SR 05-09-2023 11A
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 9, 2023
Agenda Item: 11.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Danielle Noble, Acting Director, Community Services Department, Housing
and Human Services
Subject: Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section
15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Review and comment on the 2023 Annual Interdepartmental Homelessness
Report and provide staff with guidance on implementing next steps.
3. Extend the Proclamation of Local Emergency on Homelessness through May
31, 2024, unless repealed or extended by Council, due to the ongoing crisis of
homelessness as evidenced by the 2023 increase in the Point-In-Time Count.
4. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with the
County of Los Angeles for operation of the City + County + Community (C3)
Homeless Outreach Teams. This award is made as an exception to the
competitive bidding process pursuant to Sections 2.24.250 (i) and 2.24.240 (a)
of the Santa Monica Municipal Code (“SMMC”) and is for a term of four years at
a total amount not-to-exceed $5,040,000, with future year funding contingent
on Council budget approval.
5. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with The
People Concern for operation of the Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Team
(HMST). This award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding
process pursuant to SMMC Sections 2.24.250 (i) and 2.24.240 (a) and is for a
term of four years at a total amount not to exceed $2,400,000, with future year
funding contingent on Council budget approval.
6. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with
Exodus Recovery for the Services, Treatment & Empowerment Program
(STEP). This award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding process
pursuant to SMMC Sections 2.24.250 (i) and 2.24.240 (a) and is for a term of 4
years at a total amount not-to-exceed $400,000, with future year funding
contingent on Council budget approval.
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7. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a first modification to
agreement #11265 (CCS) in the amount of $2,100,000 with Legal Aid
Foundation of Los Angeles for the Eviction Prevention and Right to Counsel
programs. This proposed modification would also extend the term through June
30, 2027, resulting in a five-year amended agreement with a new total amount
not-to-exceed $2,300,000, with future year funding contingent upon Council
budget approval.
8. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a first modification to
agreement #10705 (CCS) in the amount not to exceed $200,000 with Dorothy
Berndt, a California-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker, to connect at-risk
voucher program tenants with local support services to maintain housing stability.
This proposed modification would extend the term through June 30, 2025,
resulting in a seven-year amended agreement with a new total amount not-to-
exceed $465,000, with future year funding contingent upon Council budget
approval.
9. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget
Actions section of this report.
Introduction
Rooted in best practice, Santa Monica has a comprehensive, coordinated, and
interdisciplinary approach to addressing homelessness, one that includes non-profits,
the County, the State, and several City departments working together to address the
impacts of homelessness on the community and support individuals experiencing
homelessness. These partners form the local Homeless Service System. The local
Homeless Service System works together to assess, provide services to, and house
people experiencing homelessness as well as enforce all local laws to keep
neighborhoods clean and safe.
Within the City, staff have developed an inter-departmental team that works together
to address homelessness and its impact on the broader community of people who
live, play, and/or work in Santa Monica. This inter-departmental team uses Santa
Monica’s established Four Pillar approach for preventing and addressing
homelessness adopted by the City Council in March 2019 (Attachment B) to guide
their work.
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At its March 11, 2023 workshop, Council affirmed Preventing Homelessness as a
priority (Attachment J), adopting a priority statement of:
Prevent housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increase
the supply of affordable housing; address the behavioral health needs of
vulnerable individuals; and advocate for regional capacity to address
homelessness.
In addressing this long-standing priority, Santa Monica is making substantial and
meaningful investments to address and prevent homelessness via interdepartmental
collaboration, regional coordination, and voter approved tax measures CS and GS.
The City funds local solutions with existing resources and by leveraging new funds via
Measure CS and Measure GS; prioritizing People Experiencing Homelessness who
have a connection to the City and assisting those who do not with referrals to regional
programs or reconnections to support systems; and supporting regional solutions
through work with Los Angeles City and County partners.
However, there are significant impacts that occur by virtue of Santa Monica’s location
in a state and a county with the largest numbers of people experiencing
homelessness in the nation. This complex environment of service providers,
investments, and pressures on the service system provides the backdrop for this
annual update on homelessness and our 2023 Homeless Point -in-Time Count results.
Acknowledging the urgent need to address the mounting impacts from homelessness
and serve those experiencing homelessness, the Council adopted a Proclamation
Declaring a Local Emergency Order on Homelessness on February 14, 2023
(Attachment I). Staff recommends extending the local emergency through May
31, 2024, unless repealed or extended by Council (Attachment R), and
approving needed investments to address homelessness given the 2023 Point-
in-Time Count results to enable staff to maintain and scale up proven
interventions to address homelessness.
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Review of the City’s Four Pillar Approach
While homelessness is a complex regional issue that cannot be solved by any single
community, Santa Monica has an extensive five-decade history of deep investments in
a local safety net, affordable housing, and coordinated efforts to prevent and address
homelessness. The experience and expertise gained through this decades of
work culminated in the Council approving the City’s Four Pillar Approach to
Addressing Homeless in 2019. This approach focuses on:
• Preventing housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increasing
affordable housing opportunities;
• Addressing the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents;
• Maintaining equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open space s; and
• Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness.
Previous staff reports have chronicled key, interdepartmental initiatives, and proposed
strategic investments as resources become available, and sought Council’s support
for a comprehensive audit of the local homelessness system by Moss Adams, the
City’s internal auditor.
Between April and October 2022, Moss Adams, the City’s internal auditor, conducted
a comprehensive study of the City’s homelessness response and prevention efforts
(Attachment K), including the City’s four pillar approach, focusing on three primary
areas:
• the City’s planning, reporting, and communication environment;
• the federal, state, and local service ecosystem; and
• City-led interventions and resource utilization.
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The goal of this study was to gain a holistic understanding of the City’s response to
people experiencing homelessness in the city and to provide recommendations to the
City to optimize its efforts to address homelessness. The study, which was presented
to the Audit Subcommittee on November 28, 2022 (Attachment G) , prioritized
investing in the areas of Affordable Housing, Regional Collaboration, and Internal
Alignment. Specifically, Moss Adams named adequate levels of affordable housing
and permanent supportive housing as the most critical components to homelessness
prevention and resolution.
Homelessness is fundamentally a housing problem. Affordable housing prevents
people at-risk of homelessness from falling into homelessness as well as ends an
experience of homelessness. Emerging research names the most relevant
contributing factors to homelessness as rent prices and vacancy rates. As housing
becomes more expensive and scarcer, more people become homeless, especially in
coastal cities like Los Angeles which have failed to develop the housing necessary to
support the local economy.
Measure GS will infuse new revenues into the City’s Housing Trust Fund to
create new deed-restricted affordable housing and expand homelessness
prevention programs. It will take significant investment, will, and time to create the
stock of affordable and permanent supportive housing necessary to house people who
are currently homeless or at-risk of homelessness and the programs to prevent others
from becoming so.
Building on the Moss Adams findings, staff have already taken the initial steps
to establish a Homeless Strategic Plan. Grounded upon the City’s Four Pillar
approach, the Homeless Strategic Plan will set clear policy direction, promote
alignment, support regional efforts, and focus on measurable objectives. Additionally,
an organizational realignment has been proposed to support this priority.
A new Housing and Human Services Department will become the organization
point for homelessness services and programs, enabling the City to more
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rapidly achieve Measure CS, GS, and Audit objectives, and provide core focus
and leadership on administering a comprehensive array of housing,
educational, and social services programs in addition to investments to support
vulnerable populations. Staff anticipate that additional capacity in the form of staff
positions and expert resources will need to be added to the Housing and Human
Services Department to support full implementation of Measure GS-funded activities.
Future capacity building proposals will be included in the Measure GS implementation
plan.
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The Regional Context
To better understand the work to address homelessness and the Point in Time results
in context, it is important to look at the national, state, and regional d ata. According to
the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 2022
Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) (Attachment L), there were
582,462 people experiencing homelessness in the United States. There were 171,521
people experiencing homelessness in California which accounts for 29.45% of the
overall homeless population in the US. Of the 171,521 people experiencing
homelessness in California, there were 115,491 (67.3%) who were unsheltered and
56,030 (32.7%) who were sheltered. California has the highest rate of people
experiencing homelessness who were unsheltered in the nation. Between 2020 and
2022, California had the largest increase in overall homelessness in the nation with an
increase of 9,973 or 6.2%.
Within California there are 44 Continuums of Care (CoCs). A CoC is a local planning
body responsible for coordinating the full range of homelessness services in a
geographic area. The CoCs help fund and coordinate the work of the broader local
Homeless Service System.
In 2022, the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (CoC) had the largest number of people
experiencing homelessness in the nation at 65,111(Attachment L). To help
communities respond to this high volume of people experiencing homelessness, Los
Angeles County’s CoC is divided into eight Service Planning Areas (SPAs). Santa
Monica is in SPA 5, which includes the cities of Beverly Hills, Culver City and Malibu
and the westside region of the City of Los Angeles, including LA City Council District
11 (CD 11). Santa Monica is geographically surrounded by LA City, specifically City
Council District 11, and is consequently impacted by the fluctuations in and services to
the homeless population there. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services
Authority (LAHSA) 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Data (Attachment M),
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CD 11 includes 43.7% of all people experiencing homelessness in SPA 5, and only
27.7% of those who are sheltered.
District Unsheltered Sheltered Total
SPA 5 3,493 (76%) 1,111 (24%) 4,604
LA CD 11 1,704 (85%) 308 (15%) 2,012
Prioritizing Limited Resources
Santa Monica’s coordinated interdepartmental efforts have historically relied on close
collaboration with an emphasis on prioritizing resources for the most vulnerable
and chronically homeless individuals and judiciously enforcing applicable laws to
promote public health and safety, while acknowledging that City resources alone are
insufficient.
Since people experiencing homelessness can often move between jurisdictions and
the level of services provided vary widely from city to city, Santa Monica prioritizes
people experiencing homelessness who have a history of living or working in Santa
Monica, rather than “passing through” or “recently arrived to” Santa Monica, through
the Santa Monia Priority Population (SMPP) criteria. This approach is especially
important because the City is the “end of the line” for many bus, train, and vehicle
routes, making it a highly accessible destination.
Santa Monica cannot house everyone who is homeless and comes to Santa Monica
nor is that the goal of the local homeless service system. For individuals recently
arriving in Santa Monica who do not meet local or regional criteria for priority in
housing, Santa Monica created the Project Homecoming program in 2006 which offers
one-time assistance to reunite participants with friends or family who agree to provide
permanent housing and necessary supports in their communities of origin. People
experiencing homelessness may come here for a temporary or permanent stay and
then realize that it is more difficult to survive here due to accessibility and affordability
issues. Accordingly, if offered the opportunity to return to their support system for free,
many people may accept, which is why the City is committed to maintaining Project
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Homecoming as an option which successfully reconnected 88 people experiencing
homelessness to their support system in fiscal year 2022.
As stated in previous reports but important to reiterate here, in 2008 the City made the
deliberate shift away from a “first-come, first-served” model to one that strategically
prioritizes finite local resources for a clearly identified target population referred to as
SMPP which includes:
• Homeless individual/family whose last permanent or regular address was in
Santa Monica, and when he/she left that residence, they stayed within
Santa Monica.
• Homeless individual/family that has been staying/living in Santa Monica for
five or more years.
• Homeless individual/family has been referred by City staff as a high user of
City resources and services.
• Homeless individual/family members who worked full-time within the City of
Santa Monica for a minimum of six consecutive months.
• Homeless individual who, within the past year, has been fired or laid off
from business in Santa Monica after having worked there for at least 6
months.
• Homeless individual on the Santa Monica Service Registry.
Regarding the last criteria referenced above, the Service Registry is a by-name list of
Santa Monica’s most vulnerable chronically homeless individuals who have been in
Santa Monica for many years and have scored the highest on the standardized
Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT),
which is used throughout the county. Individuals with the highest VI -SPDAT acuity
scores are those presenting with the most urgent needs – including advanced age, co-
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occurring medical, mental health, and substance use disorders, and frequent
interactions with emergency services – and who are thus the most likely to die on the
streets without assistance.
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The Local Homeless Service System
The local Homeless Service System within the Los Angeles Homeless Services
Authority’s (LAHSA) Continuum of Care area is one over which the City has some, but
not total, influence and must abide by regional, state, and federal partnerships and
regulations. Within this system, different partners play an important role as it can take
multiple attempts to outreach, engage, and assess those experiencing homelessness.
This process is often lengthy, sometimes taking months.
Preventing someone from becoming homeless is much less expensive and resource
intensive than housing someone once homeless, which is why the City has invested in
and leveraged county, state, and federal resources to support people housed in Santa
Monica from becoming homeless, described in detail in other sections of this report.
Field-Based Interventions
Outreach Teams are both proactive, by fanning out across the City to identify or
follow-up with homeless individuals living on the streets, in makeshift shelters, tents,
and vehicles, and reactive by responding to the requests that come in through the Los
Angeles Homeless Outreach Portal (LA-HOP) or as of earlier this year, the City’s own
3-1-1 system through which anyone can request service for people experiencing
homelessness.
There are two configurations of teams. Some teams are staffed by generalist outreach
workers who respond to the basic needs of people experiencing homelessness
including distributing food, water, and flyers about local resources. Others are Multi-
Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) staffed by people like licensed medical and mental health
providers, housing case managers, substance abuse specialists, and peers with lived
experience, who can meet both basic and intensive needs of people experiencing
homelessness, bringing care and services directly to people where they are. The
process described below is in reference to the work primarily done by the MDTs. All
teams collaborate and coordinate with the Santa Monica Fire Department Community
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Response Unit (SMFD CRU) and Santa Monica Police Department Homeless Liaison
Program (HLP) to confirm where people are experiencing homelessness in the City
and who is the most vulnerable.
Engagement + Assessment
Once a team contacts the people experiencing homelessness, they can assess if they
are already entered into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and,
if so, if they are currently connected to a service provider. If the people experiencing
homelessness is not in HMIS, the outreach team can create a new “profile” and
complete a basic intake.
In order to identify the services for which the people experiencing homelessness are
eligible, a homeless service provider team will assess for vulnerability through the VI-
SPDAT which calculates a score between 0-17 with a 17 being the most vulnerable.
The City utilizes the VI-SPDAT, amongst other factors like the length of homelessness
in the City, to prioritize people experiencing homelessness for limited City funded
resources like interim and permanent housing.
Stabilization > Verification > Applications
Once a team completes an assessment, they can address an individual’s behavioral
and medical health needs, if necessary, to stabilize them. During this time, they ca n
also assess for programs that the City has to reconnect people experiencing
homelessness who are recent arrivals and/or not connected to Santa Monica (i.e., did
not become homeless in Santa Monica or have not been homeless in Santa Monica
for a long period of time) to their support system (i.e., family and/or friends) in another
city, county, state or (sometimes) country. This reconnection is made through Project
Homecoming, a City-funded program which provides transportation for people
experiencing homelessness to return to their support system after confirming that the
support system exists and is willing to accept them.
