Dear Editor,
According to campaign finance statements on file with the City Clerk, the majority of the funding for the Development Tax, aka H+HH campaign, are developers, their lawyers and architects who will reap financial rewards from the building of new high density low income rental housing projects throughout Santa Monica, primarily North of Wilshire and in Sunset Park.
What is particularly disturbing is their misleading campaign literature. One mailer I received asserts H+HH will create affordable housing for teachers, police, and firefighters who currently cannot afford to live here.
This is false.
The City income guidelines provide the rental units are available to low and very low income tenants. People in these professions earn far in excess of the maximum income limitations for low income housing projects.
I am not aware of any teacher, police officer or firefighter currently living in any of the over 2, 000 City developed low income rental units.
In addition the most recent campaign flyer alleged without the development tax “many of our grandparents, parents, neighbors and friends will be forced out of their homes.”
I have been renting in Santa Monica for over 25 years. Last years rent increase was $14.00 a month. It is absurd to claim all these people will be forced out of their homes because of a $14.00 a month rent increase.
The City Housing Manager recently informed the City Council about 90 percent of the people on the waiting list for low income housing live outside Santa Monica.
Your tax dollars will be used solely to fund City Hall’s favorite developers in producing large, high-density projects anywhere City Hall wants for people who do not currently live here.
The City has taken away your right to review or protest all development funded by this tax. It will be built in your immediate proximity – you cannot object. And, it will be current renters who are displaced as their buildings are torn down to make way for these new projects.
Say no to City Hall – no blank check to build large, high-density developments of any kind, wherever the bureaucrats want. Vote NO on H+HH
John Kelso
Santa Monica
