Santa Monica Expands Senior Rental Aid Program
The City Council approved lowering eligibility age and widening housing eligibility for the Preserving Our Diversity program.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Eldercare
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The Santa Monica City Council approved expanding the Preserving Our Diversity rental assistance program for seniors, backed by a $360,000 budget allocation. The changes lower the minimum participant age from 65 to 62 and allow senior renters in deed-restricted affordable housing to participate.
Why it matters
Staff said the cost of daily life in Santa Monica has risen faster than many household budgets, and the expansion is designed to help more older residents remain housed. The changes are intended to widen access without reducing the number of households currently served.
The expansion is supported by a $360,000 budget allocation, including $250,000 for cost-of-living adjustments through Fiscal Year 2027-28 and $10,000 annually for outreach. Up to $100,000 is earmarked for a feasibility study on widening eligibility, and the number of additional households expected to enroll was not reported.
The players
Santa Monica City Council
The elected legislative body of the City of Santa Monica, which approves local budgets and housing and human services programs.
Preserving Our Diversity (POD) Program
A Santa Monica rental assistance program for older residents that helps seniors remain housed in the city's rent-controlled and affordable housing stock.
The details
The program now allows senior renters in deed-restricted affordable housing to participate and sets an annual cost-of-living adjustment tied to the Los Angeles County CPI. The Council also authorized prioritizing an additional $300,000 in annual General Fund support for food assistance and childcare subsidies through the Human Services Grants Program.
Timeline
January 2025: The Council changed the move-in date requirement from 2000 to 2005.
January 2026: The Council gave direction on affordability strategies.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026: The Council approved the POD expansion and related funding.
June 30, 2028: The cost-of-living funding period through Fiscal Year 2027-28 ends.
Legal Context
The expansion builds on Santa Monica's rent-control framework by extending the Preserving Our Diversity program's original eligibility rules to younger seniors and to residents of deed-restricted affordable housing. It follows the council's January 2025 change to the move-in date requirement, which moved the cutoff from 2000 to 2005.
Eligible Santa Monica seniors aged 62 and older who have lived in a rent-controlled apartment for at least 10 years may now qualify for rental assistance, including those in deed-restricted affordable housing. Annual rent adjustments will track the Los Angeles County CPI, so participants can plan for predictable changes in their housing costs.
The takeaway
Older renters who were previously ineligible because of age or housing type should review the Preserving Our Diversity program's current requirements. Checking the move-in date and tenure criteria is the first step toward determining eligibility.
What happens next
Funding for cost-of-living adjustments runs through June 30, 2028, when the Fiscal Year 2027-28 period ends.
Further reading
For more on senior support services, see Eldercare coverage for Santa Monica.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Surfsantamonica.
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