SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica is aiming its efforts at decreasing the rent burden on residents who live in rent controlled properties. The city is seeking input from residents through a survey that is active now through July 18.

Rent burden is defined as paying more than 30 percent of household gross income on rent, which almost 15,000 households in Santa Monica are experiencing. Over half of these households are considered severely rent burdened and pay more than 50 percent of their household income on rent.

The city is using the survey to learn about the affordable housing needs of the community, and to understand the severity of the rent-controlled issue in Santa Monica. The survey will gather information about residents who are under the threshold and the inability to pay rent may result in displacement from the city.

The survey will also act as a pre-application for a limited pilot program that will offer city-funded rental subsidies that are expected to roll out in late 2016.

The growing issue of rent burdened residents in Santa Monica initiated the City Council to fund the pilot rental subsidy program to address this important housing need.

The survey is available in English or Spanish at www.smrenterneeds.net. The survey closes at 5:00 p.m. PST on July 18. The survey can be downloaded from the website, printed and delivered or mailed to the Housing Division office. For information over the phone and to ask any questions, you can call (310) 458-2201, ext 2232.