SR 12-15-2020 13J 13.J
December 15, 2020
Council Meeting: December 15, 2020 Santa Monica, California
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CITY CLERK’S OFFICE - MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk, Records & Elections Services
Department
Date: December 15, 2020
13.J Request of Councilmembers Parra & Brock that staff return with a report
outlining the City departments and their respective divisions that have a
role in providing outreach and services to homeless community; any
information on bi-annual and annual reporting of metrics from non-profit
homeless service providers that the City supports through bonds, grant
agreements, etc; and as Municipal code section 2.69.020 requires that once
every twelve months, City Council conducts an annual review of funding
for homeless services, Councilmembers Parra & Brock are requesting to
see a copy of the last 3 years of reports.
13.J
Packet Pg. 1066
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Vernice Hankins
From:oz <zurawska@yahoo.com>
Sent:Tuesday, December 15, 2020 2:00 PM
To:councilmtgitems; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan
Subject:public comment 13-J, 12:15/20 City Council meeting
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am interested in seeing detailed evidence of how Human Services staff has been fulfilling the part of the grant
agreement between the City and the homeless service provider OPCC dba The People Concern which states
that the City will monitor and evaluate the performance of the contractor. Please see the enclosed pertinent
part of the grant agreement:
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Packet Pg. 1067 Attachment: Written Comments (4388 : Homeless Services)
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When attempting to evaluate the efficacy of the City’s homeless services I urge you to consider the input from
the clients, especially past clients who are less likely to be intimidated by the service provider into producing
false testimonies about the quality of the services they have been receiving.
In the past four and a half years (possibly longer), the City has stubbornly ignored the alarming reports from
the homeless clients. Those reports included reports of negligence, retaliation for speaking out, lack of housing
case management, civil rights violations, abuse and unsanitary conditions. Early last year it was reported that
Samoshel staff warned the homeless clients NOT TO GIVE NEGATIVE PUBLIC FEEDBACK regarding the
homeless service provider, OPCC dba The People Concern.
Last year the City Council directed staff to create a grievance procedure for the participants of all the social
service programs in the City. Where is this procedure? During a June 2019 City Council meeting then Housing
Manager Barbara Collins stated that the procedure was about six weeks away from being ready. Is it ready?
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Packet Pg. 1068 Attachment: Written Comments (4388 : Homeless Services)
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Without hearing the honest feedback of the clients (who must be assured that they will not face retaliation by
the provider), the City will not have a full picture of the quality of the homeless services that Santa Monicans
are funding.
I would also like to know why it is that eighteen months after the City allotted $690K to OPCC dba The People
Concern for the renovation of Samoshel, the provider has not completed or even started the project. For the
past seven or so months Samoshel has been almost empty due to COVID, and construction has been allowed
in the City. So why has the work not been done?
Should Santa Monica continue to trust OPCC dba The People Concern to operate Samoshel? I think it is time
for a more competent provider for the only shelter on City-owned land.
Regards,
Olga Zurawska
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Packet Pg. 1069 Attachment: Written Comments (4388 : Homeless Services)
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Vernice Hankins
From:Antonina Romano <antonina@lifewellmade.com>
Sent:Tuesday, December 15, 2020 2:00 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:J-13 HOMELESS SERVICES
EXTERNAL
Request of Councilmembers Parra & Brock that staff return with a report outlining the City departments
and their respective divisions that have a role in providing outreach and services to homeless community;
any information on bi-annual and annual reporting of metrics from non-profit homeless service providers
that the City supports through bonds, grant agreements, etc; and as Municipal code section 2.69.020
requires that once every twelve months, City Council conducts an annual review of funding for homeless
services, Councilmembers Parra & Brock are requesting to see a copy of the last 3 years of reports.
The Nonprofits serving the homeless reporting & outline their Department and roles is not enough.
1.Job responsibilities of those roles must be clearly communicated including salary for each role as this is a very
valuable piece of information to understand what each role is essentially responsible for within homeless service. Most
of the money is going to salaries, not actually serving the community with funding, solutions as housing and mental
health services.
2.Metrics and effectiveness of roles must be reported QUARTERLY as actual stats to demonstrate their effectiveness in
THE WORK THEY ARE DOING DAY TO DAY. If not delete the role, and use $40‐50 ‐ $100k+ on SOLUTION BASED SERVICES,
and put the money to where it IS WORKING.
