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SR 01-11-2022 13E 13.E January 11, 2022 Council Meeting: January 11, 2022 Santa Monica, California 1 of 1 CITY CLERK’S OFFICE - MEMORANDUM To: Mayor and City Council From: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk, Records & Elections Services Department Date: January 11, 2022 13.E Appointment to one unscheduled vacancy on the Housing Commission for a term ending on 6/30/2022. 13.E Packet Pg. 4128 City of Santa Monica Boards and Commissions Applicants Housing Commission Name Application Date Desmond Borresen 11/30/2021 Rene Jean Buchanan 11/30/2021 Gina DeBaca 12/08/2021 Kate Evarts 11/29/2021 Lydia Garcia 11/30/2021 Edmund Ha 11/30/2021 Ryan Hass 12/06/2021 Michael Jolly 12/06/2021 Mathew Millen 12/04/2021 Tanya White 7/26/2021 Olga Zurawska 1/4/2022 TOTAL APPLICANTS: 11 *Currently serving on the Housing Commission 13.E.b Packet Pg. 4129 Attachment: Applicant List (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:zinajosephs@aol.com Sent:Sunday, January 9, 2022 10:36 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:City Council 1/11/12 item 13-E -- Oppose Rene Buchanan appt to unscheduled vacancy on Housing Commission EXTERNAL  Corrected date for previous email.  From: zinajosephs@aol.com To: councilmtgitems@smgov.net, gleam.davis@smgov.net, kristin.mccowan@smgov.net, sue.himmelrich@smgov.net, christine.parra@smgov.net, lana.negrete@smgov.net, oscar.delatorre@smgov.net, phil.brock@smgov.net, david.white@santamonica.gov Cc: zinajosephs@aol.com Sent: 1/9/2022 8:45:00 AM Pacific Standard Time Subject: City Council 1/22/12 item 13-E -- Oppose Rene Buchanan appt to unscheduled vacancy on Housing Commission  January 9, 2022 To: Mayor Himmelrich and City Council members From: Zina Josephs RE: City Council 1/11/22 agenda item 13-E – Appointment to an unscheduled vacancy on the Housing Commission for a term ending 6/30/22 Agenda: http://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1288 I write to oppose the appointment of Rene Jean Buchanan to this seat on the Housing Commission. Item 13.E 01/11/21 1 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4130 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 2 It's my understanding that because Ms. Buchanan has already been on the Housing Commission for 10 years, it would require 5 votes on the Council to re-appoint her, not just 4 votes. Between 2013 and 2020, Ms. Buchanan seems to have been absent from 24 Housing Commission meetings: January 18, 2013 December 19, 2013 February 20, 2014 April 17, 2014 November 20, 2014 December 18, 2014 January 15, 2015 February 14, 2015 July 16, 2015 November 19, 2015 February 18, 2016 April 2, 2016 August 18, 2016 February 4, 2017 May 18, 2017 June 15, 2017 June 20, 2017 February 15, 2018 May 3, 2018 December 20, 2018 March 21, 2019 Item 13.E 01/11/21 2 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4131 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 3 April 18, 2019 December 19, 2019 January 16, 2020 During the same period, Ms. Buchanan seems to have arrived late to another 18 Commission meetings: September 19, 2013 October 16, 2014 June 18, 2015 August 20, 2015 October 15, 2015 February 11, 2016 November 17, 2016 February 16, 2017 March 30, 2017 December 21, 2017 June 21, 2018 September 20, 2018 October 18, 2018 January 17, 2019 October 3, 2019 October 17, 2019 November 21, 2019 September 19, 2020 Item 13.E 01/11/21 3 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4132 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 4 When there are numerous other applicants for seats on the Housing Commission, it’s not clear to me why the City Council would re-appoint someone who seems to miss numerous meetings and also seems to arrive late to many of the meetings she does attend. Thank you for your consideration. Item 13.E 01/11/21 4 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4133 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:David Morris <dhmdjm4@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, January 9, 2022 4:45 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; David White; Joseph Lawrence; Denise Anderson-Warren Subject:13E - Support Gina DeBaca, OPPOSE Renee Buchanan EXTERNAL    I support Gina DeBaca for the 4‐year seat on the housing Commission.     Ms. DeBaca is a well known and respected advocate within the community. Her ethnic background will bring more  diversity to the Housing Commission. Ms. DeBaca's heritage as a descendant of one of the original Santa Monica families  will be of great value to the Commission.    