The city of Santa Monica has launched Santa Monica Renter Aid, a new program providing one-time or short-term financial assistance and housing stabilization services to eligible Santa Monica renter households experiencing a temporary housing crisis.

The City of Santa Monica has launched a renter aid program providing one-time or short-term financial assistance to eligible renter households. In addition to being a resident of Santa Monica, eligible households must also be experiencing a housing crisis and earn no more than 120 percent of the area median income level.

Applications are due by August 20.

If you need help filling out your application, there will be in-person events held at the following times and locations:

  • Tuesdays, 3-7 p.m. at Virginia Avenue Park, Park Center Building (2200 Virginia Ave.)
  • Thursdays, 12:30-4:30 p.m. at Main Library (601 Santa Monica Blvd.)

Here's what we're reading this week:

Los Angeles Homeless Population Grows Again, After 2 Years of Decline "Los Angeles had an increase in homeless residents between early 2025 and early 2026. The rise could hurt Mayor Karen Bass, as she runs for re-election." (New York Times)

Graffiti towers cleanup begins "He expects three crews, one for each tower, will start at the top and work their way down. Some of the work is physically risky and will require crews being lowered in suspended scaffolds known as swing stages used by window cleaners." (LA Times)

Aerial view of Oceanwide PlazaShutterstock

Is former Laker A.C. Green being blocked on Oceanwide bid? "Offer of $500M cash, $1B-plus to complete has the look of a layup on paper" (TRD LA)

Los Angeles’ Moribund Multifamily Market Shows Signs of Life "Do spikes in sales suggest bottoming out, or coming to terms with market challenges?" (Commercial Observer)

Mayor Karen Bass Outlines Her Metro Agenda including Fare Free Transit, Bus Lanes "Bass faintly echoes Mamdani's 'free fast buses' but after three and a half years of mostly Bass inaction at Metro, her election year conversion sounds tepid and unconvincing" (Streetsblog LA)

Inglewood is redrawing the city map for the first time in nearly 40 years "The city’s new land-use plan draft calls for mixed housing and business zones along La Brea Avenue, Arbor Vitae Street and Century Boulevard." (The LA Local)

Men's Central JailGoogle Street View

Men’s Central Jail was supposed to close in 2021. LA County's latest report pushes it beyond 2031 "Miller said the issues aren't limited to Men’s Central Jail either, and closing the facility won’t fix underlying problems in how people are treated in the L.A. County’s justice system." (LAist)

Why is Everybody Parking on the Larchmont Boulevard Median? “It’s the height of hubris to say 'I’m going to park here and it won’t be a problem for anybody else.'” (LA Material)

What will a rebuilt Altadena look like? Residents push a state bill that would limit density "They say they want to stop out-of-town developers from building structures like duplexes and bungalow courts, which residents say threaten the neighborhood’s identity and will lead to congestion on narrow roads." (LAist)

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