Written Comments — Santa Monica City Council, June 10, 2025

1 David Yakobson
From: Nikki Kolhoff <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 11:22 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: June 10, 2025 City Council Item 16B - OPPOSE - No market-rate Projects

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
Please stop promoting market-rate development in Santa Monica. We don't need it.

This study shows that the biggest factor in the cost of housing is the income of residents in the area.

See: https://catalystsca.org/new-study-by-fed-economists-directly-contradicts-yimby-narrative-onhousing-prices/. This one is especially for Jesse who claims "all" the studies he has read say density increases affordability. That is false. But will he read this study or choose not to so he can continue to make his intentionally uninformed statement?
Density does not lead to affordability here where demand is inelastic. Trickle down housing doesn't work. We have already permitted more than double our RHNA target for market rate housing. So there is absolutely no reason to incentivize developers to build more market-rate rental units - more 100% UNafdordable projects.

And what does it even mean "for approved projects that are unable to proceed due to economic uncertainty"? What uncertainty? That they might not make as much money as they'd like if they include any affordable? So what. That is not the City of Santa Monica's problem.

Plus, those of us who have lived here for a while (compared to our council members who only recently moved here), have already seen the cycle of bogus "off-site" fees and promises fail. Stop wasting our time.

We have real problems to address in Santa Monica and building more market rate rental units isn't one of them. I urge you to vote NO on 16B so staff can focus on the real issues facing our residents TODAY.

Regards,
Nikki Kolhoff
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Cynthia Rose <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 10:06 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and Councilmembers,
I support Santa Monica Forward’s call to pass Item 16.B as written. This important item will make it easier to build new homes in our city by allowing developers to meet affordable housing requirements off-site or through partnerships with non-profit builders.

It is essential that no feasibility analyses or additional justifications be required to use these flexible options. These kinds of studies slow down and politicize the creation of new housing, adding unnecessary red tape and delays to urgently needed projects.

Santa Monica has already approved 4,000 new homes, including more than 400 below market rate homes, yet these remain unbuilt because of economic barriers. Removing hurdles like feasibility studies will help these homes break ground and deliver housing for people who need it.

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Cynthia Rose
90404
Cynthia Rose
Sent from imobile device, please excuse random acts of autocorrect....

Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Dustin Shahan <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 9:55 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Dustin Shahan
90401
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: Soloff, Michael <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 9:09 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Item 16B
Attachments: 6.10.25 SMRR ltr re Item 16B.pdf

EXTERNAL
Please find attached a letter from Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights regarding Item 16B on tonight’s City Council agenda.

Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
June 10, 2025
RE: Item 16.B on City Council’s January 28, 2025 Agenda Dear City Councilmembers,
We are writing to express the support of Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (“SMRR”) for development of a pilot program to allow greater flexibility in how market-rate housing projects contribute to the creation of deed-restricted affordable housing units in Santa Monica in order to create more affordable housing than that which otherwise will occur under the existing requirements of the State Density Bonus Law (“SDBL”) and Santa Monica’s Affordable Housing Production Program (“AHPP”). When developing this pilot program, the City should consider all of the resources at its disposal,1
and all of the potential models of affordable housing
creation,2 in order to determine how market-rate housing projects can best assist an integrated affordable housing creation strategy (and how market-rate developers can be incentivized to proceed in the manner that most assists that strategy). The City then should present its proposal and supporting analysis to the relevant Commissions and the public well in advance of any City Council adoption of the proposed pilot program. If properly designed and justified, the City Council then should authorize a true pilot program of limited size to test in the real world the assumptions underlying the supporting analysis.

Thank you for your consideration of SMRR’s views on this matter.

Sincerely,
Denny Zane Mike Soloff
Co-Chair, Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights Co-Chair, Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights 1 These include public land, funds generated by 2016 Measure GSH and 2022 Measure GS, and the ability to exchange density bonuses for contributions to affordable housing creation by the market rate developers (which could include building affordable units on their land or public land, financial contributions, and/or donations of land). 2 These include direct building of units with or without tax credit or other governmental subsidies, social housing (i.e., building mixed income projects on public land or other offsite land—or side by side projects like the Related project—that require less or no government subsidies to operate), and private capital projects (like Fly Away Homes or others).

Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Jason Mastbaum <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 8:52 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Jason
90403
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Abel, Richard <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 6:12 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; [email protected]; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Richard Abel
90402]
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Allison Riley <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 5:18 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; '[email protected]' Subject: SM City Council Meeting Item 16.a.

Attachments: 250608 SM Fwd Support Offsite AH.pdf

EXTERNAL
Please find attached our comment letter for item 16.a. on your Council Agenda.