If the people experiencing homelessness is willing to go into Interim Housing or IH
(which includes emergency and transitional housing ), a team will assess for bed
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availability and eligibility. City funded IH beds are limited in Santa Monica and
consequently are prioritized for SMPP. It is important to note that people experiencing
homelessness can receive assistance with applying for and securing Permanent
Housing while living on the street and without going into IH which is referred to as the
“Housing First” model. Once in IH, the people experiencing homelessness will be
assigned a Case Manager who will assist with developing a permanen t housing plan
and getting “document ready”. If the people experiencing homelessness are ultimately
able to live without ongoing behavioral and financial support and “only” needs
assistance with locating affordable housing, then the documentation requireme nts are
less substantial. However, if the people experiencing homelessness needs housing
with a subsidy and supportive services like ongoing case management (i.e.,
Permanent Supportive Housing ), then more documentation is required. In addition to
Interim and Permanent Housing, there are other housing options like licensed Board
and Care facilities, where people receive 24/7 supervision and can live temporarily or
permanently. However, there is a significant lack of affordable permanent supportive
housing, and special needs housing options throughout Los Angeles County. Without
sufficient affordable housing stock, more people become homeless every day than are
re-housed. Increasing the supply of housing locally and regionally is key to preventing
and ending homelessness.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is the preferred option for the most vulnerable
as it includes on site supportive services (i.e., case management). Acquiring PSH
means providing verification of citizenship, disability, homelessness, identity, and
income, which can take time to secure. Once secured, the people experiencing
homelessness can submit a housing application for various voucher programs, all of
which are described in detail in other sections of this report. Applying for, identifying,
and securing PSH can take time and relies on the availability of documentation and
appropriate resources.
Enforcing the Law
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Addressing the impacts of homelessness requires a deeply coordinated approach that
balances effective engagement with enforcement of applicable laws for the purpose of
public health and safety.
Santa Monica Police Department’s (SMPD) Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team is
the department’s dedicated unit tasked with primarily working with people
experiencing homelessness. The HLP Team is currently staffed with one Police
Sergeant and nine Police Officers and supported with one full-time, dedicated,
Clinician from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH). The HLP
Team works to locate, identify, and provide outreach to people experiencing
homelessness in consultation and concert with social service providers, and when
necessary, conduct enforcement to ensure compliance with applicable municipal and
state codes. As an example of the HLP Team’s ongoing work with social service
providers, Police Officers regularly work side by side with personnel from the
Salvation Army and The People Concern to address and at times facilitate care and
services for people experiencing homelessness. The HLP Team has seen
tremendous benefit in the relationships formed with staff at the Salvation Army given
their access to beds and services. When applicable, the Salvation Army is able to
immediately place and transfer people experiencing homelessness into transitional
housing and/or substance abuse treatment programs directly from the point of contact
in the field.
Data
Analysis of crime statistics indicate that approximately 19% (or 19,946) of calls for
service in calendar year 2022 were related to people experiencing homelessness.
During this same calendar year, the SMPD responded to over 1,800 calls for service
related to encampments and nearly 700 calls for service related to homeless persons
experiencing a mental health crisis. It is important to note here that, while the HUD
definition of an encampment is tent cities, homeless settlements, and homeless
camps, the HLP Team uses the term encampment to refer to someone in a tent or
makeshift shelter. Lastly, data shows that 67% (in excess of 1,600) of the people
arrested were people experiencing homelessness in calendar year 2022. The City
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modified its municipal code (Section 4.08.097) in the summer/fall of 2022 to expand
the prohibition against stilling or laying in doorways at night to include major
boulevards outside of the downtown area such as Broadway, Colorado, Lincoln, Pico,
Santa Monica, and Wilshire. This change affords staff with tools to address quality of
life concerns.
Prosecution
Enforcement and prosecution are tools the City can use to address people
experiencing homelessness who are involved in criminal activity, but there are
limitations and legal constraints that are beyond the City’s control. One of SMPD’s
main responsibilities is public safety which involves responding to possible criminal
activity. In order to contact someone, the 4th Amendment requires the Officers to have
a reasonable belief that criminal activity is taking place; or a medical emergency is
occurring; or there is a consensual encounter; or there is the immediate need to check
on someone’s welfare. If no criminal activity has occurred, the person has the right to
walk away or refuse the Officers’ offers of assistance. The Constitution prohibits
Officers from removing a person without sufficient justification either because of
criminal activity or for medical reasons.
In addition, recent 9th Circuit Court decisions have clarified enforcement of some
quality-of-life crimes that are listed in the Santa Monica Municipal Code. The Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in the case of Johnson v. City of Grants
Pass on September 28, 2022. The Court expanded on its previous holding in Martin v.
Boise, which decriminalized the act of sleeping on public property when no shelter
option was available. Grants Pass goes a step further and prohibits the criminalization
of sleeping with basic rudimentary elements such as blankets, pillows, sleeping bags,
cardboard boxes, and other protections against the weather on public property, unless
there is shelter space available. The Court held the government cannot criminalize
activity that is unavoidable, such as sleeping, as it would be a violation of the Eighth
Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. To comply with this new
ruling, the City Attorney’s Office (CAO) drafted changes to the Camping Ord inance in
November 2022 which Council passed (Attachment N). These changes in case law
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directly affect SMPD’s ability to do enforcement in the City’s public spaces. For
example, someone in the park with only a blanket or sleeping bag during the day is
not a violation of the law.
Another limitation beyond the City’s control is the amount of time a sentenced
individual actually spends incarcerated in Los Angeles County Jail. Under the
California Government Code, the Sheriff’s Department has the sole authority over the
care and control of individuals sentenced to custody time. Given the limited space in
both the men’s and women’s facilities in Los Angeles County, the Sheriff’s Department
makes the ultimate decision how much of a jail sentence someone actu ally serves.
For example, even if a Deputy City Attorney asks the court for a 120 day jail sentence
and the court imposes 120 days in jail, the Sheriff’s Department can unilaterally
release that person in as little as 12 hours. Neither the Deputy City Attorney nor the
court have any recourse when this happens. Similarly, when a bail amount is set
below $50,000, defendants awaiting their next court date are often released from
custody by the Sheriff’s Department without having to post any bail at all. The Sh eriff’s
Department also cites limited space in the jails for this practice. These pre -trial
releases put individuals facing criminal charges back on the streets with nothing
incentivizing them to return to court.
Diversion
Even with these limitations, the CAO’s Criminal Prosecution Unit is working tirelessly
to produce solutions that help address the issues facing people experiencing
homelessness. For the last year, in coordination with Los Angeles County and SMPD,
the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) Program has been running out of the Santa
Monica Jail. This County funded program places a navigator in the Jail 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week to offer immediate housing and treatment to those with qualifying
arrests. If an individual agrees to participate and completes the 90-day program, their
cases are not filed in criminal court. Since the inception of the program, there have
been 21 graduations with 3 more expected in the next month. Of the 21 that have
graduated, none have been re-arrested in the City. ATI has also been able to reunite 4
individuals with family members out of state. This program is a major benefit to the
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City, in that it is currently the only program running where a person experiencing
mental health issues, substance abuse, and/or homelessness can be placed in a
temporary shelter at any time, day or night.
The Criminal Prosecution Unit was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the
Association of Prosecuting Attorneys to help combat the recent increase in retail theft
in the Downtown area. One of the goals of this program is to understand the
underlying causes of retail theft and help to meet those basic needs so that individuals
are not left with theft as the only option. Despite the challenges presented, the
Criminal Prosecution Unit is continuing to address the needs of the unhoused
population by developing programs that will focus on the underlying causes of criminal
conduct and provide appropriate assistance to help prevent future criminal behavior.
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Roadmap to Permanent Housing
As noted in the Moss Adams report, adequate levels of affordable housing and
permanent supportive housing are the most critical components to
homelessness prevention and resolution. Without sufficient affordable housing, the
system is gridlocked. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority,
approximately 207 people a day are rehoused at the same time as 227 become
homeless. There are more people who need housing than there is available housing.
This imbalance is not just a City problem; it is a regional problem and makes moving
the needle on homelessness difficult.
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For several decades, the City has implemented policies and programs to preserve
and produce affordable housing and permanent supportive housing. Affordable
housing is a mandatory component of the development of market-rate developments,
multiple tax measures have been passed to improve and maintain affordable housing,
prevent residents from displacement, and reduce homelessness. Public dollars have
been used to acquire, rehabilitate, and construct deed-restricted housing. This has
resulted in a large and diverse supply of low- and moderate-income housing, including
permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. Santa Monica
also provides rental assistance to households earning a range of incomes, from very
low to moderate. Opportunities include Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, HOME
Vouchers, Emergency Housing Vouchers, Continuum of Care Vouchers, and the
Preserving Our Diversity cash-based assistance program.
The Adopted 2021-2029 Housing Element represents the City’s longstanding
commitment to affordable housing, tenant protection, housing and services for special
needs groups, homeless services, sustainable development, and fair housing. The City
of Santa Monica was allocated 8,895 units, of which 6,168 units must be affordable, in
the 2021-2029 Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). Approximately 1880 100
percent affordable residences are estimated to be feasible across City-owned sites
(Public parking lots 7,8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, Bank of America, Chase Bank, Public parking
lot 27, Bergamot Arts Center, Parking Structure 3). By contributing land that it already
owns, the direct cost of acquiring land is eliminated and the City can stretch its Housing
Trust Funds further to increase the supply of affordable housing. The more efficiently
the City’s funds are used, the more funds are available to finance affordable housing
production and the more households can be assisted, thus reducing gridlock in the
system.
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Homeless Point in Time Count Results 2023
On the night of January 25, 2023, 926 people experiencing homelessness were
counted in Santa Monica, an increase of 15% from the 807 individuals counted during
the 2022 Santa Monica Homeless Count. As noted in 2022, the 11% decrease in
overall homelessness as compared to 2020 was due to the significant reduction in the
local shelter capacity, following public health guidance implemented in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. While local shelter capacity has increased since the 2022
Count, the regional motel shelter capacity that was implemented during the pandemic
continued to wind down, including the 50-room Project Roomkey site in Venice. This
regional demobilization may have contributed to an increase in demand on local
shelters, which increased by 22%, and an increase in unsheltered homelessness,
which rose by 12%.
Thanks to the dedication of nearly 300 volunteers, including City staff and community
members, every street, alley, and park in the city was counted. LAHSA is expected to
release the results of the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count between June
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and September of this year, which will provide context for Santa Monica’s results
within the County.
Street Count
There was a 12% increase in the Street Count including a 14% increase in individuals
living on the street and a 4% increase of people living in makeshift shelters, tents, and
vehicles. The increase was most notable in the downtown area, where 23% of the
unsheltered people experiencing homelessness were found. Overall, increases in
unsheltered homelessness were found in 48% of the census-sub tracts citywide. As in
previous years, no families or unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness were
observed during the street count.
Shelter and Institution Count
There was a 22% increase in the Shelter Count. While local programs were able to
shelter more people this year, the number of regional shelters available decreased as
COVID motels under Project Roomkey demobilized. These closures will impact the
number of sheltered individuals in the regional homeless count results. As COVID
restrictions end, local shelters will return to full pre-COVID capacity which will result in
continued increases in our shelter count in future years.
For the past several decades, increasing rents and stagnant wages across Los
Angeles County have driven the number of people experiencing homelessness up
nearly every year. Los Angeles’s Continuum of Care has the largest number of people
experiencing homelessness. Nationally, California has had the largest increase in
overall homelessness. As stated before, Santa Monica’s boundaries are porous, and
the city is the “end of the line” for Metro’s bus and rail lines. There is a daily influx and
outflow of people. Some people who were counted in January were likely passing
through Santa Monica or recently arrived. Others may have been here for years or
decades. Lasting economic and social changes from the pandemic, coupled with the
continued lack of affordable housing, will continue to create disparities in life outcomes
and experiences. The local and regional homeless services systems will need to
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invest in ongoing, innovative, iterative strategies and evolve to meet new challenges.
Santa Monica’s commitment, considering the 2023 Count results, is to
• increase investments in preventing homelessness for Santa Monica renters,
expanding the availability of legal representations and emergency financial
assistance for renters facing eviction. To support this work, staff is requesting that
the Council authorize a first modification to an agreement with Legal Aid
Foundation of Los Angeles for the Eviction Prevention and Right to Counsel
programs. As Measure GS money flows, it will be used in support of new
homelessness prevention programs.
• increase funding for homelessness efforts, including a new C3 outreach team to be
deployed east of Lincoln Blvd., the continuation of multi-disciplinary field-based
engagement, and additional officers for the HLP Team. Staff is requesting that the
Council authorize agreements for operation of the City + County + Community (C3)
Homeless Outreach Teams and the Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Team
(HMST). Funding for additional HLP Team officers has been included in the FY23-
25 proposed biennial budget.
• fund affordable housing development and homeless prevention programs to keep
low-income Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increase the supply of
permanent supportive housing using existing Housing Trust fund dollars and new
Measure GS resources.
Countywide results from the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, anticipated
to be released this summer or fall, will help place Santa Monica’s local results in a
regional context, providing further insight into where additional resources, when
available, and advocacy might be directed. Additionally, the forthcoming
comprehensive Homelessness Strategic Plan (HSP) will lay out a coordinated and
systemic vision for the expansion of the homelessness response system, measurable
outcomes and goals, and accompanying strategies.
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Four Pillars Update
The March 26, 2019 staff report introduced the Four Pillars upon which the City’s
strategies for preventing and addressing homelessness are built:
• Preventing housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increasing
affordable housing opportunities;
• Addressing the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents;
• Maintaining equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces; and
• Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness.
The following section of the report will discuss the interdepartmental implementation
and impacts of the Four Pillar strategy since the last homelessness update to Council,
as well as identify potential new opportunities to advance the Four Pillars which have
been included in the FY2023-25 proposed biennial budget for Council consideration.
Pillar 1: Preventing housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increasing
affordable housing opportunities
Emergency Housing Voucher Program: Under the American Rescue Plan, HUD
allocated 104 Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) to the City of Santa Monica to be
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issued to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The City prioritized its
allocation of EHVs to move people living in local shelter programs and unsheltered
individuals referred by City-funded street engagement teams into permanent housing
with supportive services. As interim housing beds become available, City staff are
working closely with SMPD, SMFD and the City’s MDTs to refer vulnerable individuals
from our streets, parks and open spaces either directly to permanent housing via EHV
or to an available shelter. EHV participants began moving into their own apartments in
February 2022. To date, 45 people experiencing homelessness have ended their
experience of homelessness in Santa Monica by securing homes not only in Santa
Monica but in communities throughout the County and City of Los Angeles including
San Pedro and Ladera Heights.
HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program: The HOME Tenant-Based Rental
Assistance Program (HOME TBRA or HOME) is a HUD-funded rental assistance
program that promotes community-wide planning and strategic use of resources to
address the jurisdiction’s unmet needs and to narrow the gap in benefits and services
received by cost-burdened households. The purpose of the HOME Program is to
provide rental assistance in the form of a monthly rental subsidy to persons At Risk of
Homelessness, Senior/Disabled Homeless persons, and Victims of Domestic Violence
who are at or below the 60 percent Area Median Income limit. To date, the HOME
Program alleviates the rent burden of 30 participants who may otherwise have ended
up homeless.
