Up to 30 percent of new multi-family builds in downtown Santa Monica must now be more affordable for low-income earners, according to a new city mandate. The Santa Monica Lookout first reported news of the recent Santa Monica City Council vote, which creates the state’s strictest such mandate.

“Frankly, we are the pushing the envelope,” City Manager Rick Cole admitted afterward to the Lookout. 

The mandate eliminates the requirement for parking, adds housing incentives and makes the approval process faster. Final requirements in the Downtown Community Plan (DCP) call for low-income percentages to rise with the height of buildings. Those marks start at 20 percent for buildings up to 50 feet and increase incrementally up to 30 percent for buildings between 70 and 84 feet. There are altered requirements for developers that choose to build off-site instead.

It’s an ambitious endeavor and one that could end up being scaled back if these marks are too difficult to hit. Developers that appeared at the City Council meeting were vehemently opposed to the DCP as it was passed, presenting cases against the mandate for several hours in advance.

As the Lookout cited, a study by DCP consultants hired back in July had offered results alarming to developers. Apparently, the 35 percent option for buildings at 84 feet was the only economically feasible choice of those presented.