I oppose the idea of  Renee Buchanan being allowed to remain on the Housing Commission in any capacity due to her  poor performance over the past decade including her poor attendance record and the ongoing violations of the Brown  Act she engages in as Chair. Renee Buchanan repeatedly fails to allow public comments for each agenda item as is  required by California law.    Why is Renee Buchanan on the applicant list for this seat if she clearly marked on her application that she is asking the  Council for permission to remain on the Commission for year 11 and 12 of her tenure in the designated 2‐year seat?    Renee Buchanan would need five votes to remain on the Commission since she has already held a seat on the  Commission for a decade. The requirement for   Pa 2/3 of Council vote to keep Renee Buchanan on the Housing Commission after she has served for a decade applies  regardless of which seat the Council might try to appoint her to.    There are eleven applicants to choose from, why would the Council even consider Renee Buchanan with her poor track  record?    We need serious citizens who bring something of value to the table, and who recognize and respect the privilege of  serving on a city commission. Renee Buchanan is not one of them.     I say this as a community member who has attended many Housing Commission meetings and spoken before the  Commission numerous times.    Sincerely,    David Morris   Item 13.E 01/11/21 5 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4134 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Gina DeBaca <ginadebaca@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, January 9, 2022 6:30 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; David White; Denise Anderson-Warren Subject:Letter of Opposition EXTERNAL    Greetings City council Members,     This letter is to Oppose the appointment of Buchanan on the Housing Commission.    ‐ Buchanan has been on HC for over 10 years, for her to stay on the commission would require FIVE votes regardless  which seat     ‐ Poor attendance record: absent at 24 HC meetings, late to 18.    ‐ Multiple violations of the Brown Act as Chair (not allowing public comments prior to the HC vote on agenda items)    ‐ No support from the community (not a single letter of support, multiple letters opposing her reappointment)    ‐ with 11 other applicants it’s hard to understand why the City Council would entertain the idea of keeping her on for  year 11 and 12 of subpar performance as a commissioner and Chair.        Blessings,  Gina DeBaca    “Dance is the hidden language of the soul”   ― Martha Graham    | Item 13.E 01/11/21 6 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4135 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:emsmail135@gmail.com Sent:Monday, January 10, 2022 2:21 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:13-E Public comment on City Council 11 Jan 2022 meeting agenda item 13-E EXTERNAL    Hello Councilmembers,    I'm writing with two requests regarding your appointment to fill the unscheduled vacancy on the Housing Commission.    First, I categorically oppose the appointment of Rene Buchanan to this vacant seat. She has already   done a poor job on the Housing Commission for 10 years. Her attendance record at Housing Commission meetings is  abysmal—she failed to appear at a staggering 24 meetings and was late to another 18 meetings. I can personally attest  to her violations of the Brown Act as Housing Commission Chair; she has blocked my own attempts to provide public  comments before the Housing Commission votes on agenda items more than once.    Rene Buchanan has no community support for continuing to "serve" on the Housing Commission. However, there have  been several letters from Santa Monica residents opposing her reappointment. Please note that, as Rene Buchanan has  already been on the Housing Commission for over 10 years, her reappointment would require FIVE votes, regardless of  the seat in question.      With 11 other applicants available, I don't understand why the City Council would consider reappointing Rene Buchanan  to a position she has repeatedly failed to perform satisfactorily.      Secondly, I ask that you appoint Gina Debaca to the vacant 4‐year Housing Commission seat. The Housing Commission  has been vocal about needing to diversifying their representation, and Ms. DeBaca is a minority applicant from the  historically underrepresented Pico neighborhood. I support and encourage her appointment to the Housing  Commission.    Thank you for your attention and consideration.    