Below Market Housing: The lack of affordable and permanent supportive housing
options throughout the region has underscored the reality that vouchers alone are
inadequate to address homelessness. Without a corresponding supply of affordable
properties where participants can use their housing vouchers, a large number of
voucher holders are left to compete for a small number of available rental properties
resulting in prolonged episodes of homelessness and lengths of stay in interim
housing programs. The City has approximately 2,700 Below Market Housing (BMH)
units with 48 more to be completed this year. The City’s BMH waitlist priorities were
recently revised to give current Santa Monica EHV participants priority for affordable
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deed-restricted homes where they can use their vouchers (Attachment H). The City
put EHV holders first on the waitlist after those who are facing eviction due to the Ellis
Act (Attachment O), for similar reasons. This alignment further supports the City’s
implementation of the EHV Program, while facilitating the turnover of additional interim
housing beds so that vulnerable individuals encounte red by City first responders and
street engagement teams can move out of Santa Monica’s parks, beach, and streets
and into shelter. In the short term, this change might result in other households waiting
slightly longer on the BMH waitlist. As of February 2023, 23 Santa Monica EHV
participants have moved into BMH apartments through this priority. More are in the
process of applying and leasing deed restricted apartments through referrals from the
BMH waitlist.
Preserving Our Diversity: The City’s Preserving Our Diversity (POD) Program remains
in effect, providing cash-based assistance to eligible long-term rent control senior
households to help achieve a minimum after-rent income. In FY 2021-22, the POD
Program served 201 low-income senior households providing an average monthly
assistance of approximately $500 per month and consequently allowing participants to
age in place. Applications for the POD Program are accepted both online and by mail.
Affordable Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing Developm ents: In line with
the City’s commitment to increase affordable and permanent supportive housing
opportunities, 189 new affordable residences opened since 2020, and at least 119
additional homes are in various stages of development. During 2021 and 2022, three
new affordable senior housing developments opened in Santa Monica: Greenway
Meadows, located at 1820 14th Street, and Pacific Landing, located at 2120 Lincoln
Boulevard, both constructed by Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM),
opened with 39 and 37 apartments, respectively; and Magnolia Villas, located at 1445
and 1453 10th Street and constructed by EAH Housing (EAH), opened in the fall with
40 apartments.
In 2023, there are two new additional developments constructed by CCSM: Las Flores
1834 14th Street with 73 residences is complete, and 1819 Pico Boulevard with 48
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residences is still in development. The Laurel at 1413 Michigan Avenue, also
developed by EAH, would create 57 new homes of permanent housing with supportive
services for people experiencing homelessness. The Laurel is currently under
construction and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2023. CCSM has
several other developments underway, including 13 affordable apartments at 1342
Berkeley Street, which will include eight homes for vulnerable young adults.
In 2019, the Council initiated efforts to explore converting Parking Structure 3, located
at 1318 4th Street, into a 100% affordable housing development. In January 2022,
Council selected EAH as the developer and authorized the City Manager to negotiate
and execute an exclusive negotiation agreement for the development of affordable
housing on this City-owned parcel (Attachment P). The proposed development
includes 50 supportive housing residences. Congressman Ted Lieu sec ured $2 million
in federal funding to support this affordable housing development. After a series of
prolonged legal challenges, demolition of Parking Structure 3 was completed in Fall
2022. EAH is currently in predevelopment and conducting community outreach for the
proposed affordable housing development.
The City has consistently been a leader in the production of affordable housing that
depends on leveraging funding from State grant programs with Santa Monica’s own
Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF). Santa Monica has been awarded a total of $10
million from the LHTF for the 2020 and 2021 funding rounds. A request to authorize
the City’s application for 2023 LHTF funding is on the May 9, 2023 consent calendar.
The City is also eligible to receive an estimated $3.285 million from the first five years
of the California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD)
Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) entitlement program. PLHA provides
funding to local governments in California for housing-related projects and programs
that assist in addressing the unmet housing needs of their local communities. The
awarded State grants, as well as future State grants, are essential to Santa Monica’s
ability to create affordable housing on City-owned land and further the goals of the
City’s Housing Element.
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Furthermore, 67 affordable apartments within otherwise market-rate buildings
created pursuant to zoning policies (known as inclusionary housing) were
completed during 2021 and 2022, and an additional 20 affordable inclusionary
apartments are scheduled for completion in 2023. The current Inclusionary
Housing Program in Santa Monica is called the Affordable Housing Production
Program (AHPP) and refers to residential development in which rents are
capped at affordable level for income-qualifying households. AHPP is part of
the BMH Program which is referenced above.
Rent Control Adjustment Relief Program: The 2022 General Adjustment (GA) of 6%
increase for rent-controlled units (with a maximum $140 monthly) was the highest
increase since 1990. As many renter households in Santa Monica are experiencing
financial hardships resulting from the impacts of the global pandemic and are already
known to be rent-burdened, an increase of this magnitude was expected to lead to
greater housing instability in the community. In response, the City of Santa Monica
developed a rent relief program, the Rent Control Adjustment Relief (RCAR) Program,
and an Eviction Protection Ordinance for qualifying tenants who need more time to
pay the increased rent. The RCAR Program provides relief equivalent to a 3% rent
increase over a 12-month period to be paid directly to the property owner/manager in
a single lump sum.
The first RCAR application period was open from August 29 to September 19, 2022.
The City re-opened the RCAR application period on a limited basis from December
12, 2022, to January 11, 2023, to include residents who received their rent increase
notice after the original September 19th deadline or who did not apply for the first
round of RCAR due to extenuating circumstances. As of April 2023, the City had
issued 480 payments at a total sum of $305,789. This includes payments to severely -
rent burdened Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) holders. The RCAR program and
eviction ordinance are intended to keep families housed, shield tenants from eviction,
and help both property owners and tenants manage this year’s unusually high GA
increase.
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Measure RC: Santa Monica voters passed Measure RC in the November 2022
election, which adjusts the 2022 GA of 6% ($140 maximum) to a 0.8% increase
($19 maximum) effective February 1, 2023 and helps mitigate against future
spikes in rent among residents living in rent controlled apartments.
Housing is Key: On July 13, 2021, Council requested that staff create an enhanced
communications campaign to inform renter residents and property owners about the
State Rental Assistance Program called Housing is Key. City Council subsequently
allocated up to $25,000 in discretionary funds to this project on July 27, 2021. The
program stopped accepting applications on March 31, 2022, and assistance was
provided for rent and utilities through June 30, 2022. As of the data published on April
6, 2023, 2,377 Santa Monica households were served with an average assistance of
$16,513 total funds paid of $40,059,470.
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Right to Counsel Program: Legal Aid Foundation
of Los Angeles (LAFLA) supported residents in maintaining housing through their
general legal services program, which provides eviction defense services, and the
pilot Right to Counsel (RTC) program, through which LAFLA attorneys represent
tenants in court in addition to other eviction services. The pilot RTC program is based
on a Los Angeles eviction study showing a dramatic improvement in tenants’ ability to
avoid eviction with direct legal representation. In the first year of the program, which
ran from April 5, 2021, to April 6, 2022 with a budget of $120,000 per year, the RTC
program resulted in LAFLA providing 29 full scope legal representations and 58
limited scope legal representations. In the second year of the program, there was a
substantial increase in services, with LAFLA providing 49 full scope cases and 143
limited scope cases. The RTC program has been effective in providing e viction
prevention services and will continue through HOME Investment Partnerships–
American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funding (Attachment Q).
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Emergency Eviction Prevention Services: On
May 11, 2022, City Council authorized staff to enter into an agreement with LAFLA to
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provide immediate support to expand their capacity to respond to Santa Monica
renters who are facing eviction (Attachment H). LAFLA hired additional support staff to
manage clerical duties, meeting calendars, client communications, intakes, and
administrative assistance for clients to complete benefits and assistance applications,
freeing up attorneys to focus on legal work. LAFLA has since increased their capacity
through these funds and has served 450 unduplicated Santa Monica residents on 479
active and closed housing cases at FY 22/23 midyear, compared to 352 unduplicated
Santa Monica residents on 385 active and closed housing cases for the same time
period in FY 2021-22, representing a nearly 28% increase in clients assisted. This
increased capacity was especially critical as wide-scale rental assistance programs
ended and tenants faced gaps in the moratorium protections. As additional
moratorium protections are being lifted, community need will only increase, and as
such these services will continue through HOME-ARP funds.
Senior Housing Task Force: Led by Community Services Department (CSD) staff, the
interagency Senior Housing Task Force has met continuously via teleconference to
help vulnerable senior households maintain stable housing and avoid falling into
homelessness. The Task Force participants include the CAO, Code Enforcement,
Rent Control, Santa Monica Police and Fire Departments, and non -profit providers
including WISE & Healthy Aging, St. Joseph Center, Legal Aid Foundation of Los
Angeles, and the Community Corporation of Santa Monica. In 2022, the Task Force
was expanded to include persons with disabilities of all ages, and the Disability
Community Resource Center became an active participant. The group convenes by-
name case conferencing meetings to develop and implement coordinated action plans
to promote health, safety and housing stability for at-risk seniors. In FY2021-22, the
Task Force coordinated services for 30 senior households at-risk of homelessness.
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Pillar 2: Addressing the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents:
Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs): As referenced previously in this report, the City
continues to invest in MDTs which are staffed by licensed medical and behavior al
health clinicians who can deliver immediate and intensive services to people on the
street while they wait for shelter placement. The MDTs are managed by The People
Concern and include the Homeless Multi-Disciplinary Street Team (HMST) and City +
County + Community Team (C3). In 2022, these teams collectively made 10,454
contacts with people experiencing homelessness, provided 833 clients with direct
medical or psychiatric services, and placed 59 clients into interim or permanent
housing. These teams work collaboratively with the SMPD HLP Team to discuss and
address the needs of the City’s most high need people experiencing homelessness.
The wait for housing can be long; MDTs provide services to support people
experiencing homelessness where they are and while they wait. In support of this
mission, Council has supported the addition of a third C3 Team to start in FY 2023 -24.
The two C3 Teams currently operating cover the beach and downtown area; the
additional team would cover the balance of the City.
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Success Story
Pictured here is a client with a history of generating 911 calls
who was first engaged by the C3 Team in Tongva Park in
September 2021. After overcoming many barriers, including
serious medical issues and substance abuse, and being
served by several city departments and contracted providers,
he received an EHV and moved into his own apartment in
Santa Monica in December 2022. Here he is seen holding the
keys to his new unit!
Community Response Unit: During the FY 2021-23 biennial budget process, Council
approved funding for the SMFD to pilot a Community Response Unit (CRU) as a
priority project to address homelessness. The CRU is a two-person “peak hour”
alternative response unit for low acuity 9-1-1 calls targeting vulnerable populations,
including people experiencing homelessness. The CRU works in collaboration with
other City staff, especially the Housing and Human Services Division (HHSD) of the
Community Services Department and the HLP Team, regional agencies, and non -
profits to provide linkages to local and regional resources for housing and supportive
services. Their ability to provide in-depth care and participate in collaborative
meetings with partners allows other first responders and emergency room resources
to be freed up for higher acuity emergency calls.
In 2022, 18% of all 9-1-1 calls for the SMFD involved people experiencing
homelessness. The CRU responded to 288 calls for service, 211 of which were
people experiencing homelessness, provided 202 service referrals, kept Fire Eng ines
in service 172 times, and transported 16 patients to a Psychiatric Urgent Care.
Additionally, the CRU collaborated with other service providers in the case
management of 47 people experiencing homelessness and 50 vulnerable adults who
are housed. During the pilot period, SMFD identified many community benefits to the
program, as well as opportunities to further enhance services.
Ideally, the CRU Program would consist of an EMS Battalion Chief/Homeless Liaison,
a 40-hour civilian case manager, and a 24-hour staffed CRU. This would enable the
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Department to provide a higher level of service to the community with 24-hour
response capabilities and effective follow-up through a dedicated case manager. The
Department recognizes the current budget’s funding l imitations but hopes to
implement the recommended enhancements when funding becomes available.
Until funding to implement the full program becomes available, the Department is
proposing to reallocate funds currently dedicated to the CRU to add an EMS Battalion
Chief and a contracted case manager which are included in the FY2023-25 Proposed
Budget. This proposal will maximize future response capabilities and take a more
proactive approach to providing care to our most vulnerable populations.
Creating an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division Chief/Homeless Liaison
aligns with the City and Council’s approach to addressing homelessness and will
serve as the homeless liaison between SMFD and other City Departments, regional
partners, and non-profits. The EMS Chief/Homeless Liaison will also provide better
resources, follow-up, and advocacy for our most vulnerable populations and will also
prevent housed Santa Monica residents from becoming homeless. The EMS Battalion
Chief will be responsible for addressing the changing needs of EMS by evaluating
community paramedicine, Mobile Integrated Health Care, changing LEMSA
requirements, issues with ambulance capacity and shortages, an increasing number
of low acuity calls, and rising ambulance patient offload times impacting units' inability
to return to service in a timely manner.
The Fire Department would also like to contract with a service provider to have a
dedicated case manager to work with high utilizers of the 9-1-1 system. The
firefighters assigned to the CRU have done a great job servicing their clients by
providing an alternative 9-1-1 response, on-scene assistance, and navigation to
appropriate services. However, the rapidly growing list of clients and their specialized
needs has exceeded their capacity and expertise. In addition, limits in the scope of
practice for EMTs and Paramedics preclude the CRU from making home visits outside
of a 9-1-1 call, further limiting their ability to follow up with patients. Lastly, the case
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coordination they often find themselves performing makes it challenging to remain
available to respond to other calls for service.
Adding an EMS Battalion Chief and a dedicated case manager will ensure that the Fire
Department can quickly adapt to the evolving needs of the communit y while maintaining
a sustainable and resilient EMS response model.
Therapeutic Transport Program: The City has executed an agreement with the Los
Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) to implement a pilot program to
launch a therapeutic transport van, staffed with DMH personnel in the City of Santa
Monica. DMH’s Therapeutic Transport Program will co-respond to incoming
emergency calls related to, or presumed to involve, non-combative, medically stable
individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The program also offers a supportive
and expedited alternative to the transportation needs of acute mentally ill clients
requiring additional care. The program is designed to relieve first responder resources
to focus on other health and safety priorities. The City has committed $464,000 to
fund the program with the hopes of implementing 24/7 DMH Team coverage.
DMH revised the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City to ensure both
SMFD and SMPD personnel may request the DMH resource to augme nt their
community response. LA County declared a State of Emergency on Homelessness on
January 11, 2023 which allowed DMH to have the authority to approve the MOU and
pilot program internally without the final approval of the Board of Supervisors. Santa
Monica also expedited MOU approval under the authority of the local emergency
proclamation. DMH is still working to confirm the staffing for local teams. The City will
be ready to implement the program in the community as soon as DMH has secured
staffing for Santa Monica’s program. It is the City’s intent to deploy the DMH team
locally as soon as possible, even if 24/7 coverage is not attainable at the program’s
onset.