Allison Riley, she/they
Co-Executive Director, Venice Community Housing
building affordable housing and communities since 1988
200 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291
Office: 424-268-5120
Main: 310.399.4100
Fax: 310.399.1130
Email: [email protected]
VCH acknowledges our presence and work on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Tongva, Kizh, and Gabrielino peoples.

VCH stands and strives to act in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
June 9, 2025
Santa Monica City Council
1685 Main Street, Room 250
Santa Monica, CA 90401
VIA Email: [email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]
Subject: Venice Community Housing Corporation Supports Item 16.B Dear Mayor and Councilmembers:

On behalf of Venice Community Housing Corporation, a non-profit, community-based organization committed to developing and preserving affordable housing across the Westside, I am writing to express our support for Item 16.B, which would expand flexibility in how developers meet their affordable housing obligations—specifically by allowing the construction of off-site affordable units in partnership with mission-driven, non-profit developers like us.

As an organization deeply committed to developing affordable, community-driven housing, we believe this policy change could unlock urgently needed homes for low-income individuals and families. We understand there are currently 443 below market rate units are required to be built in association with 57 mixed-income projects approved by the city of Santa Monica, that are stalled. Creating an opportunity for market rate developers to fund affordable housing built by non-profit organizations and meet their obligations is potentially an attractive opportunity for nonprofit organizations.

It would behoove the City remove unnecessary obstacles and embrace a variety of tools that enable these homes to be produced alongside the market rate homes proposed. We need many tools to build the necessary housing to meet the needs of the community.

We urge the Council to approve this item. We look forward to working with the City of Santa Monica to bring more affordable housing to life.

Sincerely,
Allison Riley
Co-Executive Director
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Scott Epstein <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 11:00 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Azeen Khanmalek; Jake Pierce; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Abundant Housing LA supports item 16.B
Attachments: Santa Monica - 06-10-25 Agenda Item 16.B - Support.pdf

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members:

Please find attached a letter of support for Item 16.B on tomorrow's council agenda.

Very best,
Scott Epstein
(He/Him)
Policy and Research Director, Abundant Housing LA
516-721-6056
453 Spring Street, Suite 1201
Los Angeles, CA, 90013
We request that candidates do not send us confidential campaign strategy information, including polling data or other information that is not publicly available.

Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
June 9, 2025
Subject: 6/10/25 Agenda Item 16.B: Support
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members,
We write today in support of Item 16.B, which directs the city to facilitate new housing production by enabling more flexible options for affordable housing requirements. We urge you to pass this item as written, and to ensure that developers can by default select the option that works best for their particular project, whether that means providing affordable units on- or off-site.

Santa Monica suffers from sky-high housing costs, while at the same time every one of its neighborhoods is characterized as highest or high opportunity. More housing of all types and for all incomes is needed across the city. Flexibility around how the provision of affordable units is achieved will help deliver badly needed market rate and deed-restricted units to Santa Monica.

While creating mixed-income buildings where possible is desirable, we are much more concerned with building mixed-income communities, and opening up access to high opportunity cities like Santa Monica, so more people can enjoy all that the beautiful city by the sea has to offer.

We urge you to pass Item 16.B as written and remove any process hurdles so that Santa Monica can deliver more housing of all kinds more quickly.

Sincerely,
Scott Epstein, Policy and Research Director
Abundant Housing LA
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
6 David Yakobson
From: kent Strumpell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 10:42 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings. Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Kent Strumpell
1211 Michigan Ave.

Santa Monica 90404
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
7 David Yakobson
From: Barbara Filet <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 10:41 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings. Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Barbara FIlet
90404
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Leonora <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 3:45 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.
[Your Name]
[Your ZIP]
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Sarah Letts <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 1:01 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Cc: Tara Barauskas
Subject: HCHC SUPPORTS Agenda item 16B

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and Councilmembers,
On behalf of Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC), a non-profit organization committed to developing and operating aƯordable rental housing, I am writing to express our strong support for Item 16.B as written because it would expand flexibility in how developers meet their aƯordable housing obligations— specifically by allowing the construction of oƯ-site aƯordable units in partnership with mission-driven, non-profit developers like HCHC.

I am reminded of The Arroyo (64 aƯordable apartments located at 1626 Lincoln Blvd) that I started while I worked at CCSM up through 2016, and that Tara Barauskas expertly completed in 2018. The Arroyo fulfilled the inclusionary housing requirements of a market rate development to be constructed within ¼ of a mile of The Arroyo. It was challenging to find a site within ¼ mile of the market rate development, so I applaud the plan to develop a pilot program that allows for more flexibility in how aƯordable housing units are provided oƯ-site.