Best wishes,  Michelle Gray  Item 13.E 01/11/21 7 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4136 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:OZ <zurawska@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, January 10, 2022 2:21 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Kristin McCowan; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; David White Subject:item 13E ––>> SUPPORT GINA DEBACA for Housing Commission, 1/11/22 City Council meeting EXTERNAL    Ms. DeBaca possesses a unique and valuable combination of qualifications that the Council would be wise to recognize by appointing her to the Housing Commission. Ms. DeBaca is a descendant of one of the original rancho families of Santa Monica. Ms. DeBaca grew up in the City and has a diverse and impressive track record of involvement in the community, including housing related issues. I first met Ms. DeBaca at a 2017 meeting of the Pico Neighborhood Association where her passionate advocacy for the wellbeing of the community showed through the many questions and concerns she expressed regarding a proposed housing project that was being discussed. Since then I have learned about the various facets of Ms. DeBaca's involvement in the community. They include: - assisting multiple individual residents and families in remaining housed when they were experiencing housing insecurity - participation on the Pico Neighborhood Association Board of Directors and Violence Prevention Committee - advocacy for the Pico Branch Library - advocacy for the name of the park across from the City Hall to recognize the City's history and honor the Tongva The Council should appreciate the fact that over the past 50 years, Ms. DeBaca has resided in three Santa Monica neighborhoods: Sunset Park, Ocean Park, and the historically underrepresented in City government Pico neighborhood where she lived for a quarter of a century, and where she remains Item 13.E 01/11/21 8 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4137 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 2 involved on the Pico Neighborhood Association Board of Directors. Ms. DeBaca's great concern about the housing insecurity that many Santa Monicans grapple with is informed by her and her children's recent lived experience of homelessness, as well as her past participation in the Section 8 program for approximately twenty years. It is crucial to recognize that Ms. DeBaca's application is a welcome response to the Housing Commission's repeatedly expressed desire to increase diversity among its membership both in terms of ethnic background and lived experience pertaining to the Commission's jurisdiction. How many individuals currently participating in the local government are of Native American and Latin heritage, and have a lifelong record of multifaceted community involvement and accomplishments? Particularly considering the Council's stated commitment to diversity and equity, and to appointing experts to city boards and commissions, I do not see how the Council could possibly rationalize not appointing Ms. DeBaca to the Housing Commission. Regards, Olga Zurawska Item 13.E 01/11/21 9 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4138 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:OZ <zurawska@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, January 10, 2022 5:22 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; David White; Joseph Lawrence; Denise Anderson-Warren Subject:13E ––>>OPPOSE RENEE BUCHANAN for 4-year seat on Housing Commission, 1/11/22 Council meeting EXTERNAL    FACT: Any commissioner who has served eight or more years in the 2-year designated seat, and any commissioner who has served eight years in a regular 4-year seat MUST obtain FIVE votes from the Council in order to remain on the commission. Ms. Buchanan, who has already served 10.5 years on the Housing Commission, would need to obtain FIVE votes in order to stay on the Housing Commission, regardless of which seat the Council might consider appointing her to, be it the 2-year designated seat, or the partial term of the 4-year seat vacated by the Mayor’s husband. In order for Ms. Buchanan to remain on the Commission, FIVE Councilmembers would have to give their stamp of approval for the following past conduct by Ms. Buchanan as a Commissioner, and recently as Chair of the Commission (nominated for Chair by the Mayor’s husband):  24 absences from Commission meetings (equivalent of two years of meetings), which should have caused for Ms. Buchanan to be removed from the Commission a long time ago  18 instances of tardiness (thus missing part or the entirety of public input which is heard at the beginning of the meeting  failure to attend the very important joint meeting of the Housing Commission and Social Services Commission on homelessness  a May 20, 2021 statement by Ms. Buchanan during a Commission meeting in response to public comments that “some people just like to complain” or words to that effect (this was reported to City Attorney George Cardona)  since Ms. Buchanan became Chair of the Commission in July 2021: repeated, ongoing violations of California law (The Ralph M. Brown Act) which mandates that public comments be allowed for each agenda item. Such violations by Chair Buchanan sometimes occur multiple times per meeting. A complaint has been filed with Interim City Attorney Joseph Lawrence but it has not been investigated and I am not aware that any action was taken to curb these violations.  