The City’s Office of Emergency Management’s (OEM) dispatch center will be
responsible for dispatching the Therapeutic Transport Van to field first responders.
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OEM is also actively coordinating with the 3-1-1 team to provide enhanced customer
service to residents calling with non-emergent issues pertaining to homelessness.
Opportunities for collaboration are designed to ensure dispatchers are able to focus
on emergent issues and 9-1-1 phone calls, while giving residents and businesses the
best resources. 3-1-1 and OEM’s call taking teams are stretched in terms of staffing
and call volume and are trying to streamline processes to better manage staff time on
these matters.
Alternatives to Incarceration: As detailed earlier in this report, the HLP Team works
closely with the CAO’s Criminal Division on the implementation of the ATI Program.
ATI’s purpose is to divert individuals from the criminal justice system and connect
them with mental health and substance use disorder support systems.
Behavioral Health Feasibility Study: In October 2022, the City entered into a contract
with Initium Health to lead the Behavioral Health Feasibility Study to assess the needs
of all populations in Santa Monica including those experiencing homelessness. Initium
Health is currently in phase one of a three phase study which includes: facilitating a
community engagement process, developing a behavioral health strategy and
operational/financial feasibility assessment for a behavioral health center, and
conducting a behavioral health center feasibility assessment. The Community
Engagement Process started in January 2023 and will solicit feedback from various
stakeholders including city departments, commissions, community members,
consumers, neighborhood associations, private and public health and human service
providers, and members of the City Council. Initium Health will host three Community
Listening Sessions in May 2023 which will align with “Mental Health Awareness
Month” and be held during the day and evening and in different parts of the City to
ensure comprehensive community feedback.
Harm Reduction Syringe Services Program: The Harm Reduction Syringe Services
Program (SSP) is a California Department of Public Health (CDPH) authorized and
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) funded Harm Reduction
Program which supplies resources and education for people who use intravenous
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drugs to prevent overdose deaths and transmission of communicable diseases,
increase engagement with other health and social services, and improve public safety.
Venice Family Clinic (VFC) is the SSP provider on the Westside and provides services
in Santa Monica once a week for three hours day in places where people experiencing
homelessness are most in need. While the State prohibits cities from banning County
funded providers to operate an SSP within its borders, cities can conta ct the County if
it has issues with how, when, and where an SSP operates, and the County is
obligated to consider those issues. In July 2022, representatives from City
departments including the CAO, CMO, CSD, SMFD, and SMPD met with
representatives from DPH and VFC to discuss the SSP and community concerns
about operating in parks including Reed Park. During this meeting, the City
representatives offered several alternative options including an indoor location within
the City, an outdoor location near but n ot in Reed Park, or in a mobile clinic. On
September 13, 2022, the City Council approved transmitting a letter requesting that
the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors support and assist the City of Santa
Monica in relocating the SSP from its parks and open spaces to a service rich
environment that aligns with the City’s Four Pillar Strategy to address homelessness.
On March 29, 2023, the City was informed that the SSP program would transition to a
mobile van model operated by VFC once a week for three hours a day and serve
Palisades, Reed, and Tongva Parks. The City will continue to monitor impacts and
outcomes as DPH works with VFC to implement this new approach. DPH indicated
that it would be open to input from the City regarding alternative locations.
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Pillar 3: Maintaining equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces:
Homeless Liaison Program: As noted above, much of the HLP work centers around
ensuring that parks, public roadways and alleyways, and other public spaces remain
safe for all to enjoy. The HLP and other police personnel such as Public Service
Officers, Community Service Officers, and Patrol Officers are in public spaces on a
daily basis, contacting and engaging individuals in a constitutionally appropriate
manner, to ensure that public spaces are safe for all to use and enjoy and are devoid
of criminal activity. In November and December, HLP coordinated resources with
CSD, Public Works, and social service providers to address growing concerns about
quality-of-life issues in and around Tongva Park. Over the course of four weeks, HLP
contacted several individuals in the park and provided outreach, and when necessary,
enforcement of applicable municipal and state laws. On a number of occasions during
these weekly operations, personnel from the Salvation Army assisted people
experiencing homelessness with direct transport to housing and substance abuse
assistance services outside of Santa Monica. During the month-long operation, 29
unique people experiencing homelessness were engaged:
• 76% were engaged in the park one time and 24% were engaged in the park
more than once. The majority of the people experiencing homelessness in the
park were not “anchored” there.
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• 52% had no documented service interactions in local or county databases,
meaning they have never accessed homeless services, 40% of whom were
from another state, and 13% of whom were from another country.
• 90% were over 25 years old, with the oldest being 67, and 69% were male.
Shelter, Treatment & Empowerment Program: The CAO’s
Criminal Prosecution Unit is also actively working to
reinvigorate its Homeless Community Court. This long-
standing Santa Monica program has seen fewer and
fewer participants over the last several years due to
legislative changes in misdemeanor prosecution. In order
to keep up the program, the Criminal Prosecution Unit
has applied for grant funding to create a community-
based court program called Shelter, Treatment &
Empowerment Program (STEP). HOME-ARP funds will also be used to support
STEP. This once-a-month program would be hosted in the City rather the current
location of the Airport Courthouse which is located 12 miles outside of the City and
would be easier for the unhoused and even low-income population to access. Not only
is the Criminal Prosecution Unit looking to bring the Court closer to the City, but it is
hoping to hire a full-time Housing Navigator who is responsible for helping remove
barriers to housing. This could range from finding residential treatment beds, getting
consistent access to medication, assistance in applying for housing vouchers, as well
as making sure eligible participants attend their court sessions. The goal of the new
program is to use the Housing Navigator as the center piece in helping to remove
barriers for those who are unsheltered.
Mariposa Landscaping: HLP works with
Public Works contractor Mariposa
Landscaping who responds in real time to
work with HLP on deconstructing makeshift
shelters and removing debris and litter. Here
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are two photos depicting HLP and Mariposa Landscaping working together to ensure
public spaces remain safe and clean.
Encampments: It is important to
note that, if someone calls 911 to
report someone sleeping in an alley
or a person sitting at a bus bench
with several bags, the call is coded
by dispatch as an encampment.
However, such situations do not
meet the HUD definition of an
encampment which is tent cities,
homeless settlements, and
homeless camps. As previously noted in this report, SMPD responded to over 1,800
calls for service related to encampments. Regardless of whether or not the people
experiencing homelessness were within an established encampment or camp facility
pursuant to the legal confines of Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, SMPD responds to
address the community concerns, initiate outreach, begin documentation, and when
applicable, enforce local and state laws in a constitutional manner.
Park Improvements: Public Works maintains the City’s 28 parks, public spaces and
the 245-acre beach. Groundskeepers, maintenance workers, and custodial staff tend
to these spaces including facilities such as bathrooms, showers, and drinking
fountains. Recent projects to elevate the public space experience include fencing
around the signature Moreton Bay Fig Tree in Tongva Park, and the removal of
superfluous seating in Tongva Park as well to reduce incidents of camping and
vandalism.
DTSM Parks Ambassadors: The Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) Ambassadors
provide hospitality and maintenance services in the Downtown Santa Monica business
assessment zone, and in 2017 expanded their service areas to include Tongva and
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Palisades Parks. Based on the success of the program, in 2019, the City expanded
the agreement to add Parks Ambassadors at Reed Park. While not specifically a
homeless-based service, all Ambassadors receive specific training on de-escalation,
engaging people experiencing homelessness and providing referral information to
local/regional social service agencies. DTSM’s Quality of Life (QOL) Ambassadors
possess enhanced skills/training and work collaboratively with the City’s outreach
teams and first responders to effectively engage people experiencing homelessness
while addressing disruptive and unsafe behavior in the downtown area. In line with the
City’s commitment to ensuring a clean and safe Santa Monica, Council continued
funding for the DTSM Parks Ambassadors through the FY 2022-23 biennial budget. In
calendar year 2022, DTSM Ambassadors provided 801 social service referrals, 215
referrals in the downtown area, and 586 in the parks. The results of a recent Request
for Proposals for park-based ambassador services, and associated recommendations
to continue the program, will be presented to Council on May 23, 2023.
Homeless Support Team: Included in the proposed FY2023-2024 budget is a new
pilot program through Public Works called the Homeless Support Team (HoST). Over
the past several years, calls from Police, Fire or the City’s 3-1-1 system to Public
Works to clean and address homeless encampment or debris-related issues has
increased significantly. The escalating need for Public Works staff to assist in these
matters draws staff and supply resources away from core duties to maintain public
spaces and has the net effect of diminishing the quality of the City’s public spaces,
including the beach, parks, public facilities, and other public spaces in the right of way.
The HoST would provide dedicated resources separate from traditional field staff to
address encampment “hot spots” with Police and Fire assistance and respond to 3 -1-1
requests for homeless-related issues. A key benefit of implementing HoST is that it
would allow the other several hundred staff members in Public Works to solely focus
on their core duties and elevate the maintenance of the public domain. The team’s
geography would cover the entire city. Core duties would be to address waste and
debris generated by people experiencing homelessness.
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The HoST would work 5 days per week, similar to many of the Public Works field
divisions. Staff is currently developing a staffing schedule that can best service the
residents and the city’s peak visitor times, which typically includes at least one
weekend day.
West Coast Care Foundation: The West Coast Care Foundation (WCC) currently has
a contract for daily homeless outreach services within the areas of the beach and Pier
for a total of 25 hours per week or a total of 1,300 hours. WCC develops action plans
and provides referrals, case management, Project Homecoming resources, and
follow-up services for 250 program clients per year. As the contract expires on June
30, 2023, staff will present a short-term extension for Council consideration in the
context of the biennial budget process.
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Pillar 4: Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness:
End of Line Issues: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro)
currently has an End of Line policy in which trains and buses are cleared of all riders
when they are taken out of service at the “end of line”. This is done to ensure trains
and buses are empty before they are returned to secure rail and bus yards for
cleaning and maintenance. Santa Monica has four westbound E Line (Expo) trains
and four Metro Bus Lines (4, 20, 33, and 720) that discharge all passengers at the end
of the line in downtown Santa Monica. On October 20, 2022, the Metro Board of
Directors directed their staff to evaluate Metro’s End of Line policy and its impacts on
communities such as Santa Monica with a station at the end of the line.
The Santa Monica Department of Transportation (DoT) has been working diligently
with City staff and other affected agencies to produce solutions to mitigate the
consequences of Metro’s End of Line policy. The issue was discussed in Metro’s
General Manager’s Group and DoT staff challenged the members to look at the
problem through a wider lens. DoT staff emphasized that transit systems must do
more than just push the situation onto local cities and the county departments
dedicated to the issue. After that meeting, City/DoT staff held a conference call with
City of Long Beach staff to identify problems shared by both communities with the
influx of unhoused riders deboarding at Metro end of the line stations late at night.
The City sent the Metro Board of Directors a letter dated December 16, 2022 which
asked Metro to evaluate policies and practices that may enable riders to stay onboard
rail and bus lines until they are forced to disembark at the end of the night. The City
requested to actively engage in Metro’s evaluation process and offered to provide
data related to the local impacts that arise when unhoused riders are discharged
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every night. The letter explained that the City’s local infrastructure is insufficient to
serve every person experiencing homelessness in the City or the region. The City
cannot absorb the inflow of unhoused passengers discharged onto the Downtown
Santa Monica Metro Station every night between midnight and 1:00 am.
On January 26, 2023, the Metro Board of Directors received an update on staff’s work
regarding the End of Line policy. After consulting with peer transit systems across the
country, staff discussed a variety of ideas to improve the situation. The Board
approved a motion to ask staff to come back with a full-service homeless outreach
plan for all 13 end of the line stations which includes meeting with the impacted cities
as part of the process. Metro staff will return to the Board in April 2023 with more
results.
Westside Cities Council of Governments: The City is an active member of the
Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) which engages in regional and
cooperative planning and coordination of government services and responsibilities to
assist the cities of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, the City
of Los Angeles (Districts 5 and 11) and the County of Los Angeles (Districts, 2, 3 and
4). The City participates in the WSCCOG Homelessness Working Group and receives
funding via the Innovations Fund for homeless prevention and housing efforts the
grant for which ends on June 30, 2023. Beginning July 1st, WSCCOG will provide
funding via a multi-year Local Solutions Fund. In addition to securing and distributing
funding to members to address housing and homelessness, the WSCCOG is working
on a Westside Regional Behavioral Health Center Feasibility Work Plan. While similar
in title, this is distinct from the previously referenced Initium Health led Behavioral
Health Feasibility Study but could complement the City’s efforts to address the
behavioral health needs of its housed and unhoused popu lations.
Westside Coalition: The City is a member of the Westside Coalition which is an
alliance of 75 organizations, public agencies and faith communities committed to
working collaboratively on issues of housing, hunger and health through service
coordination, public education and advocacy. In addition to attending the General
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Meetings, the City provides trainings for members the most recent of which was
focused on the Eviction Moratorium.
Los Angeles City Council District 11: As referenced earlier in this report, Santa Monica
is surrounded by the City of Los Angeles and specifically Council District 11 (CD11)
which elected Traci Park in November 2022. Consequently, there are opportunities for
the City to engage and work with Councilmember Park and her team.
Los Angeles County Supervisorial District 3: Similar to the relationship building with
CD11, City leadership is engaging with Lindsey Horvath who represents Supervisorial
District 3 (SD3) and was also elected in November 2022. Although Santa Monica is an
independent city within SD3, it is affected by county related policies and procedures
and benefits from having a strong rapport with regional leaders.
Regional Investments: In addition to strengthening relationships with new local and
regional leaders, Santa Monica may also benefit from increased investments by the
City and County of Los Angeles. Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles has declared a
State of Emergency on Homelessness and quickly implemented the Inside Safe
Program to move people living in encampments into motel rooms and ultimately
permanent housing. If these efforts are successful in resolving encampments along
Santa Monica borders, and reducing the number of unsheltered people in Los
Angeles, Santa Monica may benefit from fewer unsheltered people coming into the
City. In addition, the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative recently announced an
unprecedented $609.7 million to address homelessness. As the City and County of
Los Angeles scale up services and housing and address entrenched encampments on
shared borders, Santa Monica hopes to see a residual positive impact. Historically,
the majority of the Westside’s interim and permanent housing and services for non -
Veterans experiencing homelessness have been in Santa Monica. It is hopeful tha t,
with a more proactive and productive regional response, there will be less of a
regional demand on local services.
Costs Related to Addressing Homelessness
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In November 2022, the City’s Internal Auditor, Moss Adams LLP, completed a City of
Santa Monica Homelessness Study (Attachment K). The study developed a
methodology to account for direct and indirect City costs related to homelessness.