Allowing developers to fulfil their aƯordable housing requirements through oƯ-site construction and partnerships is a practical, cost-eƯective solution to the challenge of housing community members across income levels.

These collaborations could enable us to build high-quality, 100% aƯordable communities that serve those most in need.

We urge the Council to approve this item as written—without requiring feasibility analyses or justifications that could delay construction of new homes. Instead, let’s focus on getting units built. Every delay prolongs the housing crisis for Santa Monica residents and workers who face rent burdens, housing insecurity, or are forced into long commutes.

While there is value in creating mixed-income buildings, creating a truly inclusive, mixed-income city must be the primary goal. Concerns about whether below-market-rate units are co-located with market-rate units should not override the urgent need for actual homes. We can—and must—pursue both equity and scale.

We look forward to working with the City of Santa Monica to bring more aƯordable housing to life.

Sincerely,
Sarah Letts | Executive Director
5020 Santa Monica Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA | 90029-2412
P: 323.454.6210 | F: 323.454.4677 | E: [email protected] www.hollywoodhousing.org | Facebook | Instagram
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Allon Percus <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 11:46 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

It is essential that no feasibility analyses or additional justifications be required to use these flexible options.

These kinds of studies slow down and politicize the creation of new housing, adding unnecessary red tape and delays to urgently needed projects.

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Allon Percus
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: Tara Barauskas <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 11:14 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Barry Snell; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Support for Item 16B (June 10th) - inclusionary housing Attachments: 1986_001.pdf
Importance: High

EXTERNAL
Please see attached letter of support. Thank you.

Tara
Tara Barauskas, LEED AP
Executive Director
Community Corporation of Santa Monica
1410 2nd Street, Suite 200
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-8487 ext. 133
[email protected]
www.communitycorp.org
I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.

Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Hank Koning <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 11:02 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Hank Koning
Santa Monica Resident
909 25th St.

Santa Monica 90403
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
5 David Yakobson
From: Stu Selonick <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 11:01 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Stu Selonick
90405
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
6 David Yakobson
From: Jacob Wasserman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 10:44 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Council Mailbox
Subject: In Support: Item 16.B

EXTERNAL
Councilmembers,
As a Santa Monica resident and voter, I support Item 16.B as written. This important item will make it easier to build new homes in our city by allowing developers to meet affordable housing requirements off-site or through partnerships with non-profit builders.

It is essential that no ostensible feasibility analyses or additional justifications be required to use these flexible options. These kinds of studies slow down and politicize the creation of new housing, adding unnecessary red tape and delays to urgently needed projects.

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings. Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you,
Jacob Wasserman
90403
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Eleanor Huntington <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 9, 2025 5:35 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Eleanor Huntington
90403
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: Tracey Alexander <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 9:38 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Tracey Alexander
90272
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: Jeremy Bamberger <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 6:04 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Jeremy Bamberger
90405
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
4 David Yakobson
From: Boris Suchkov <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 3:37 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunities and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Boris Suchkov
90405
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
5 David Yakobson
From: Homegrown Recording & Collective <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 1:01 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Danny Pravder
90043
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
6 David Yakobson
From: Phoebe Kiekhofer <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 11:41 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings. Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Phoebe Garfinkel
90402
Sent from my iPhone
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
7 David Yakobson
From: Andy Herman <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 10:55 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Rev Fr James J Andrew Herman
retired priest of St. Monica Catholic Church
90025 (mailing ZIP)
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
8 David Yakobson
From: Eli Gill <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 10:16 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Eli Gill
90403
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
9 David Yakobson
From: Brent Cohen <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 10:04 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Oppose Item 16.B – Keep Affordable Housing Accountable

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and Councilmembers,
As a 30-year Santa Monica homeowner, I support responsible housing growth—but I urge you to vote no on Item 16.B as written.

The idea that construction has stalled in Santa Monica is simply inaccurate. The City’s own dashboard shows over 800 units currently under construction and thousands more in the pipeline. Market conditions—not city policy—are the primary cause of any slowdown.

Item 16.B would let developers offload affordable housing responsibilities to off-site projects, with little to no oversight or feasibility review. That’s not smart policy—it’s a shortcut with long-term consequences.

We need flexibility, yes—but with real accountability. Removing feasibility studies and other safeguards would weaken our ability to ensure affordable units actually get built, and built in the right places.

Please revise or reject this item. Let’s encourage new housing without handing over the reins to developers unchecked.

Sincerely,
- Brent Cohen (90405)
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
photo Brent Cohen
310-613-0204 | [email protected]
GMT +8
Santa Monica, CA
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.

To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.

Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
10 David Yakobson
From: Steve Tarzynski <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 9:49 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.

Stephen Tarzynski
90403
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
11 David Yakobson
From: Joanne Leslie <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, June 8, 2025 9:48 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Please Pass Item 16.B as Written to Support More Homes

We need new homes at all income levels to create a mixed-income city, not just mixed-income buildings.

Housing is housing, and we should make it easier to provide it for everyone.

Please pass Item 16.B as written and remove these hurdles so we can unlock housing opportunity and strengthen our community.

Thank you.
[Your Name]
[Your ZIP]
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
12 David Yakobson
From: Sam Shapiro-Kline <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 7, 2025 3:01 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; [email protected] Subject: Explainer on Item 16.B and Letter in Support

EXTERNAL
Mayor & Councilmembers,
I am writing in support of Item 16.B directing the city to facilitate housing production through flexibility in the provision of off-site affordable housing units. Additionally, I know that the logic behind this item can be a bit wonky, and I have included my own explainer of why this policy is a smart one at the end! Passing the item as written would allow housing projects to meet their affordable housing requirements through partnerships with non-profit developers and/or building below market rate units off-site. Further, the city should not require any kind of feasibility analysis or justification to make use of this option for complying with affordable housing requirements on the part of developers, so as not to slow down or politicize the creation of new housing.

Today, the construction of new homes in Santa Monica is not moving forward due to the high costs of building, providing below market rate units, and paying for administrative and impact fees to the city. Santa Monica has approved more than 4,000 proposed homes which are not breaking ground due to economic infeasibility. It is crucial that the council do everything within its power to get these projects started and deliver desperately needed new housing in the city.

Building off-site or through partnerships is a powerful tool to reduce the cost of complying with Santa Monica’s affordable housing requirements. While I and Santa Monica Forward support the creation of housing at all income levels, we are concerned that the cost of complying with the city’s affordable housing requirements is preventing the creation of both market rate homes and the below market rate homes included in for-profit housing projects.

While there is value in creating mixed-income buildings including BMR units, it is far more important to create a mixed-income city that includes enough homes for all. Concerns about whether new BMR homes will be located elsewhere from new market rate homes should be treated as secondary - let’s just get them all built.

Detailed Explainer:
 Today’s Policy and Market Conditions
o Affordable Housing Policy: Santa Monica requires market rate housing projects to provide 15% of units as affordable housing / below market rate. While Santa Monica nominally has a policy allowing off-site affordable housing, functionally it is impossible to use because housing projects would not benefit from State Density Bonus Law which is crucial to making projects feasible. o Market Conditions & Feasibility: Approximately 4,000 homes are approved to be built in market rate housing projects, including 443 below market rate homes. These projects are currently “infeasible,” shown by the fact that no new projects are breaking ground. Projects are generally infeasible when building them is not very profitable taking into account the cost to build and current rents.
 Why Action is Needed:

Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
13 o To address our housing crisis, Santa Monica needs to build more homes for people across the income spectrum, both market rate and below market rate. o Many factors making projects infeasible today are not controllable locally, such as labor costs or interest rates. Meanwhile, it would exacerbate the housing crisis if the city did nothing to help build more units, and instead waited until rents increased (projects might become feasible if rents go up).
o Developers proposing housing projects in Santa Monica have indicated that changing the law to allow building the required below market rate units off-site and in partnership with non-profit developers would make some projects feasible, and get them building again!  What Action is Proposed:
o Item 16.B proposes to allow market rate housing projects to meet their affordable housing requirements through building below market rate units off-site while still being able to use State Density Bonus Law.
o With this change, below market rate units could also be built by non-profit affordable housing developers active in the city such as Community Corporation of Santa Monica, Venice Community Housing, EAH, or Hollywood Community Housing. o For-profit developers would make a payment to the non-profit developer which would function as part of the equity needed in the affordable housing project, and then the non-profit would raise additional funds through typical channels like tax credit loans.  Why is this a smart policy?
o First, it will help get more homes built including below market rate homes! In the current economic and tax environment, projects aren’t moving forward. This would lower the cost of complying with Santa Monica’s affordable housing requirements, while building just as many below market rate units.
o Second, in the long-term it could support goals such as building a significant volume of below market rate housing at the airport, advocated for as “Cloverfield Commons.” These projects could partner with market rate housing projects elsewhere in the city and receive funding.

Thank you,
Sam Shapiro-Kline
Santa Monica Forward Steering Committee
Abundant Housing Los Angeles, State Policy Committee Chair Item 16-B
June 10, 2025
Item 16-B
June 10, 2025

Santa Monica City CouncilJune 10, 2025

Santa Monica City Council
June 10, 2025