The Santa Maria Group
Navigating the Halls of Government for Improved Business Solutions

The Santa Maria Group (SMG) specializes in government relations and delivering effective business solutions in crucial situations. Carrying over 20 years of political experience, the firm has a successful track record of delivering results for local and international clients, including high profile projects.

SMG offers trusted, expert advocacy to expedite issues related to legislative affairs, real estate development, and land use.

“We reach the halls of government to assist real estate developments, gaining quick answers and successful results,” says James Santa Maria, SMG’s president and founder.

The firm focuses on local government, specifically the City and County of Los Angeles, and other municipalities and public agencies throughout Southern and Northern California. It provides a full range of consulting services for private sector entities in the areas of strategic communications, legislative affairs, and public policy. SMG’s diverse clientele includes businesses in real estate development and construction, information technology, traditional and alternative energy, transportation, and non-profit organizations.

SMG facilitates clients’ development process, including funding and certain approvals, through direct communication with decision makers, from government staff to politicians. It also helps them navigatr the process by providing an understanding of how required approvals, such as process for permits, land use entitlements, and environmental and funding propositions work.

A significant part of its projects consists of affordable housing development units for low-income families and mentally ill people. SMG is an expert in financing projects and getting the local municipality and the State to direct funding sources to those projects. It also has expertise in dealing with bond exemptions and subsidies in affordable housing projects.

SMG has accomplished projects throughout the State and has helped developers obtain approvals from local governments. However, this process is complex due to the IRS tax code. According to this code, there should be a public hearing on the given project and it should receive public support from the project’s local municipality through the adoption of a bond resolution by the corresponding city council and the mayor. Due to SMG’s familiarity with the halls of government, it can provide superior representation for projects, products, and issues that make their way through legislative and political processes.

SMG also helps its clients with land use issues. To determine the best use of a property, it conducts a detailed analysis, from financial pro forma to a land use feasibility analysis. Once SMG assesses a project’s financial and land use feasibility, clients can utilize these assessments to create a development program for the architect, and then submit it to the city. Once submitted, SMG reengages to help clients through the approval process and coordinate inspections of the development during the project’s construction period.

Recently, SMG completed a large project in downtown Los Angeles called The Little Tokyo Towers. The developer partnered with the owners to acquire, modernize, and update the entire project through active tax-exempt bond financing and tax credits. Consequently, SMG helped them in various development processes, including construction plans and regulatory issues like the Housing Affordability Index and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Once the permits were completed, SMG switched over to expedite and coordinate inspections and clearances for the accessibility of disabled persons on behalf of the project. The firm helped its client complete the entire development process, from financing to the inauguration of the Tower, in less than a year.

The project received brand new units with new fixtures, refrigerators, ovens, and more. Most importantly, no one in the building was displaced or had their rents increased during the process.

While providing a complete array of consulting services to enable companies to effortlessly navigate the halls of government, SMG is committed to promoting community projects to improve cities and enhance the lives of residents.