By Jorge Casuso

January 26, 2026 -- The Great Park and Community Housing Initiative submitted to the City Clerk this month seeks to create 3,000 units of "permanently affordable housing" on Airport land that, in many cases, would rival or exceed current market rates.

The detailed, and complicated, 11-page initiative -- which has the support of Santa Monica's two most powerful political organizations -- sets costs and eligibility requirements based on LA County income levels.

The "Community Housing" units would be built on 25 percent of the Airport land after it closes at the end of 2028 and would be occupied by tenants with annual incomes ranging from $31,800 to $127,200 for one-person households.

The eligibility and costs are based on the 100 percent income level in Los Angeles County, which is currently $106,000 for a one-person household and $151,500 for a four person household.

According to the initiative, "'Affordable cost' means a cost of housing that ensures that households in rental units have annual rental costs no more than 30 percent of the income level for that unit."

Meanwhile, households in "for-sale" units (condominiums) would "have annual housing costs no more than 35 percent of the income level for that unit."

All income levels are adjusted for household size, according to the wording of the potential initiative submitted January 13.

If the initiative is approved by voters in November, the City Council will determine the number of units reserved for those making 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 80 percent and 125 percent of County income levels.

The initiative, which makes amendments to the Santa Monica General Plan that can "be changed only by a vote of the people" requires that:

• No less than 40 percent of units are available to households with a gross annual income that does not exceed the 80 percent income level ($84,800 for a one person household and $121,200 for a household of four).
  
  
• No more than 40 percent are available to households that don't exceed the 120 percent level ($127,200 for a one-person household and $181,800 for a household of four), and
  
  
• No more than 20 percent are available to households with a gross annual income that doesn't exceed the 175 percent level ($185,500 for a one person household and $265,125 for a household of four).
  
  

The 175 percent threshold requires the approval of the City Council, which the initiative authorizes "in certain circumstances, to extend eligibility to households at higher income levels and provide for the distribution of units among households of various income levels."

Sources familiar with the initiative's intent say the provision is necessary to make lower-income units more economically feasible by having the building costs subsidized by the high-end units.

The Council would "have a fair amount of discretion on how the mix happens," said a source who asked to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak for the initiative's sponsors, who as of Friday had not designated a spokesperson.

What are essentially market-rate units are being designated "permanently affordable" to tie them to income levels that don't fluctuate with housing rates that could skyrocket by the time the units are built, according to another source familiar with the initiative's intent.

The Great Park and Community Housing Initiative states that the "new affordable housing is needed to create opportunities for teachers, nurses, hospital staff, hospitality and retail workers, childcare providers, and other essential workers to live in the community they serve."

The initiative gives preference to people who live or work in Santa Monica, as well as to those displaced from Santa Monica homes "by past government action" and their direct descendants "to the extent allowed by law."