A city program to provide priority affordable housing to descendants of those displaced when several minority neighborhoods were demolished has resulted in nine successful applications as of March 31.
City Hall set aside 100 spots on the Below Market Housing (BMH) waitlist and while 134 applications were received, only 11 qualified with nine choosing to move forward with a housing placement.
The "Right to Return" program came about in 2021 when City Council voted to alter the prioritization of different groups on the waitlist for the pilot program. Prior to the change, priority went first to individuals facing no-fault evictions in Santa Monica, second to individuals who live or work in Santa Monica and third to applicants from outside of Santa Monica.
The Right to Return process inserted up to 100 households and descendants of households who were displaced by the creation of the Civic Auditorium and I-10 freeway in the 1950s and 1960s above individuals who live or work in Santa Monica, but below those facing no-fault evictions.
At the time, the program was described as a means of transitional justice for the primarily Black and Latino households who lost their homes in the Belmar Triangle and Pico Corridor through the City’s use of eminent domain.
Applicants had about a month to enter the program and all 134 were reviewed by staff.
"Of the 134 total applications received, 11 applicants have been approved and have
received priority on the BMH waitlist," said a recent staff report. "However, 71 applicants (53%) did not respond with documentation or withdrew their application, and another 36 applicants were determined to be ineligible because they were not displaced or were displaced from outside of Santa Monica. Finally, 16 applications are still pending to allow more time for the applicants to find sufficient documentation regarding their family’s historical displacement."
While no leases have been signed, nine households have been matched with a vacancy and are in some stage of the leasing process.
According to the report, finding the necessary documentation to prove displacement proved difficult
"Successful applicants were those able to provide documentation showing their family’s address located within the areas impacted by the Civic Auditorium or I-10 Highway projects," said the report. "In addition to confirming the address eligibility, a historical document such as an entry in the Santa Monica City Directories was sometimes found with the help of the Santa Monica Public Library that confirmed historical residence. Lastly, successful applicants were able to provide documentation, such as a birth certificate, showing the applicant is a descendant of the original family member at that address."
Some applicants didn’t know the exact address of their ancestors or were unable to find records of residency. Staff said similar programs have experienced similar challenges when it comes to finding appropriate documents and even when documentation is available, some possible applicants may prefer their current housing to an available unit on the affordable housing list.
While staff do not expect a surge in applications, they said the priority position of historically displaced households will remain in place and households may continue to apply for the BMH waitlist through the existing process (displaced@santamonica.gov) used for other priority applications (Ellis Act evictions, Code Enforcement) until the 100 eligible applicants are identified.