The report noted actual expenditures for FY 2020-21 at $42.5 million. Costs included
$12.9 million in direct expenditures on homelessness services and programs and an
estimated $29.6 million of general services costs that are attributed to the impacts of
homelessness. The $12.9 million ($9.1 million in the General Fund) in direct costs
include grants provided to service providers through the City’s Human Services
Grants Program (HSGP), and City programs including the HLP Team, Project
Homecoming, the CRU, the Homeless Community Court and Library Service Officers.
The $29.6 million in general services costs approximates $25.4 million in public safety
costs based on the number of calls for service attributed to homelessness (16.6 -18%
of all calls), and $4.2 million in Public Works homelessness-related cleaning,
custodial, trash pickup and other maintenance of City facilities and infrastructure.
Appendix D of the Moss Adams Homelessness Study report includes a full breakdown
of costs by program and funding source (Attachment K). The City will continue to use
the same methodology to determine costs in future years.
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Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness
As referenced at the beginning of this report, on February 14, 2023, the City Council
voted unanimously to declare a Local Emergency on Homelessness, joining other
local jurisdictions including the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, Culver
City, and the City of Long Beach in declaring that more is needed to prevent and
address homelessness. Doing so enables the City of Santa Monica to:
• Advocate for additional funding and resources at the county, state, and
federal level, positioning the City to receive and deploy new resources as
they become available.
• Remove barriers to building affordable housing, including use of anticipated
Housing Trust Fund resources to incentivize affordable housing production.
• Encourage partners in our region to urgently address the crisis of
homelessness.
• Streamline hiring for critical staff positions that are critical to preventing and
ending homelessness.
In the last three months, the City has used the Emergency Declaration to fast-track a
number of critical efforts:
City Attorney’s Office
The CAO used the Emergency Declaration to expedite the City’s grant application
process. The CAO recently completed a Bureau of Justice Administration grant that
will help cover the cost of the new program called STEP Court. This 4-year $550,000
grant would allow the CAO to fund a full-time Housing Navigator to help people
experiencing homelessness, who come in contact with the criminal justice system,
remove barriers to housing. The CAO also used this expediated process to apply and
receive a $50,000 grant from the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. This grant will
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be used to help start a Retail Theft Diversion program that will focus on thefts in the
City’s downtown area.
Community Services Department:
Using Housing Trust Funds and State funds and leveraging the Emergency
Declaration, the City recently made a loan commitment to CCSM for the construction
of a future affordable housing development located at 1342 Berkeley Street targeted
to young adults (ages 18-24) and low-income households. The Declaration allowed
staff to modify the limits set forth in the Housing Trust Fund Plan and Housing Trust
Fund Guidelines and quickly make the necessary loan.
In 2021, HUD awarded $2,220,124 in onetime funding to the City of Santa Monica
through HOME-ARP. To access HOME-ARP funding, the City developed a HOME-
ARP Allocation Plan proposing use of HOME-ARP funds for eligible activities
benefiting qualifying populations, as defined in HUD’s September 2021 notice
regarding requirements for the Use of Funds in the HOME-ARP Program (Attachment
Q). HUD approved the City’s plan in March 2023, allowing staff to move forward with
using these funds to implement programs and services. The Emergency Declaration is
crucial to administering the funds in a “fast-track” manor, as it removes the
requirements of time-intensive procurement processes and allows staff to work
directly with local service providers to launch programming and get critical services to
the community. These funds will be used to modify an existing agreement with LAFLA
in order to continue the RTC Program along with existing eviction prevention services.
In addition, these funds will support the CAO’s new STEP Court, and CAO staff are
developing a plan with Exodus, a regional mental health and substance use service
provider, to start delivering services.
Staff will enter into new agreements with the County of Los Angeles for continued and
expanded operation of the C3 Teams and with The People Concern for the continued
operation of the HMST under the provisions of the Emergency Declaration. Included in
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this report are requests to authorize staff to enter into contracts associated with the
continued operation of the C3 Team and HMST.
Additionally, staff will extend the term of an existing contract with Dorothy Berndt,
LCSW. Ms. Berndt provides assistance to formerly homeless voucher holders to stay
housed by reconnecting people to supportive services, and/or to coordinate with
services agencies, mental health agencies, and case workers. This crucial
homelessness prevention work is unfortunately in high demand due to the pandemic
and subsequent economic gyrations in the larger market, and challenges among
vulnerable tenants. Authorization to execute the modification is included in this report.
Human Resources Department
The provisions of the Emergency Declaration have been applied to place individuals
into acting appointments to rebalance workloads in support of addressing and
preventing homelessness. The additional flexibility offered will be valuable over the
next 12-24 months, particularly as it relates to the ability to extend temporary
assignments, place employees in acting assignments who do not meet the current
minimum qualifications and provide additional flexibility with regard to the
development and certification of eligibility lists.
Office of Emergency Management
The Emergency Declaration expedited a City staff review of an MOU with DMH to
implement a pilot program to launch a Therapeutic Tran sport Van. DMH was able to
utilize the Local Emergency for Homelessness that the LA County Supervisors passed
on January 10, 2023 to expedite the review and approval of the MOU at the County
level.
Santa Monica Police Department
SMPD will leverage the Emergency Declaration to activate new rental cameras. In
effect, it will help SMPD obtain the systems more efficiently through a Mobile Camera
Deployment Program to help address the issue of homelessness.
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Staff recommends that the Council extend the term of the City’s Emergency
Declaration. The crisis of homelessness is far from over as evidenced by the 2023
Point-in-Time Count results. While this report recounts the significant investments the
City is making to prevent and address homelessness, more progress is needed in
addressing the emergency. The provisions of the Emergency Declaration allow for
fast-tracking critical interventions. The continuation of the local emergency will allow
the City to quickly and flexibly address the crisis; coordinate with local and regional
partners to protect health and safety and mitigate the effects of homelessness;
expedite procurement, contracting, and deployment of supplies and services;
advocate to and seek relief from regional, state, and federal representatives; prioritize,
streamline, accelerate, and expedite use of City resources and processes; expedite
and fill essential staff positions, and more. These actions will allow the City to maintain
the momentum detailed in this report as well as scale up investments. Staff will report
key performance indicators of progress in addressing the emergency in the 2024
Annual Report on Homelessness.
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Next Steps
Moss Adams Recommendations
On March 11, Council authorized the development of a strategic plan to address
homelessness, funded on a one-time basis using Measure CS funds. The preparation
of a comprehensive Homelessness Strategic Plan (HSP) will build on the City’s Four
Pillars framework to set clear policy direction, promote alignment across City
stakeholders, and support regional efforts. The HSP will lay out a coordinated and
systemic vision for the expansion of the homelessness response system, measurable
outcomes and goals, and accompanying strategies. The process to develop the HSP
will incorporate Santa Monica’s community partners, people with lived experience of
homelessness, service providers, city agencies, and public and private sector partners
to align around a clear vision, set of outcomes, and investments. With this plan, the
City seeks to increase continuity in an inherently shifting policy environment; improve
focus on measurable objectives; and increase internal alignment and regional
coordination; all towards the goal of preventing, ending, and addressing
homelessness in Santa Monica. Contract award and programming of funds will occur
along with the adoption of the FY2023-25 Budget.
Measures CS and GS
The City has the opportunity to expand services addressing homelessness over the
next biennial period using two new funding streams, Measure CS and Measure GS,
approved by Santa Monica voters in November 2022. The new on-going revenue
streams that will be generated through Measures CS and GS will provide the infusion
of funds necessary to develop a comprehensive HSP and accelerate the City’s work
on addressing homelessness, producing and preserving affordable housing,
preventing homelessness, and maintaining clean and safe public spaces.
Initial efforts will be focused on expending Measure CS funds to develop the HSP and
to implement investments prioritized in May 2022, with a plan for Measure GS to
follow. On March 11, Council considered and supported a set of uses for Measure CS
funds directly related to homelessness that were presented by staff in the May 2022
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Update on Local Efforts Addressing the Regional Homelessness Crisis (Attachment
H), were included in descriptions for potential use of Measure CS funds leading up to
the November 2022 election, were affirmed as high priority recommendations
presented by the City’s internal auditor in its November 2022 Homelessness Study
(Attachment K), and further confirmed as best uses for these funds by the Council at
its March 11, 2023 discussion of priorities. Among the Measure CS funded initiatives
addressing homelessness are:
• Preparation of a comprehensive Homelessness Strategic Plan (HSP) with one-
time funds (Recommendation 1, Homelessness Study);
• Expansion of the City’s homeless multidisciplinary outreach teams’ work
beyond the Downtown and Beach area (Recommendation 18, Homelessness
Study);
• Redesign of the SAMOSHEL interim housing program to accommodate 24/7
intakes, giving additional options for after-hours intake and facilitating SMPD
transports for people experiencing homelessness and non -urgent behavioral
health issues (Recommendation 15, Homelessness Study);
• Expansion of the Police Department’s Homeless Liaison Program (HLP)
(Recommendation 15, Homelessness Study). Given current vacancy in the
Police Department and the lengthy recruitment and training period for the new
positions, the Police Department anticipates allocating funds towards the
Directed Action Response Team (DaRT), which addresses matters of public
safety in the Downtown, Pier and Beach, and to technology upgrades
enhancing safety;
• Expansion of public space maintenance investments, including enhan cements
to ensure higher-risk cleanup activities are performed safely, using an
additional, specialized team and higher frequency cleanup efforts focusing on
encampments (Recommendation 10, Homelessness Study).
Programming of the funds will occur along with the adoption of the FY 2023-25
Biennial Budget. The Measure CS Advisory Committee will advise the City Manager in
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the programming of these incremental tax revenues before each year’s budget
adoption.
Measure GS will provide resources to produce and preserve affordable housing and
prevent homelessness at a scale far beyond the City’s current administration of rental
assistance programs, disbursement of Housing Trust Funds to support affordable
housing projects, and programs to prevent homelessness. Such a significant level of
investment presents a ground-breaking opportunity for the City to embark on
implementing the recommendations laid out in the Homelessness Study. The volatile
nature of this revenue source, especially in its first year, the level of planning that must
occur, and the timing of the lawsuit points to a longer horizon for the programming of
these funds. However, planning and organizational adjustments can begin as early as
FY 2023-24 for what will likely be a multi-year Measure GS implementation strategy.
*There is currently a reverse validation action that seeks to invalidate Measure GS.
Because there is no pending request to stay the implementation of the tax, the tax will
go into effect on March 1, 2023. The lawsuit may take several months to resolve; as a
result, any tax collected and spent by the City would be considered a contingent
liability until resolution of the lawsuit.
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Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
5/8/17
(Attachment A)
Council received Information Item: Local Homeless Efforts in a
Regional Context
3/26/19
(Attachment B)
Council received Annual Homelessness Report and approved the
Four-Pillar Strategy
2/23/21
(Attachment C)
Council received Annual Homelessness Report, affirmed City’s
existing strategies to address homelessness, affirmed continuation of
MDT’s/Parks Ambassadors, and identified priorities for FY21-23
biennial budget process
5/26/21
(Attachment D)
Council reviewed and commented on the FY2021-23 proposed
biennial budget, which included $500,000 a year for two years for
emergency needs for vulnerable Santa Monicans
9/3/21
(Attachment E)
Council received Information Item: Update on Homelessness
Strategies
1/6/22
(Attachment F)
Council received Information Item: Overview of Homeless Outreach
and Hygiene Services
2/8/22
(Attachment G)
Council authorized the City Manager to execute a second
modification to agreement #10929 with Moss Adams to complete a
homeless services delivery audit and Human Services Grants
Program grantee monitoring
5/11/2022
(Attachment H)
2022 Annual Update to Council on Homelessness
2/14/2023
(Attachment I)
Declaration of a Local Homelessness Emergency
3/11/2023
(Attachment J)
2023 Council Workshop identifying Addressing Homelessness as a
priority for FY 2023-2025 and providing direction on key investments
and actions.
Environmental Review
Approval of the Annual Interdepartmental Homelessness Report is exempt from the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3)
(Common Sense Exemption) of the CEQA Guidelines, which states that CEQA does
not apply, “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the
activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment”.
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Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
In order to account for and expend FY2022-23 Westside Cities Council of
Governments (WSCCOG) Innovation Funds, the following budget changes are
required. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
FY 2022-23 Budget Changes
Establish Revenue Budget Appropriate Funds
Account Number(s) Amount Account Number(s) Amount
20400001.405630 $337,500 20400001.556480.21023 $225,000
20400001.556480.21025 $112,500
Total $337,500 Total $337,500
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the General Fund, Community
Development Block Grant Fund, Miscellaneous Grant Fund, and Special Revenue
Source Fund to award contracts listed below.
Contract Request
FY 2023-24
Budget
Request
Amount
Future Years
Amount Vendor Department/CIP Account #
Total Contract
Amount
$1,260,000 $3,780,000 County of Los
Angeles
Housing and Human
Services/552010 $5,040,000
$600,000 $1,800,000 The People
Concern
Housing and Human
Services/552010 $2,400,000
$100,000 $300,000 Exodus Recovery Housing and Human
Services/552010 $400,000
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Miscellaneous Grant Fund to increase
the amount of Contract 11265 with Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles for the Eviction
Prevention and Right to Counsel programs.
Contract/Agreement/Purchase Order Modification Request
Agreement #
Current Authorized
Amount
FY 2023-24
Budget
Modified Request
Amount Dept/CIP Account #
Total Revised
Contract Amount
11265 $200,000 $2,100,000 Housing and Human
Services/552010 $2,300,000
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Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Housing Authority Fund to increase
the amount of Contract 10705 with Dorothy Berndt, a California-based Licensed Clinical
Social Worker, to connect at-risk tenants voucher program tenants with local support
services to maintain housing stability.
Contract/Agreement/Purchase Order Modification Request
Agreement # Current Authorized
Amount
FY 2023-24 Budget
Modified Request
Amount
Dept/CIP Account # Total Revised
Contract Amount
10705 $265,000 $200,000 Housing and Human
Services/552010 $465,000
Staff will incorporate any budget actions into the City’s FY 2023-25 Biennial Budget.