lack of support from the community, including members of the unhoused, formerly unhoused and Section 8 community, as evidenced by the many written public comments submitted to the Council which mention Ms. Buchanan’s lack of initiative and negligible input to the Commission's work. Item 13.E 01/11/21 10 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4139 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 2 There are eleven other qualified applicants the Council can choose from to fill the 4-year seat on the Housing Commission, one of whom, Ms. Gina DeBaca enjoys the support of the community, as evidenced by the written comments the Council has received. The democratic process requires that the Council listens to and considers the community’s input in the appointment process. It is my hope that the Council will remember that Ms. Buchanan may not be lawfully appointed to any seat on the Housing Commission without obtaining FIVE votes, and that the appointments are supposed to benefit the community, not special interests. As a resident I particularly count on the Change Slate (Councilmembers Brock, Parra and de la Torre) to ensure the democratic process unfolds without any influence from the power groups in the City, who are interested in reappointing Ms. Buchanan at any price, even unlawfully, to maintain control over the Housing Commission through her as their puppet. Enclosed is Ms. Buchanan’s attendance record. Regards, Olga Zurawska MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  September, 15 2011 Present  October, 20 2011 Present  November, 17 2011 Present  December 20 2011 CANCELLED  MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 19 2012 Present  February, 16 2012 Present  March, 15 2012 Present  April, 19 2012 Present  May 2012 CANCELLED  June, 21 2012 Present  July, 19 2012 CANCELLED  July 26, 2012 Present  August 2012 CANCELLED  September, 20 2012 Present  October, 18  2012 Present  November, 20 2012 Present  December, 20 2012 CANCELLED  MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 17 2013 Present  February, 21 2013 Present  March, 21 2013 Present  April, 18 2013 Present  May, 16 2013 Present  June, 20 2013 Present  July, 18 2013 ABSENT   August, 15 2013 CANCELLED  September, 19 2013 Arrived at 4.48pm  October, 17 2013 Present  Item 13.E 01/11/21 11 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4140 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 3 November, 21 2013 Present  December, 19 2013 ABSENT   MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 16 2014 CANCELLED  February, 20 2014 ABSENT   March, 20 2014 Present  April, 17 2014 ABSENT   May, 15 2014 Present  June, 19 2014 Present  July, 17 2014 Present  August, 21 2014 Left at 7.42pm  September, 18 2014 CANCELLED  October, 16 2014 Arrived at 4.37pm  November, 20 2014 ABSENT   December, 18 2014 ABSENT   MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 15 2015 ABSENT   February, 14 2015 ABSENT   February, 19 2015 Present  March, 19 2015 Present  April, 16 2015 Present  May, 21 2015 Present  June, 18 2015 Arrived at 4.44pm  July, 16 2015 ABSENT   August, 20 2015 Arrived at 4.44pm  September, 17 2015 Present  October, 15 2015 Arrived at 4.35pm  November, 19 2015 ABSENT   December, 17 2015 Present  MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 21 2016 Present  February, 11 2016 Arrived at 4.37pm  February, 18 2016 ABSENT   March, 17 2016 Present  April, 2 2016 ABSENT   April, 21 2016 Present  May, 19 2016 Present  June, 16 2016 Present  July, 21 2016 Present  August, 18 2016 ABSENT   September, 15 2016 Present  October, 20 2016 Present  November, 17 2016 Arrived at 4.41pm  December, 8 2016 Present  MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 19 2017 Arrived at 4.46pm  February, 4 2017 ABSENT   February, 16 2017 Arrived at 4.48pm  March, 30 2017 Arrived at 4.37pm  April, 20 2017 Present  May, 18 2017 ABSENT   June, 15 2017 ABSENT   June, 20 2017 ABSENT   July, 20 2017 Present  August, 17 2017 CANCELLED  September, 21 2017 CANCELLED  Item 13.E 01/11/21 12 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4141 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 4 October, 2 2017 CANCELLED  October, 19 2017 