Workshop to Focus on Housing Policies

Santa Monica is sponsoring a workshop from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Lincoln Park on how to revise its housing policies.

The ordinance now requires that 30% of units in new, multifamily buildings be reserved for low- and moderate- income households.

City housing manager Bob Moncrief said the city is considering proposals allowing more developers to fund low-income housing on separate sites by paying the city a fee of about $55,000 a year. Also under consideration are zoning changes, such as allowing an additional floor on some buildings for low-income housing.

Robert Sullivan, president of the Santa Monica Housing Council, which represents the city’s major developers, said the council sent the city a letter Friday threatening a lawsuit if the city doesn’t eliminate the so-called inclusionary, on-site housing requirements.