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Achee Stevenson, Senior Human Services Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Attachment A: May 8, 2017 Information Item
B. Attachment B: March 26, 2019 Staff Report
C. Attachment C: February 23, 2021 Staff Report
D. Attachment D: May 26, 2021 Staff Report
E. Attachment E: September 3, 2021 Information Item
F. Attachment F: January 6, 2022 Information Item
G. Attachment G: February 8, 2022 Staff Report
H. Attachment H: May 11, 2022 Staff Report
I. Attachment I: City of Santa Monica Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency
on Homelessness
J. Attachment J: March 11, 2023 Council Workshop
K. Attachment K: Moss Adams Homelessness Study
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L. Attachment L: HUD 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to
Congress
M. Attachment M: LAHSA 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count Results
N. Attachment N: City of Santa Monica Camping Ordinance
O. Attachment O: Ellis Act
P. Attachment P: January 11, 2022 Staff Report
Q. Attachment Q: September 13, 2022 Staff Report
R. Attachment R: Extension of the Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on
Homelessness
S. Written Comments
T. ITEM11.A.Written Comments
U. PowerPoint Presentation
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City Council Meeting: May 9, 2023 Santa Monica, California
EXTENSION OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA DECLARING A LOCAL EMERGENCY ON HOMELESSNESS
WHEREAS, Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 2.16 empowers the City
Manager, as the Director of Emergency Services (“Director”), to request that the City
Council proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency if the City
Council is in session;
WHEREAS, the Director has found that it is vitally important to cooperate with other
regional agencies to address threats to public health and safety in the City of Santa
Monica (“City”) due to the homelessness crisis in the region, which continues to grow,
leading to deplorable living conditions and illness and deaths of unhoused and
unsheltered persons in the region;
WHEREAS, based on the most recent Homeless Count data from 2022, 582,462
people were experiencing homelessness in the United States, 171,521 in California,
69,144 in Los Angeles County, and 807 in Santa Monica;
WHEREAS, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(Metro) conducted a point in time count in March 2022 and estimates that approximately
800 individuals experiencing homelessness were sheltering at the rail and bus rapid
transit stations on any given night, and Metro’s current End of Line policy requires
deboarding of all passengers and belongings at the end of the line when trains go out of
service, resulting in an inflow of unhoused passengers at a time when sufficient
resources are not available;
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WHEREAS, homelessness is a complex regional issue that cannot be solved by
or ignored by any single community, and the City has an extensive history of deep
investments and coordinated efforts with other agencies to prevent and address
homelessness;
WHEREAS, in May 2022, the City Council reaffirmed addressing homelessness
as a top community priority; the City’s continued strategic investments, with a focus on
permanent solutions, have helped to stem the increase in homelessness locally as
demonstrated by the 2022 Homeless Count result s; nevertheless, the impacts of
homelessness are felt sharply on our streets;
WHEREAS, a 2019 report by the California Policy Lab found that 46% of people
experiencing unsheltered homelessness reported experiences of trauma or abuse that
caused or contributed to their homelessness; further, surveys found that 84% of
unsheltered people had physical health conditions, 78% had mental health conditions,
and 75% had substance abuse conditions; these challenges are worse for people of color
and other marginalized groups who face additional hurdles to accessing housing,
healthcare, and employment;
WHEREAS, the City has made investments in each of these areas, as well as
advocated at the regional and state level to address homelessness on the scale being
experienced in the Los Angeles region;
WHEREAS, it is critical that the City continues to keep our public spaces safe for
everyone through enforcement of our local laws;
WHEREAS, the City has implemented a diverse set of strategies to identify the
most vulnerable on our streets, repeatedly engage them to establish trust and address
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their needs, connect them with appropriate medical and behavioral health services, and
move them into housing while working closely with first responders to keep our
community safe;
WHEREAS, the City’s coordinated interdepartmental efforts have historically
relied on close collaboration with an emphasis on prioritizing resources for the most
vulnerable chronically homeless individuals and judiciously enforcing applicable laws to
promote public health and safety, while acknowledging that City resources alone are
insufficient to address the region’s pressing crises of homelessness, affordable housing1,
systemic racism2 and behavioral health3 ;
WHEREAS, the City adopted and continues to implement a strategic approach for
preventing and addressing homelessness in March 2019, including:
1. Preventing housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increasing
affordable housing opportunities;
2. Addressing the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents;
3. Maintaining equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces;
4. Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness; and
WHEREAS, conditions evidencing the ongoing crisis of homelessness include the
following:
1 California Housing Partnership (2021). Los Angeles County 2021 Affordable Housing Needs Report.
https://chpc.net/resources/los-angeles-county-housing-need-report-2021/
2 Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (2018). Report and Recommendations of the Ad Hoc
Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness.
https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=2823https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=2823-report-and-
recommendations-of-the-ad-hoc-committee-on-black-people-experiencing-homelessnessreport-
and-recommendations-of-the-ad-hoc-committee-on-black-people-experiencing-homelessness
3 California Policy Lab (2019). Health Conditions Among Unsheltered Adults in the U.S.
https://www.capolicylab.org/health-conditions-among-unsheltered-adults-in-the-u-s/
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1. An increasing number of calls-for-service to the Police Department attributed to
people experiencing homelessness. In 2021, the Police Department received
18,564 calls-for service and in 2022, the Police Department received 19,946 calls-
for-service.
2. An increasing number of calls-for-service to the Fire Department attributed to
people experiencing homelessness. In 2021, the Fire Department received 2,672
calls-for service and in 2022, the Fire Department received 3,017 calls-for-service.
3. An increasing number of encampments. In 2021, the Police Depa rtment
responded to 1,630 encampments and in 2022, the Police Department responded
to 1,879 encampments.
4. An increase in the number of public death cases attributed to individuals
experiencing homelessness. In 2022, the City responded to 20 public death cases.
5. An increase in the number of outdoor fires and arson that resulted in the Fire
Department responding to 393 fires in 2022, a 26% increase compared to 2021.
6. An increase in the amount of general debris, encampments and vandalism. An
estimated $4 million of the Public Works Department annual maintenance budget
is utilized in service of providing facilities and amenities such as clean restrooms,
showers, and clean drinking water for the homeless population, as well as cleaning
public spaces (beach, parks, Downtown and public right of way) that are heavily
utilized by people experiencing homelessness. On average, the Public Works
Department estimates that approximately 20-40 concentrated areas of
congregation by unhoused residents are serviced weekly.
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7. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, approximately 207
people a day are rehoused at the same time as 227 become homeless.
WHEREAS, in November 2022, Moss Adams completed a comprehensive study
of the City’s homelessness response and prevention efforts and developed a series of
recommendations as to how the City can optimize its efforts to address homelessness;
WHEREAS, the City is experiencing elevated levels of vacancy throughout the
organization and when combined with the staffing shortages that are experienced
throughout the County, and inflexible civil service rules, the City struggles to fill positions
expeditiously. This hampers the City’s ability to create the necessary organizational
capacity to effectively and efficiently implement the programs and services that are
needed to address homelessness;
WHEREAS, the City of Culver City, County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles,
and City of Long Beach, among others in the State, have each declared or proclaimed a
local emergency to address homelessness;
WHEREAS, the City is located in Service Planning Area 5 (SPA 5) and falls under
the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Continuum of Care (CoC);
WHEREAS, the City is committed to creating new housing opportunities,
preserving existing affordable housing, and helping residents keep their housing in Santa
Monica. Along with rent control, inclusionary zoning, and the programs of the Housing
Authority, allocation of resources from the Housing Trust Fund is one of the key drivers of
preserving housing affordability levels in Santa Monica through production of new units
and preservation of existing ones;
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WHEREAS, a declaration of local emergency on homelessness would enable the
City to:
1. Communicate to local, regional, state and federal partners that the City considers
homelessness a regional crisis, warranting the deployment of additional resources;
2. Position the City to receive additional county, state, and federal resources to
address the homelessness crisis. More resources are needed and could be
deployed for the following:
a. Expanding multi-disciplinary outreach teams to connect individuals
experiencing homelessness to local and regional services and housing;
b. Providing enhanced supports, including rental assistance, for individuals
that are rent burdened to prevent homelessness;
c. Increasing the supply of affordable housing and permanent supportive
housing in the City through partnerships with local and regional entities;
d. Enhancing public works resources to address the impacts of
homelessness, which can be dangerous work that requires specialized
training and equipment;
e. Enhancing the City’s public safety response to address impacts of
homelessness; this cuts across both police and fire departments that are
impacted in multiple ways, including arson, medical calls, etc.; and
f. Expanding collaborative solutions that provide valuable services,
programs in the areas of mental health, medical support and street
medicine, and substance abuse.
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3. Support the City’s work to address behavioral and mental health needs of residents
and those experiencing homelessness;
4. Support regional homelessness and prevention planning and strategy through the
Westside Cities Council of Governments and Los Angeles County;
5. Streamline and expedite any and all City processes and approvals concerning
development, deployment of resources, employment, contracting, grant approvals,
receipt, and budgeting, and community activities to assist in expediting services
and housing for people who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness or to
address local impacts of homelessness; and
6. Allow the Director to take any and all actions authorized under Chapter 2.16.
WHEREAS, the City is experiencing elevated levels of vacancy throughout the
organization, and when combined with the staffing shortages that are experienced
throughout the County, and inflexible civil service rules, the City struggles to fill positions
expeditiously. This hampers the City’s ability to create the necessary organizational
capacity to effectively and efficiently implement the programs and services that are
needed to address homelessness;
WHEREAS, Los Angeles is experiencing a massive workforce shortage, the ripple
effects of COVID-19 hiring freezes and diminished workforces, which has led to
understaffing and problems hiring and retaining staff due to the demands of the work of
addressing and preventing homelessness, leading to delays in implementing programs,
as reported by the Press Telegram, which cited the delay in implementation of Santa
Monica’s therapeutic transport van as an example, the Los Angeles Times, and
documented in the Moss Adams report;
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WHEREAS, the City’s efforts to prevent and address homelessness are Council’s
top priority, a cross-functional concern, the responsibility of the entire organization, and
the Council and community desire a clean and safe Santa Monica. However, the City is
experiencing elevated levels of employee vacancy throughout the organization and when
combined with the staffing shortages that are experienced throughout the County, and
strict civil service rules, the City struggles to fill positions expeditiously, if at all. This
hampers the City’s ability to create the necessary organizational capacity to effectively
and efficiently implement the programs and services that are needed to address and
prevent homelessness and support a clean and safe Santa Monica;
WHEREAS, Moss Adams recommended that the City appropriately match staff
capacity and resources with community expectations related to homelessness prevention
and response. The community’s expectations for additional investments in preventing and
addressing homelessness and maintaining public safety were conveyed through the
passage of Measure CS and Measure GS in November 2022, which will generate new
funding sources specifically for an expansion of City personnel, services, and programs
to prevent and address homelessness and maintain a clean and safe community;
WHEREAS, on February 14, 2023, the City adopted a Proclamation Declaring a
Local Emergency on Homelessness (the “Proclamation”) due to the homelessness crisis
in the region, which continues to grow, leading to deplorable living conditions and illness
and deaths of unhoused and unsheltered persons in the region;
WHEREAS, the conditions that existed at the time the Proclamation was adopted
continue to persist, and, therefore, the City Council wishes to extend the adopted
Proclamation through May 31, 2024, to increase City services and programs to address
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and prevent homelessness, maintain public safety, and maintain a clean and safe
community.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that a local
emergency on homelessness exists in the City of Santa Monica;
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of this
local emergency the powers, functions, and duties of the emergency organization of the
City shall be those prescribed by state law, and by ordinances, proclamations, and
resolutions of the City;
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that the Director shall be
empowered to seek, receive, budget, and expend all potential funding sources that may
be used to address the homelessness crisis;
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that the enactment of
Emergency Recruitment and Hiring protocols to expedite staffing essenti al to respond to
urgent situations requiring immediate services to protect persons at -risk and experiencing
homelessness from life-threatening harm and the public safety and welfare. This entails,
with the approval of the City Manager and advice of the Human Resources Director and
City Attorney in each case, the deferred or suspended implementation of certain sections
of the City Charter and Santa Monica Municipal Code relating to competitive
examinations; eligibility lists; and temporary, limited, as needed, and regular
appointments, on a case-by-case basis limited to job classifications that address the
homelessness emergency as described in this Proclamation, including Charter section
1100 and Municipal Code sections 2.04.060, 2.04.080, 2.04.140, 2.04.180 , 2.04.200,
2.04.210, 2.04.250, and 2.04.270. This may allow, as may be necessary, for example,
and without limitation:
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1. Making changes to certain job specifications to reflect the current nature of the
work or departmental structure without prior Personnel Board approval to expedite
service delivery;
2. Appointing a probationary employee to serve in an acting role within a higher
classification;
3. Appointing an employee who does not meet all minimum qualifications to serve in
a temporary position to provide services to address and prevent homelessness or
free up staff capacity elsewhere to address and prevent homelessness;
4. Over hiring (two or more employees in one position) to allow an employee who has
resigned with a date certain to transfer knowledge and train their successor,
whether that successor is a permanent or temporary employee.
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that the continuing local
emergency be regularly evaluated by the City Council, by referencing actions and key
performance indicators of progress in addressing the emergency, which include but are
not limited to:
1. Regulatory relief from other jurisdictions and within Los Angeles County agencies
to create flexibility to address the crisis;
2. Enactment of an Emergency Procurement Protocol to enable expedited retention
of vendors/contractors and acquisition of supplies and services for the provision of
services, shelter, and housing to protect persons at-risk and experiencing
homelessness from life threatening harm;
3. Coordination with the County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles, and LAHSA to
address homeless encampments at our shared borders;
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4. Coordination with Metro regarding their evaluation of their End of Line Policy to
mitigate the impacts on Santa Monica when passengers are forced to exit their
trains when they go out of service;
5. Coordination with CalTrans to protect the health and safety of the community due
to the accessibility of CalTrans right-of-way and encampments that occur on
CalTrans right-of-way, especially along the embankments of Interstate-10;
6. Coordination with Los Angeles County to expedite the deployment of the
Therapeutic Transport Van that will provide a much-needed resource to respond
to persons experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis;
7. Advocacy to regional, state and federal legislative representatives and agencies,
including but not limited to the County of Los Angeles, LAHSA, the California
Housing and Community Development Department, the California Governor’s
Office of Emergency Services, the California Department of Social Services, the
California Health and Human Services Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to directly allocate resources to the
City of Santa Monica to support increased outreach and behavioral health
services, emergency response assistance, and production of affordable and
permanent supportive housing;
8. Continued deployment of resources to address homeless encampments that pose
a threat to health and safety or risk of fire hazard, block the public right-away, or
are within 500 feet of sensitive receptors;
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9. Continuation of support of renter’s rights and tenant protections through the City’s
Rent Control and Tenant Protection Ordinances; and prioritize evaluation and
implementation of revisions and/or extensions to the City’s existing eviction
moratoriums;
10. Continuation of public communication and messaging to educate and engage the
public about homelessness and the City’s efforts to address homelessness, and
engage the unhoused population in the dialogue about the City’s efforts to address
homelessness;
11. Evaluation of traffic safety related impacts on unhoused individuals and
implementation of mitigation measures to prevent pedestrian related deaths
among persons experiencing homelessness;
12. To optimize the City’s work to address homelessness, complete an evaluation of
the Moss Adams Homelessness Study and p rioritize the implementation of
recommendations that align with available local, county, state, and federal
resources;
13. In order to maximize Housing Trust Fund resources, complete an evaluation of
existing and anticipated Housing Trust Fund resources to determine the ability to
make specific resources available quickly while the City pursues longer-term
initiatives on City-owned land pursuant to the Housing Element;
14. Streamline, accelerate, and expedite processes which implement Council-
approved policy in the 2021-2029 Housing Element regarding City-owned land
identified for affordable housing, such as issuing requests for proposals to identify
development teams with demonstrated capacity to design, finance, construct, and
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operate affordable housing and execute agreements and ground leases with
selected development teams. The selection of any development teams involving
City-owned land would be subject to Council approval;
15. Leverage Housing Trust Fund resources and streamline, accelerate, and expedite
the process to review and approve loan commitments for affordable housing
developments that serve Santa Monicans who are homeless or at -risk of
homelessness, or Santa Monica residents and workers. On a case-by-case basis,
staff may modify or waive the requirements for process, participation, approvals,
and limits set forth in the Housing Trust Fund Plan and Housing Trust Fund
Guidelines as well as require additional qualifications for projects such as size,
target population, and location in order to achieve the production of affordable
housing and permanent supportive housing.
