, each city and county in California must periodically update its housing plan to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), or share of the regional and statewide housing needs. Located in Los Angeles County, Malibu was required to update its housing plan by October 15, 2021 to accommodate its 79-unit RHNA target. The city submitted a Housing Element Update in 2022, but was not found to substantially comply. After receiving a notice of violation from the state, the city and state conferred in good faith to chart a course for the city to attain compliance.

“Malibu is a community that holds both tremendous need for affordable housing, and tremendous opportunity. This agreement provides an enforceable contract to ensure those housing needs are met,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “We are very appreciative to the City of Malibu for working with us to create this path to compliance with state housing law, and my team will provide every resource to help them be successful in that effort.”

“We understand the importance of adhering to the State’s housing element law and are dedicated to fulfilling our obligations,” said Steve Uhring, Mayor of Malibu. “Despite the challenges we’ve encountered, such as the devastation of the Woolsey Fire and the issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and staff turnover, our partnership with HCD has been pivotal in guiding us toward a resolution. This settlement reflects the shared goal of the City and State of California to address housing needs effectively in our community.”

A compliant housing element must include an assessment of housing needs, an inventory of resources and constraints relevant to meeting those needs, and a program to implement the policies, goals, and objectives of the housing element. Once the housing element is adopted, it is implemented through zoning ordinances and other actions that put its objectives into effect and facilitate the construction of new homes for Californians at all income levels.

The housing element is a crucial tool for building housing for moderate, low, and very low-income Californians and redressing historical redlining and disinvestment. State income limits for what constitutes moderate, low, and very low-income Californians vary by county and can be found here. In Los Angeles County, the median income for a one-person household is $68,750. A one-person household that earns less than $70,650 is defined as low-income, and a one-person household that earns less than $44,150 is defined as very-low income.

Under the settlement:

Malibu will take several required actions to adopt a compliant housing element by September 23, 2024. The housing element process is typically lengthy — for example, local governments must meet certain public participation requirements and HCD must review every local government’s housing element to determine whether it complies with state law and provides written findings back to each local government — but Malibu has agreed to an expedited timeline and ensuring the public’s participation.

Malibu acknowledges that, until it has adopted a substantially compliant housing element, it may not deny certain low, very low, and moderate-income housing development projects based on the city’s current, outdated general plan and zoning code. This is known as the Builder’s Remedy.

The city of Malibu could be subject to monetary penalties if it remains noncompliant 12 months after the effective date of the stipulated judgment.

A copy of the petition and proposed judgment, which details the settlement terms and remains subject to court approval, can be viewed here and here.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, April 11, the city of Santa Monica disclosed in a press release that City Council on April 9 took a step forward in bringing more than 120 affordable apartments, including 50 with supportive services, to the city-owned site on 4th Street.

The Santa Monica City Council approved a design concept for the development that includes a mix of studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments, along with ground floor retail and residential and commercial parking spaces. Staff will be exploring the feasibility of adding an additional floor of apartments and will return to City Council for final approval of a ground lease and a development and disposition agreement.

According to a press release, the development of the site into affordable housing is part of the approved Housing Element aimed at the city’s goal to address homelessness in the region. It is set to serve individuals and families earning from 30 to 80 percent of the Area Median Income, as well as those dealing with homelessness.

Project developer EAH conducted robust community outreach as part of the design review process and incorporated feedback from neighboring residents and businesses.

“Moving forward in bringing affordable and permanent supportive housing to city-owned land is a key step in our strategy to fulfill our Housing Element requirements,” said Mayor Phil Brock. “I look forward to the next steps and ultimately seeing families move into these new homes and thrive.”

The development was made possible by $2 million secured by Representative Ted Lieu as part of the 2022 House Appropriations Bill, along with various state sources. The development furthers the priority of Justice, Equity & Diversity by providing housing opportunities for all.

For more details view the staff report of city council meeting.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Friday, February 2, the city of Santa Monica announced on its website that it earned a Prohousing Designation from the Governor of California. The city was highlighted for recognizing the city’s strong commitment to developing affordable housing and opening the door for added funding opportunities to help the city continue this work.

Santa Monica joins 37 other jurisdictions across the state that received the Prohousing Designation for demonstrated success in breaking down barriers to housing production. The city of Santa Monica reported local governments with the Prohousing Designation can apply for funding through the $9.5 million Prohousing Incentive Program and also receive priority when applying for several other funding programs.

The city has added housing production for various income levels with the Santa Monica City Council adopting the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update, with the first phase of implementation adopted in spring 2023.

The updates brought Santa Monica into compliance with new state housing regulations, and also:

-Created a streamlined administrative approval process and more efficient timelines for housing projects.

-Committed city-owned property for the development of affordable housing. Updated zoning development standards and removed barrers to support housing production across the city.

-Allowed new housing to be developed in non-residential zones where housing was previously not permitted.

-Provided opportunities for housing production on residentially zoned surface parking lots and community assembly sites to minimize displacement.

-Encouraged development of moderate-income housing citywide.

“Housing is a key piece of our work to foster a diverse community through equitable access to housing, regardless of someone’s income level. And it’s particularly important to our economic recovery and in our efforts to prevent and address homelessness,” said City Manager David White. “The city has successfully aligned with the state housing laws thereby removing ‘red tape’ for those that want to invest in Santa Monica.”

The city has made strides towards the goal of its housing needs in the first few years of the Housing Element cycle. There are over 5,800 housing units approved, pending, or under construction in the city, about 20 percent of which are aimed for moderate, low and very low income residents.

For more details on the city’s housing progress and approved housing projects, visit santamonica.gov/planning-resources.

By Trevor

HOLLYWOOD HILLS—More than 50 RV’s were being removed from Forest Lawn Drive in Hollywood Hills on Wednesday, December 6, as part of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe Program. Bass signed the Executive Directive back in December 2022.

The Inside Safe Program is aimed to help those encountering homeless get into stable housing. Inside Safe will assess street homelessness across Los Angeles and proactively engage with people living in tents and encampments based on which locations are chronic and where people are most in crisis.

Inside Safe will support the following five goals:

-Reduce the loss of life on our streets
-Increase access to mental health and substance abuse treatment for those living in encampments
-Eliminate street encampments
-Promote long-term housing stability for people experiencing homelessness
-Enhance the safety and hygiene of neighborhoods for all residents, businesses, and neighbors

The city is working to remove makeshift encampments that have been littered throughout the area in recent years. There were dozens of RVs on the street for more than 2 miles on the road.

Andrew Rindge informed reporters that people were informed a few days earlier that they were going to “clean the whole area.”

“There was nothing written down or anything, just people coming from the city and telling them they had to leave,” Rindge told ABC 7 Los Angeles.

The portion of Forest Lawn Drive that was being cleaned up was closed to traffic as the vehicles were removed.

By Trevor