Santa Monica Housing Office - Below Market Housing for workers
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Rent an apartment for less than market rate through the City of Santa Monica’s Below Market Housing (BMH) program and enjoy all that Santa Monica has to offer.
The BMH program connects applicants with privately-owned affordable apartments to rent within Santa Monica. Apply to the waitlist now and be emailed opportunities for available apartments for which you qualify based on your household size, income, and spot on the waitlist.
Live in Santa Monica and lose the commute!
Santa Monica Workers receive the same priority as households that live in Santa Monica.
To qualify for this preference, the applicant must:
- Work in Santa Monica at least 25 hours per week (or did prior to March 1, 2020, but lost employment due to COVID-19-related reasons);
- Participate in an approved job training program in Santa Monica;
- Have last worked at least 25 hours per week in Santa Monica and now receive unemployment, worker’s compensation, vocational rehabilitation benefits, disability benefits, or retirement benefits from the City of Santa Monica.
In order to receive this “live/work” preference, you will need to upload documentation verifying your employment in Santa Monica, such as a paystub. The documentation should include your name, your employer's name and Santa Monica address, the hours worked, and a recent date. You can upload pictures of the documents, but they need to be clearly readable. If you cannot upload the documentation, please contact smhousing@smgov.net for an alternative way to submit your document.
To be eligible for BMH vacancies, applicants' total household income, before taxes, must not exceed the amounts listed below (effective May 1, 2020)*:
- 1-person household: $94,700;
- 2-person household: $108,100;
- 3-person household: $121,700;
- 4-person household: $135,100;
- 5-person household: $146,000
*These incomes are the limit to apply to the waitlist; once you’ve moved into an apartment, your income can increase up to 140% of these limits and you’ll still be able to live there!
For general information about how the program works and FAQs, please see the BMH homepage.