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that a copy of this Proclamation
be forwarded to the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, to be
forwarded to the Director of California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services,
requesting that the Director find it acceptable in accordance with State law; and that the
Governor issue a proclamation declaring an emergency in Los Angeles County; that the
Governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery
assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the
State expedite access to State and Federal resources and any other appropriate federal
disaster relief programs.
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that this Proclamation of Local
Emergency shall take effect immediately and that widespread publicity and notice shall
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be given of this Proclamation throughout the City; and that this Proclamation shall expire
on May 31, 2024, unless repealed or extended by Council.
ADOPTED this ____ day of _____, 2023
By: _________________________
David White
City Manager
Approved as to form: Attest:
__________________________ __________________________
Douglas Sloan Denise Anderson-Warren
City Attorney City Clerk
11.A.r
Packet Pg. 1211 Attachment: Attachment R: Extension of the Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 1] (5578 : Update on
From: Marc L. Verville
To: Santa Monica City Council Members
Date: 8 May 2023
Re: SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Summary
In reviewing this update (the “Report”) within the context of other City-issued background
informatfon, the report describes the nature of Santa Monica’s homeless crisis as deriving from
a highly transient homeless demographic driven by in-migratfon from other parts of Los
Angeles city and Los Angeles County. The report makes the case that the City has very few
policy optfons at its disposal to manage either the in-migratfon or the consequences of the
behavioral issues that define this expanding demographic.
Meanwhile, the Point-In-Time (PIT) count data we do have shows the sheltered total and share
of the homeless populatfon declining to 26.5% in 2023 from a high of 58.9% in 2012. The
unsheltered total and share are increasing to 73.5% in 2023 from 41.1% in 2012. The total
number of unsheltered is 2.16x the level it was in 2012.
Combined with the facts that there have been no families and children in the unsheltered
counts and that the behavioral issues noted below affect the unsheltered populatfon and the
scenario that is evolving is highly destabilizing. Yet, there is no analysis of why this hugely
impactiul change is occurring.
Data Issues
The Report also highlights the difficultfes in effectfvely addressing the issues in this crisis that
result from the lack of complete or reliable data. This critfcal data issue was the noted in the
November 2022 Moss Adams’ Homeless Study [17] and drove at least 5 (26%) of the 19
observatfons in the Report.
Homeless Counts and Scope of Outreach – Quantffying the Issue
The Point in tfme (PIT) counts appear to understate the number of homeless individuals that
flow through the city when compared to the City ’s own Homeless Management Informatfon
System (HMIS). The PIT counts could be as low as 20% of the total number of individuals that
flow through the city in a year when compared to the years in which the City ’s HMIS (aka the
Wellsky Community Services system ) was fully functfonal.
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Packet Pg. 1212 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
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The scope of outreach is confusing since the Report notes that City policy is focused on a small
subset of the migratory total of persons experiencing homelessness through its Santa Monica
Priority Populatfon (SMPP) register. The City does not state what the number of SMPP-
qualified persons being managed are within the context of the PIT count totals.
Unsheltered Behavioral Challenges
The Report inexplicably omits any discussion of the behavioral profile of the unsheltered
homeless populatfon even though that profile is fundamental to understanding the challenges
this crisis presents. The City does outline the unsheltered behavioral issues in its homeless
emergency proclamatfon as “…84% of unsheltered people had physical health conditfons, 78%
had mental health conditfons, and 75% had substance abuse conditfons.”. [16] The unsheltered
demographic contfnues to dominate the overall growth in the homeless PIT counts going back
to 2009.
Housing and Homelessness
While the Report boldly states that “Homelessness is fundamentally a housing problem” [21],
the Report fails to demonstrate any linkage between the highly migratory nature of the Santa
Monica-specific homeless populatfon, and its behavioral and financial profiles, as against the
City ’s stated core initfatfves that revolve around affordable housing productfon. The assertfon
is a simple axiomatfc statement. Affordable housing productfon is already a state mandate
(with its own serious issues).
Homelessness Preventfon
As regards to “homelessness preventfon”, the Report fails to define the specific risk factors
being addressed in the “preventfon”. In additfon, the Report does not address the affordable
unit allocatfon framework and issues that contradicts the stated link between affordable
housing productfon and “homelessness preventfon”. Rent burdening has been a previously
defined risk factor for preventfng homelessness. Yet, the City has stated that “It is not possible
to estfmate the number of rent-burdened people who may become unhoused.” [4] That is
precisely because the risk of a housed individual becoming unhoused is very low since
becoming unhoused is not the first alternatfve that housed individuals and households look to.
[22]
In attemptfng to force a link between Santa Monica’s homelessness crisis, concepts of
“preventfng homelessness” and affordable housing productfon, the Report follows the Moss
Adams’ study methodology of simply applying a generic solutfon based on conventfonal
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Packet Pg. 1213 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
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wisdom to a completely unrelated situatfon. The use of this inappropriate methodology was
one of the key reasons that I voted “No” to the acceptance of the Moss Adams Report as the
Vice Chair of the City ’s Audit Subcommittee on November 28, 2022.
Funding and Resource Allocations
In dealing with resource allocatfons, the Report focuses on initfatfves to secure additfonal
funding but does not discuss the effectfveness of existfng funding or how much of the
additfonal funding will reach the street-level issues. In its discussion of expenditures (as
detailed below), the Report contfnues to conflate housing-related expenditures with the
homeless programs.
Critfcal street level resources appear to be declining despite the discussion of new funding. For
example, the Report discusses the effectfveness of the SM Fire Department ’s Crisis Response
Unit (CRU) [18] and then notes that funding is not available to fully staff the unit. The existfng
funding is proposed to be reallocated to administratfve roles, taking the resource off the
streets. This conclusion is reached even though another critfcal crisis transport-related
initfatfve from LA County, the Therapeutfc Transport Program, has had deployment to Santa
Monica endlessly delayed since first approved in 2020. [19]
The Report mentfons but does not address the fact that while (a corrected) $8.7 million is the
total direct funding of homeless initfatfves, $29.6 million of scarce Fire, Police and Public Works
resourcing is being siphoned off to manage the effects of the unrestrained in-migratfon of a
behaviorally challenged populatfon. [20] Without a focus on controlling in-migratfon, the
allocatfon of these critfcal resources to the growing homeless crisis will only expand, reducing
their effectfveness in all other areas of the city.
Conclusions
The Report describes a complete disconnect between the origins, nature and trends of the
homeless crisis and the initfatfves it is pursuing. A contfnuing focus on irrelevant solutfons
within a context of deficient or non-existent data distracts City staff from identffying and
targetfng the core issues driving our ongoing (and growing) crisis. It also contributes to a
misdirected sense of actfon with the heightened risk of significant misallocatfon of very scarce
resources.
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Packet Pg. 1214 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
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Without any significant and substantfal attempts to control in-migratfon, and with declining
data available to assess the evolving situatfon, there is no ability to assess the resources
required to manage the situatfon.
Moreover, the Report provides no definitfon of success and therefore success criteria against
which to measure, and therefore design, relevant programs.
As such, this Report paints a picture of a focus on policies designed for other purposes such as
meetfng the arbitrary RHNA allocatfons and is therefore unrelated to managing the on-the-
ground homeless crisis. The Report also describes the emphasis on increasing funding receipts
but does not translate that into expanded street-level initfatfves. Instead, the existfng directly-
applicable street-level point policies have substantfal administratfve burdens that render the
expenditures less than effectfve, in an underfunded environment. Estfmatfng the actual share
of each program dollar that gets to the street would be a very worthwhile exercise for the city
to conduct.
This Report indicates that the trajectory of the City ’s homeless crisis will only get much worse
without a fundamental change in focus.
Review of the annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
The update addresses the following areas:
A.Review of the City’s Four Pillar Approach
B.The Regional Context
C.The Local Homeless Service System
D.Roadmap to Permanent Housing
E.Homeless Point in Time Count Results 2023
F.Four Pillars Update (p24)
G.Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness (p46)
H.Next Steps
A.Review of the City’s Four Pillar Approach
See Item F
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Packet Pg. 1215 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
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B.The Regional Context
The Regional Context summarizes the situatfon in Santa Monica as a jurisdictfon that is
unable to exert any control over the in-migratfon of the highly mobile homeless
demographic as a result of its being an enclave within LA City Council District 11 (CD11)
which includes Venice.
The situatfon is then amplified by unilateral LA County transit and services policies that
concentrate in-migratfon of homeless demographic into the city and then incentfvize the
duratfon of the stay in the city by concentratfng in Santa Monica the provision of substance
abuse service centers (the Harm Reductfon Syringe Services Program (SSP)) [14] in Santa
Monica’s few high-community-value open park areas.
Acknowledging the essentfally highly mobile nature of the demographic, the City prioritfzes
people experiencing homelessness who have a history of living or working in Santa Monica,
rather than “passing through” or “recently arrived to” Santa Monica (the Santa Monica
Priority Populatfon [SMPP] criteria).
As such, City policy is being acknowledged to address a very small subset of the migratory
total of persons experiencing homelessness. The City does not state what the number is of
SMPP-qualified persons that are being actfvely managed.
The missing items in this “Context” sectfon are:
1.The City has not indicated how many of the 2023 PIT homeless count’s 926 individuals
qualify as SMPP partfcipants.
2.There is no discussion of what happens to those (likely the vast majority) that are NOT
SMPP partfcipants.
3.There is no quantfficatfon of the impact of LA Metro’s unilateral End of Line policy
decision to convert its rail and bus vehicles into a mobile shelter system. Separate
sources indicate that almost 60 homeless individuals are disembarked into SM each
evening from the train alone. [13] An additfonal unknown number are disembarked
from the four Metro Bus Lines (4, 20, 33, and 720). All End of Line disembarkatfons
occur in downtown Santa Monica. [9]
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Packet Pg. 1216 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
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There is no mentfon of the City delegatfng it’s responsibility to effectfvely manage its
relatfonship with LA Metro to the SM neighborhood groups by asking a neighborhood
group leader to help by “sending a letter to Metro” objectfng to this End of Line practfce.
4. While State law prohibits citfes from controlling these County Syringe Services Programs
(SSP) within city limits, there is no discussion of optfons for the city to regain leverage
over of these operatfons through some other negotfated means.
C. The Local Homeless Service System
This sectfon starts off by enumeratfng the factors that limit the City’s agency and includes
an unrelated reference to preventfng homelessness. Again, there is no discussion of the
reach of these initfatfves. Do they apply only to those that meet SMPP criteria or is it the
entfre demographic?
This entfre discussion creates complete confusion as to the City’s ability to quantffy the
problem and direct solutfons.
1. The City notes that “Preventfng someone from becoming homeless is much less
expensive and resource intensive than housing someone once that person is homeless.”
Yet, the City has also stated that “It is not possible to estfmate the number of rent-
burdened people who may become unhoused.” [4] Therefore, the city has no idea what
risk (if any) it is addressing.
2. In discussing the processes of Interventfons, Engagement, Assessment, Stabilizatfon,
Verificatfon, Applicatfons, there is no discussion of the capacity of the process to handle
the total number of homeless or the share of those qualifying under SMPP. It is not
clear that there are even enough resources to manage the SMPP-qualified individuals.
There is also no reference to the PIT count totals in relatfon to these processes.
3. In the assessment discussion, the City notes that individuals are “…entered into the
HMIS and, if so, whether they are currently connected to a service provider.” Moss
Adams has noted that “…there is no integratfon of data across the HMIS, Police, and
Fire, (and) the data that can be reported is likely to be duplicated, which in turn impacts
the accuracy of performance reportfng and monitoring.” [6]
11.A.
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May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1217 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 7 of 21
Even if the data is entered, Moss Adams’ noted in their Report that the City had not
restored 3 critfcal homeless-related data analyst and management positfons were
eliminated in budget cuts. [7]
Even if the positfons are restored, the usefulness of the data is highly questfonable since
the City has noted that “…in 2021, a major regional nonprofit provider that is not
required by federal or local funding to use HMIS moved off of HMIS and onto their own
system.” [5] Without integratfon, this fragmentatfon of the informatfon has
compromised any remaining usefulness of this database.
4. The City notes that it is severely limited in enforcement optfons due to recently decided
case law, District Attorney discretfon and Sherriff Department discretfon, all of which are
beyond the City’s control. No mentfon is made of alternate strategies to address the
issues facing the residents and visitors.
D. Roadmap to Permanent Housing
This sectfon starts with a reference to the Moss Adams’ report assertfng that “adequate
levels of affordable housing and permanent supportfve housing are the most critfcal
components to homelessness preventfon and resolutfon.” It goes on to list the city sites
targeted for affordable housing development.
This statement was treated by Moss Adams as axiomatfc, without any linkage to the specific
issues facing Santa Monica. In discussions with Moss Adams, it was clarified that the
statement was based on generic “Best Practfces.” [7] This generic policy statement was not
otherwise related or linked to the specific issues driving the homeless crisis in the city of
Santa Monica.
There is no definitfon of what the risk factors are for “preventfng homelessness” nor is there
any linkage as to how affordable housing (which is income-based) is relevant to the existfng
migratory homeless populatfon in the city.
With only very rare exceptfons does the city’s homelessness crisis have anything to do with
the city’s housing situatfon, despite strenuous attempts to link the two.
11.A.
May 9, 2023
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May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1218 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 8 of 21
1. While the Report notes that the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA)
estfmates approximately 207 people a day are rehoused at the same tfme as 227
become homeless, there is no indicatfon of what these statfstfcs represent (e.g.,
previously housed homeless losing shelter) or any linkage to what is happening in Santa
Monica.
2. While not defined in this Report, other City pronouncements have defined a key risk
metric of potentfal homelessness as rent burdening, defined as a household paying
more than 50% of income on rent.[6] There is no mentfon of such households accessing
more affordable rental accommodatfons in locales other than Santa Monica, as would be
the normal course. Thus, the actual correlatfon of rent burdening, as defined, to actual
homelessness is therefore entfrely speculatfve and unsupported.
In response to a direct questfon, the City noted that “It is not possible to estfmate the
number of rent-burdened people who may become unhoused.” [4]
3. The City has no idea how many residents may even be “rent burdened” by its own
definitfon [11] and therefore has no idea what the linkage there is, if any, between a
“rent burdened conditfon” and the city’s homeless demographic.
