Santa Monica’s Commitment To Affordable Housing

July 23, 2019 12:37 PM
by Andy Agle

This article originally appeared in the July edition of Seascape.

HOUSING AFFECTS EVERYONE

The burden of housing costs in Santa Monica isn’t just affecting low-income families. It is weighing down even middle-class community members with well-paying jobs. As we witness an increasing number of people forced onto the streets because of high housing costs, we are also seeing more middleclass families struggling to find affordable, safe and decent housing.

The City of Santa Monica has long been committed to providing affordable housing for everyone. Not only is this due to our dedication to fostering inclusivity and diversity, but also because we know the larger impact housing can have on our community and beyond.

As Mayor Gleam Davis recently said at the City’s Housing Crisis Panel, if we don’t address the housing crisis, “it is eventually going to harm our economy.” Census Bureau data shows that in the last ten years, a million more people left California than moved in, with most moving to states with lower housing costs. If companies can’t find workers, they will move to places where they can.

SO HOW IS THE CITY ADDRESSING THIS CRISIS?

The City supports the creation of housing at all affordability levels. We’ve invested in the production and preservation of affordable housing and utilized regulatory mechanisms that support the creation of housing. Preserving Our Diversity (POD) Program is a great example of how the City aims to achieve its goal of maintaining economic diversity (you can read more about the program in the July edition of Seascape, on page 4). 

We have two established local non-profit organizations dedicated to this issue. One focuses on family housing, rehabilitating and deed-restricting existing housing, and the other focuses on housing homeless people living with mental illness. We have also partnered with non profits throughout the region to create other types of affordable housing, including senior housing and housing for people with disabilities.

In addition, we recently updated our downtown plan to require high levels of inclusionary affordable housing. In order to encourage housing production with the aggressive affordability requirements, we eliminated all parking requirements and streamlined the approval process.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOESN’T COME WITHOUT STRUGGLES

Although we are making strides in creating affordable housing, we still face significant challenges. Land and building costs are escalating rapidly in all of our communities. We are also addressing concerns to ensure that new housing does not detract from the existing quality of life. And even with a local sales tax for affordable housing, we still feel the loss of our local redevelopment agencies in terms of the amount of funding we could dedicate to affordable housing.

LOOKING AHEAD

We are optimistic about the new funds coming from the state to support affordable housing, as well as opportunities to revive tax-increment financing for affordable housing. We are also exploring means to reduce the cost of creating affordable housing. One real opportunity is to take the cost of land out of the equation by promoting the development of affordable housing on publicly owned land.

Santa Monica has been on the forefront of maintaining an inclusive and diverse community for decades, and we have the local community to thank. In 2017, more than 60% of voters supported Measure GSH to increase the sales tax and bring in approximately $7-8 million annually to support more affordable housing. The City will continue to evaluate other opportunities to support this very important issue.

For more information on housing, visit santamonica.gov/housing.

Authored By

Andy Agle
Director of Housing & Economic Development