For a lot of residents of Santa Monica, affordable housing has ceased to be just a policy concern or a trending headline. It feels like it involves “me” because it concerns literally everyone. It appears in discussions with neighbors, during the tension of lease renewals, and in the silent calculations people make each month to determine if they can remain in their current homes. Even for those who have resided here for years, the question persists: How did it become this difficult?
From a resident’s perspective, the issue does not originate from a single source or a single problem. It is the outcome of numerous factors pushing in the same direction, year after year, gradually constricting the area people can afford to reside in.
High Demand in a Very Limited Space
Santa Monica has always been sought after. It provides walkable streets, beach access, quality schools, public transportation, and closeness to employment hubs. That mixture generates ongoing demand from more and more people: newcomers arriving in the area, students looking for their first jobs, etc.
At the same time, the city has an extremely restricted physical area for expansion.
In contrast to cities that have the ability to grow outward, Santa Monica is constrained by the ocean, surrounding cities, and current developments. This means that each new housing unit is included in a meticulous negotiation process. When supply increases gradually, yet demand continues to rise, prices tend to increase in response to that pressure, and it seems that little can be done.
Recent regional housing research indicates that coastal cities in Southern California are experiencing some of the most constrained housing markets in the state. Santa Monica is frequently mentioned as a case where high demand exists, together with low turnover. Even when units are released, the competition remains quite fierce.
The Gap Between Wages and Rent
Another reason affordable housing feels harder to find is the growing gap between local wages and local housing costs. While Santa Monica has a strong economy, many of the jobs that keep the city running do not really match the cost of living.
Service workers, teachers, healthcare staff, retail employees, and city workers often earn salaries that make living locally extremely difficult. Even residents with stable, well-paying jobs may find that rent increases outpace their income growth. People who spend their free time playing with a Jackpot City voucher code for existing players can definitely afford housing, but it doesn’t mean they will not start questioning the constantly rising prices.
This creates a quiet but steady displacement. People do not leave suddenly. They leave gradually: one unexpected expense, one lease renewal that no longer makes sense, and they consider leaving.
Rent Control Helps, But It Has Limits
The rent control regulations in Santa Monica are crucial for safeguarding long-term renters. For numerous inhabitants, these safeguards are why they are able to continue living in the city.
Nevertheless, rent control alone does not address the wider issue of affordability.
Units with rent control rarely become available on the open market. When they pop up, they immediately face high demand. More recent units, which aren’t subject to the same regulations, frequently have much higher rents. This results in a fragmented housing environment where affordability is largely influenced by timing and situation, rather than objective factors.
Rent control can hinder displacement, but it cannot generate new affordable housing units. And lack of new housing units across various price ranges (preferably, people would also love to see some affordable housing!) keeps the overall pressure just the same.
Development That Doesn’t Always Match Local Needs
New development often promises relief, but many residents feel it does not address affordability in a meaningful way. Luxury apartments and mixed-use developments increase overall housing numbers, but they rarely target middle- or lower-income renters.
From a resident’s perspective, this creates a lot of frustration. New buildings appear, but prices remain out of reach. The visual presence of development does not translate into lived affordability; in other words, new buildings are built, new houses appear, but few can actually practically live in them.
Research into housing markets shows that while high-end development can eventually ease pressure through trickle-down effects, this process takes time and depends on scale. In cities with limited space, that scale is difficult to achieve, and most people don’t have decades to wait for the situation to improve.
Why It Feels Worse Now
Many residents in Santa Monica believe that the problem seems more severe now compared to ten or even five years ago, and this opinion is based on facts. The housing markets throughout the nation were transformed by the pandemic, with coastal cities experiencing significant impacts; this impact is exactly what we are seeing these days.
Increased interest rates drove certain buyers to the rental market. Building expenses increased, slowing down new developments. All of this increased the strain on an already stressed system.
The outcome is a housing market that appears way less accommodating and, in fact, out of reach.
What Residents Hope For
Most residents are not asking for simple or quick solutions. They understand that housing is complex. What they hope for is balance: more housing types, better alignment between development and community needs, policies that protect existing residents while making room for new ones, and prices that make sense.
Affordable housing does not mean cheap housing. It means housing that reflects the reality of the people who live and work here.