*I have 4 case managers quit every year on me over my 3.5 years of my time homeless in Santa Monica. Every single one
of these case managers quit, after telling me "my housing application was submitted" only to find out MY APPLICATIONS
NEVER WERE SUBMITTED YEAR AFTER YEAR and they were telling me "they were submitted, there's nothing they or I
can do, and that I'd have to be patient and wait to hear back". This was told to many clients who were desperating
waiting on this to be their saving grace trusting this negligent organization with their lives unaware of what's actually
happening. Every time I would follow up with a case manager there was no timeline, no transparent process, no updates
and zero accountability.
The housing applications go into the abyss or what The People Concern likes to call literally, and I quote, "lost
in the cracks" never leaving the People Concern facility or getting to the Housing Authority where the housing
is determined - including vouchers.
I was finally matched with a voucher once I got pregnant THIS JANUARY 2020 and matched MARCH 2020 by the
Director of Inreach (who also quit). She then paired me a housing case manager within The People Concern who
submitted my application 3 DIFFERENT TIMES ‐ requesting the same information all 3 times, because now time had
gone by...because they never actually got it to housing authority, which is what delayed the process.
By the time it actually was submitted it was August 2020 and I was a month away from giving birth. At this time, I was
now on CalWorks being, and could afford to rent a room WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR MY VOUCHER to go through in
September and was told it would definitely be available before my baby was due (sept 2020), after being on the
streets for 3 years. I was not going to be pregnant and be on the streets, i was going to do what i could to make sure
of that.
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Packet Pg. 1070 Attachment: Written Comments (4388 : Homeless Services)
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At this time, Nakisha, my housing case manager, Laura her boss, Charlemagne her boss, and Megan her boss had been
involved, all who ghosted me, manipulated me, and NEVER TO THIS DAY HAVE I RECEIVED AN UPDATE. I
called a few weeks ago to get my mail after giving up on them ever getting their services together -- i realized
this is a negligent organization in it to exploit the homeless, city, and county for financial gain -- and Nakisha
my housing case manager told me because i rented a room i wasnt technically homeless?!!
I finally spoke to Christine Bear the boss of the housing department 2 DAYS AGO regarding negligence of my
voucher and no updates and every one dropping the ball, and the shit show with my mail. Christine told me she
apologized for my experience (which is in no way acceptable) and if I wanted to keep trying OR transfer
services, quote"As for transferring services to an alternative agency, I've put in a request to our funder, DHS,
and they will place you with an agency as soon as an opening becomes available." I would send a screenshot
of email but there's a confidentiality notice ??
Keep trying???? I am mentally and emotionally exhausted from the neglect and abuse WHILE ALL THESE
PEOPLE GET PAID TO DO THIS JOB AND ARE NOT DOING IT!!!!!! This is complete insanity. My daughter is
now 3 months old. I had to fly across the country to be with my mom because it was the best scenario
temporarily and i am more confident in getting back to my business after mental breakdown, generating my
own income and getting an apartment on my own without the abuse, manipulation from case managers and
ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY WITH A SINGLE TEAM MEMBER OF THE PEOPLE CONCERN.
I called to get my mail ‐‐ including my daughter's insurance. They couldn't find my mail, and eventually it got to Nakisha
after I contacted Stuart, Director of Client relations. Just to get your mail at the facility is a nightmare for so many clients.
3. Client progress reports are non-negotiable! This is a MUST to hold the case managers of each of the clients
accountable for the work they are doing with each client and the status of. This will help better determine how
many clients at any given time The People Concern is serving and the clients should sign off on the progress
report themselves as each case manager should sit down monthly to validate and have awareness to.
If you were to really listen to the clients of the People Concern you would be mortified! AND you can simply ask Stuart
Robinson Director of Client Services (previously Director of Client Intervention a title ironically change considering the
most intervention is needed for The People Concern
THE PEOPLE CONCERN NEEDS TO BE FIRED. NOW!!!!
ANTONINA R.B. CPC, ELI-MP
Certified Professional Coach
Conscious Living, Leadership & Business
Founder of Life Well Made, LLC
"Wellness for You, Wellness for the World."
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Packet Pg. 1071 Attachment: Written Comments (4388 : Homeless Services)