Present  November, 16 2017 Present  December, 21 2017 Arrived at 5.01pm  MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January 2018 NO MINUTES  February, 15 2018 ABSENT   March, 15 2018 Present  April, 19 2018 Present  May, 3 2018 ABSENT   May, 17 2018 Present  June, 21 2018 Arrived at 4.38pm  July, 19 2018 Present  August, 16 2018 Present  September, 20 2018 Arrived at 4.36pm  October, 18 2018 Arrived at 4.35pm  November, 15 2018 Present  December, 20 2018 ABSENT   MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 17 2019 Arrived at 4.36pm  February, 21 2019 Present  March, 21 2019 ABSENT   April, 18 2019 ABSENT   May, 16 2019 Present  June, 20 2019 Present  July, 18 2019 Present  August, 15 2019 Present  September, 19 2019 CANCELLED  October, 3  2019 Arrived at 4.45pm  October, 17 2019 Arrived at 4.37pm  November, 20  2019 Present  November, 21 2019 Arrived at 6.09pm  December, 19 2019 ABSENT   MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 16 2020 ABSENT   February, 20 2020 Present  March, 5  2020 Arrived at 6.21pm  September, 17 (BlueJeans) 2020 Present  MONTH YEAR ATTENDANCE  January, 7 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  January, 21 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  April, 1 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  April, 15 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  May, 20 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  June, 10 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  June, 17 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  July, 15 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  August, 19 (BlueJeans) 2021 CANCELLED  September, 23 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  October, 21 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  November, 18 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  December, 16 (BlueJeans) 2021 Present  Item 13.E 01/11/21 13 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4142 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:PNA90404 <pna90404@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, January 10, 2022 7:00 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; David White; Denise Anderson-Warren Subject:Agenda 13 E EXTERNAL    Dear City Mayor, Mayor pro‐tem,& council.  Please support Gina Debaca's application to the Housing commission seat.  Gina is a genuine upstanding human being and is perfect for the job.  Sincerely Cris McLeod PNA Chair and Santa Monica Resident.  Item 13.E 01/11/21 14 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4143 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Michele Cole <michelecole2@aol.com> Sent:Monday, January 10, 2022 6:45 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:13E Follow Up Flag:Follow up Flag Status:Flagged EXTERNAL    13-E – I OPPOSE Renee Buchanan I SUPPORT Gina Debaca Renee Buchanan needs five votes for this seat. thank you Michele Cole 1930 Stewart St. #A9 Santa Monica, CA 90404 Item 13.E 01/11/21 15 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4144 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Theresa Marasco <theresa.marasco@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, January 10, 2022 11:50 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Kristin McCowan; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; David White Subject:City Council Meeting 1.11.2022 - Agenda Item 13-E Letter of Support for Gina DeBaca for 4-year Housing Commission Seat EXTERNAL    Dear City of Santa Monica City Council Members: I am writing to you in support of Gina Debaca to be appointed to the regular four-year seat on the Housing Commission. Ms. DeBaca has a long generational history in the City of Santa Monica going back to when the city was being built. As stated in Ms. DeBaca's application, she has lived in the City of Santa Monica for 50 years and is a member of one of The Original Rancho Families of Santa Monica. Her family history and 50-year residency alone speak for itself as to Ms. DeBaca's understanding and knowledge of the history of Santa Monica along with her deep commitment to the heart and soul of this community. Ms. DeBaca grew up in the Pico Neighborhood, is a SamoHi graduate, and is the founder and director of Santa Monica Folklorico Cultural Center. Ms. DeBaca has shown her commitment to the residents of the City of Santa Monica, and has been actively involved in serving on numerous boards, commissions, and community activities such as being a Board Member of the Pico Neighborhood Association for 20 years; served on the PTA Board Member of Edison Elementary School, served as the Chair for the Violence Prevention Committee, was instrumental in ensuring that the City of Santa Monica rightfully named Tongva Park, and fought alongside Maria Loya and others for the Pico Branch Library. Ms. DeBaca grew up in the Pico neighborhood which has historically been the neighborhood with the highest number of very low, and low-income households who have been unrepresented/underrepresented. While Ms. DeBaca would represent all residents while serving on the Housing Commission, she would be an asset in knowing and understanding the unique issues that the residents of the Pico Neighborhood face with regard to housing. The Pico Neighborhood residents would benefit greatly from Ms. DeBaca’s direct representation of the issues that the community faces. Most importantly, Ms. DeBaca has taken real action on behalf of people who have experienced housing insecurity and intervened when residents were being unlawfully ejected from their homes, and helped them to remain stably housed. Ms. DeBaca's efforts in prevention are beyond commendable as there are non-profits, government offices, and other agencies whose sole job is to ensure that residents stay housed but fail to do so. Item 13.E 01/11/21 16 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4145 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 2 If appointed, Ms. DeBaca would be able to accurately report on issues regarding tenant harassment, which is a serious problem in Santa Monica that has led to a significant number of unlawful tenant displacements over the years. At one time, Ms. DeBaca was a Section 8 voucher participant and knows the issues that low income tenants face. Ms. DeBaca and I became acquainted through activism regarding tenant harassment that has been leading to homelessness. As I got to know her, I learned that Ms. DeBaca has lived experience with homelessness, As a result of her experience, Ms. DeBaca has been actively committed to working on homelessness prevention measures that work and should be a number one priority for the Housing Commission. Ms. DeBaca's experience with helping residents stay housed is proof that she would be instrumental in helping to create policies to address displacement prevention. In summary, I am confident that Ms. DeBaca understands the unique circumstances and nuances of the residents who are facing housing insecurity, including the people who are currently homeless in Santa Monica who have been waiting to be housed/rehoused. Please appoint Gena DeBaca to the Housing Commission four-year seat. Thank you. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.  Very truly yours,    Theresa H. Marasco  (720) 226-4051  Powered by  cloudHQ      Item 13.E 01/11/21 17 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4146 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Mary Cornejo <gold.mary.cornejo@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, January 11, 2022 1:52 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Mary Cornejo; Gina Baca; Gina Baca; Gina Debaca Subject:Housing Commission Seat for Gina de Baca 2022 EXTERNAL    To whom this may concern,  I Mary Cornejo support and approve Gina de Baca for the Housing Commission position.    Ms. Baca has been long standing community leader in our community. Ms. Baca has always participated in community  events. Ms. Baca is a dance instructor for the Santa Monica Community. As well as an advocate for the Pico  Neighborhood Association.     I do hope you all will consider voting on Ms. Baca onto the Housing Commission.    Best regards,  Mary Cornejo  Pico Neighborhood Association Board Member  Item 13.E 01/11/21 18 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4147 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins)) | From:Gina DeBaca To:councilmtgitems; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis;David White; Denise Anderson-Warren; Sue Himmelrich Subject:Housing Commission Date:Tuesday, January 11, 2022 3:36:50 PM EXTERNAL Greetings Council, As a Lifetime community Member I would like to be considered for the 4 year seat on the Housing Commission. My Engagement and experience with our Local government has been throughout My life. Myexperience with housing and housing departments and organizations in Santa Monica makes me an Experienced candidate. 1. I have served and chaired on several Boards, Commissions and Organizations.2. My Family and I experienced homelessness 3. I had the opportunity of having a section 8 voucher4. A descendant of the Original people of Santa Monica I appreciate your consideration. Blessings,Gina DeBaca 310-266-2810 “Dance is the hidden language of the soul” ― Martha Graham Item 13.E 01/11/21 19 of 19 Item 13.E 01/11/21 13.E.c Packet Pg. 4148 Attachment: Written Comments (4846 : Housing Appointment (5 mins))