4. The actual scale of “rent burdened” households among the city ’s 46,700 households
appears to be incredibly small and therefore manageable with targeted City financial
programs. The City notes in the Report that “The HOME Program alleviates the rent
burden of 30 partfcipants who may otherwise have ended up homeless.” [14] A program
specifically tailored to provide rent supplements to those with rent burdens greater than
50% of income generated approximately 531 qualified applicants. [11]
5. Rent burdening is not specifically included in the City’s enumerated Affordable Housing
access priority levels. Given the 8,931 applicants to the City ’s Below Market Housing
(BMH) program at 06-30-2022 [8], the City has effectfvely eliminated affordable housing
as an optfon to the very “rent burdened” demographic it identffies as facing the worst
possible housing outcome – homelessness.
11.A.
May 9, 2023
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May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1219 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 9 of 21
6. Even if the City wanted to include residents that are “rent burdened” as the top priority
in its BMH program prioritfzatfon, it could be legally precluded from doing so since it
could be construed as a form of indirect discriminatfon based on race (depending on the
interpretatfon of the city’s demographics). This issue has also gone unaddressed.
7. There is no mentfon of how many (if any) of the existfng affordable housing applicants
are homeless individuals living in interim housing. As of 06-30-2022, there were 8,931
actfve applicatfons for openings in the city’s 4,578 affordable units. [23]
8. The $42.5 million in “Costs Related to Addressing Homelessness” includes $33.9 million
in indirect costs, housing subsidies and staff administratfve costs. Actual direct
expenditures on homelessness initfatfves are $8.6 million [12]
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1220 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 10 of 21
E. Homeless Point in Time Count Results 2023
The Point-in-Time count discussion paints a picture of very high transiency. The city has
noted that “a significant portfon of the people experiencing homelessness are here
temporarily ”…reflectfng “the transient nature of homelessness.” [4]
The demographic profile described by the statfstfcs and the issues raised by the data are at
compete odds with the assumptfons of an essentfally statfc populatfon that the city’s
housing and service initfatfves require to be effectfve on an individual city level.
While there is no mentfon in the Report about the spike in homeless counts that
accompanied the opening of the Metro rail line in 2016, there is a clear step change (+27%)
in the counts pre (2016) and post (2017) the start of the Metro Line in May 2016. The 2023
PIT homeless count increased by 119 (15%) individuals since 2022. [2] The chart below
summarizes the 2022 count within the context of the last 14 years.
11.A.
May 9, 2023
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Packet Pg. 1221 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 11 of 21
1. The Report describes a highly transient demographic and admits that it has no idea how
many (if any) are just passing through or are long term. The City notes that:
“As stated before, Santa Monica’s boundaries are porous, and the city is the “end of the
line” for Metro’s bus and rail lines. There is a daily influx and outilow of people. Some
people who were counted in January were likely passing through Santa Monica or
recently arrived. Others may have been here for years or decades.” [24]
2. Given the very high levels of transiency in this homeless demographic, using only PIT
counts significantly masks actual number of homeless individuals that flow through the
city in any given year. As an indicatfve measure for years 2018, 2019 and 2020, where
the City’s HMIS was fully operatfonal [5], the PIT counts represented between 14% and
19% of total unique homeless individuals interactfng with City services (see chart below).
11.A.
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Packet Pg. 1222 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 12 of 21
3. Even with a maintained HMIS system during those years, the City notes that the
numbers are not entfrely reliable since there were significant deficiencies in the data
(see C.3. above). That said, the magnitudes are indicatfve of the underlying trends.
4. Current visibility into the level of transiency has been further obscured by the decision
of a major regional nonprofit provider moved off of HMIS and onto their own system.
This has prevented the City from supplying relevant HMIS-sourced statfstfcs for 2021 and
2022. [5]
5. The Report does not address the distfnct underlying trends in the PIT counts between
the sheltered and unsheltered components that can be used as directfonal indicators:
11.A.
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May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1223 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 13 of 21
5. Unhoused individuals increased by 73 (12%). These increases occurred despite a county-
wide evictfon moratorium being in place since 2020 (and ending on 04-23-2023),
eliminatfng loss of housing as a causal factor.
6. The 11% decrease in overall homelessness in 2022 as compared to 2020 was noted as
being driven by “the significant reductfon in the local shelter capacity ”. [3] This ratfonal
does not align with the fact that the unhoused populatfon count was flat during those
periods, at 601 in 2020 and 608 in 2022. If the demographic was not preponderantly
transient, the lack of shelter would have driven up the unhoused counts. There is no
discussion of shelter capacity, despite the dramatfc declines in the sheltered populatfon
(see chart below)
11.A.
May 9, 2023
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11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1224 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 14 of 21
7. The Report does not address why the share of unsheltered individuals has been steadily
climbing since 2010.
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May 9, 2023
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11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1225 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 15 of 21
8. The Report does not address why the total number and share of Sheltered of individuals
has been declining since 2012.
a. Are the number of shelter beds declining?
b. Are other jurisdictfons taking a greater share of the shelter beds available?
c. Is the number of homeless families and children declining?
9. The Report notes that “as in previous years, no families or unaccompanied youth
experiencing homelessness were observed during the street count ” [1]
This observatfon is made without reference to the fact that the sheltered count has been
in general decline since 2012, indicatfng that the homeless demographic is trending
towards individuals, with anecdotal evidence indicatfng that it is almost exclusively male.
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1226 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 16 of 21
10. The Report notes that the 11% decrease in overall homelessness in 2022 as compared
to 2020 was noted as being driven by “the significant reductfon in the local shelter
capacity ”. [3]
It ’s not clear that is a causal factor since there has been an ongoing decline in the
sheltered homeless populatfon since 2009 (see chart above). The Report is silent on
both this trend and its cause. Have shelter/instftutfon beds been in overall decline
during the entfre period?
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1227 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 17 of 21
F. Four Pillars Update
In this sectfon, the City covers the “Four Pillars” listed as:
• Preventfng housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increasing affordable
housing opportunitfes;
• Addressing the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents;
• Maintaining equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces; and
• Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness.
The entfre discussion surrounding preventfng homelessness and increasing affordable housing
contfnues to revolve around an axiomatfc assumptfon of housing initfatfve applicability to this
city’s homeless crisis. As described above, no demonstrable link has been established by the
City related to the Santa Monica-specific homeless crisis. Even the discussion around the Legal
Aid Foundatfon of Los Angeles’ (LAFLA) Emergency Evictfon Preventfon Services simply
assumes a link to preventfng homelessness. It does not contemplate tenant relocatfon to
other, less expensive locales as a personal tenant solutfon optfon.
The Report, and the external data cites above, supports the opposite conclusion – that there is
no link. Therefore, this constant refrain by the City linking the housing policies to the homeless
crisis appears to be entfrely opportunistfc, in support of a completely separate agenda.
In the sectfon dealing with “Addressing the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents”,
the story is of under-funding and ineffectfve programs. Consequently, the discussion is focused
on process rather than outcomes.
Multf-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) sectfon: We learn that The People Concern (TPC) made
10,454 contacts in 2022 of homeless individuals. We have no idea what the number of unique
individuals contacted was or if they are all from SM. Of these contacts, only 59 individuals
obtained interim or permanent housing.
Community Response Unit: This a pilot program of 2 SMFD individuals who have direct contact
with the homeless populatfon to expedite movement off the street. This unit was supposed to
lead to a fully staffed 6-8 person team. Instead, the unit looks to be disbanded for lack of
funds with the existfng funding being reallocated to administratfve uses.
11.A.
May 9, 2023
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May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1228 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 18 of 21
Therapeutfc Transport Program: This is a promised mental health van from LA County that has
been promised since October of 2020 but has yet to materialize. [15]
In the sectfon tftled “Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness”, the regional
agencies are discussed but there is no discussion of their policy risks to SM or of any SM
strategy to more effectfvely deal with the issues.
In the sectfon “Costs Related to Addressing Homelessness”, the City notes direct expenditures
of $12.9 million [12] which is, in reality, only $8.7 million with the difference being inclusion of
more housing-related expenditures that are unrelated to direct homeless initfatfves. This is in
a city with a budget of around $600 million. Even then, there is no discussion of how much of
the $8.7 million actually gets to the streets and how much is absorbed in program
administratfon.
11.A.
May 9, 2023
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11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1229 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 19 of 21
References
[1] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.22
[2] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.21
Santa Monica Housing Element 2022, Appendix I Table 11 (Page 147)
https://www.santamonica.gov/media/Housing-Element-Update-2021-to-2029/Final%20Draft%20Appendix%20I%20Final%20AFH%20Clean.pdf
[3] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.21
[4] Responses to Questfons Regarding the Homelessness Study Brought Forth by Audit
Subcommittee Member Verville at the November 28, 2022 Audit Subcommittee Meetfng
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Responses%20to%20Questfons%20Regarding%20the%20Homelessness%20Study.pd f
[5] Public Records Request of January 13, 2023., Reference # R020564-011323
[6] City of SM Homelessness Study – Final (Moss Adams) – Updated 11-30-2022 p67
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/Council/Audit_Comm/City%20of%20Santa%20Monica%20Homelessness
%20Study%20FINAL_Update%2011.30.22.pdf
[7] City of SM Homelessness Study – Final (Moss Adams) – Updated 11-30-2022 p58
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/Council/Audit_Comm/City%20of%20Santa%20Monica%20Homelessness
%20Study%20FINAL_Update%2011.30.22.pdf
[8] City of SM Homelessness Study – Final (Moss Adams) – Updated 11-30-2022 pgs 65 & 66
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/Council/Audit_Comm/City%20of%20Santa%20Monica%20Homelessness
%20Study%20FINAL_Update%2011.30.22.pdf
[9] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.42
[10] Not used.
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1230 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 20 of 21
[11] No Reliable Data to Support Key Housing Number – SM Lookout 02-14-2023
https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2023/February-
2023/02_14_2023_No_Reliable_Data_to_Support_Key_Housing_Number.html
[12] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.45
City of Santa Monica Homelessness Study – Final (Moss Adams) – Updated 11-30-2022
Appendix D
[13] LA Metro survey: About 600 homeless riders exit nightly when train service ends | LA
Daily News 04-29-2023
https://www.dailynews.com/2023/04/28/la-metro-survey-about-600-homeless-riders-exit-nightly-when-train-service-ends/
[14] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.35
[15] SMCC 2021-02-08 - Item 8.A. - Efforts to Address Homelessness - CRU & DMH - Staff
Report 4430 (Snapshot-32313)
Santa Monica City Council Meetfng: February 23, 2021 Agenda Item: 8.A.
http://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citfzens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=None&MeetfngID=1261&MediaPositfon
=&ID=4430&CssClass=
[16] Proclamatfon of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Declaring a Local Emergency
on Homelessness issued on February 14, 2023
https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citfzens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetfngID=1353&MediaPositfon=&ID
=5596&CssClass=
[17] City of SM Homelessness Study – Final (Moss Adams) – Updated 11-30-2022
Observatfons #2, #3, #6, #12, #19 pgs 7-11
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/Council/Audit_Comm/City%20of%2
0Santa%20Monica%20Homelessness%20Study%20FINAL_Update%2011.30.22.pdf
[18] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.32
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1231 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Evaluatfon of SM City Council 9 May 2023 Agenda Item 11.A.
Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
Page 21 of 21
[19] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.34
[20] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.45
[21] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.6
[22] Predictfng and Preventfng Homelessness in Los Angeles - CalPolicyLab SEP 2019 p.5
https://www.capolicylab.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Predictfng_and_Preventfng_Homelessness_in_Los_Angeles.pdf
[23] City of SM Homelessness Study – Final (Moss Adams) – Updated 11-30-2022 p.66
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/Council/Audit_Comm/City%20of%2
0Santa%20Monica%20Homelessness%20Study%20FINAL_Update%2011.30.22.pdf
[24] Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness
SMCC 05-09-2023 Item 11.A. (Snapshot-41059) p.22
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.s
Packet Pg. 1232 Attachment: Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
1
Xavier Mota
From:Kelsey NaPier <kelseymnapier@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, May 8, 2023 8:10 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Public Comment on City Council Homelessness Topic
EXTERNAL
Dear City of Santa Monica,
Publicly traded companies produce quarterly earnings reports for their shareholders. Reporting clear metrics, trends, goals, and progress towards
these goals helps investors understand how the company is performing.
Homelessness has been declared a state of emergency. Would you consider hosting monthly updates, similar to shareholder reports, to directly
address homelessness in Santa Monica? Our city is not safe and we need clearly defined and quantifiable updates as taxpayers. Please consider
Instagram live as a tool. Josh Green, the Governor of Hawaii, effectively used instagram to communicate daily covid updates during the pandemic,
and they are not home to “Silicon Beach”!
The city of Santa Monica’s instagram has 28.6k followers, yet it rarely posts. We need transparent and easily accessible information on digital
platforms updating Santa Monicans on the homeless crisis and the efforts of our elected representatives to address these critical issues, as soon as
possible.
Here is a link to Governor Josh Green’s Instagram:
Governor Josh Green (@govjoshgreen) •
Instagram photos and videos
instagram.com
Thank you,
Kelsey NaPier
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.t
Packet Pg. 1233 Attachment: ITEM11.A.Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
From:Cathie Lamm
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:NO MORE MONEY TO HOUSE DANGEROUS ADDICTS‼‼‼‼
Date:Tuesday, May 9, 2023 10:48:33 AM
EXTERNAL
Question: Do you think the homeless on our streets are there because they were local residents whose rent was
raised $150? (Of course not)
Are you concerned that a lot of the homeless arrested are career felons from out of state with warrants? (You should
be)
Do you think these are people from other counties and states who have problems with addiction and mental health?
(Absolutely)
And if you think that's the case, do you think that just sticking them in housing without treating their underlying
conditions is going to solve their problems? (It won’t)
Please wake up and start doing what is right! Stop wasting our tax money on something that doesn’t work, hasn’t
worked and will not work!
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.t
Packet Pg. 1234 Attachment: ITEM11.A.Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Other Office Locations:
Ron Olson Justice Center, 1550 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017
East Los Angeles, 5301 Whittier Blvd., 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90022
Long Beach, 601 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802
South Los Angeles, 7000 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90003
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
1640 5th St., Suite 124
Santa Monica, CA 90401
May 9, 2023
VIA E-MAIL
councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov
Mayor Davis and City Council
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street, Room 209
Santa Monica, CA 90401
RE: May 9, 2023 City Council Special Meeting – Agenda Items 11.A and 11.B
Specifically Item 11.A(7): Authorization for City Manager to Execute First
Modification to Agreement with LAFLA for the Eviction Prevention and Right to
Counsel programs; and, Item 11.B: HSGP Funding Recommendations
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I write on behalf of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (“LAFLA”), and the low-income
residents of Santa Monica we serve every day. LAFLA’s Santa Monica community office has
served residents for nearly 30 years and seeks to continue its hard work going forward. We offer
free legal assistance and representation in: (i) housing disputes and eviction cases; (ii)
applications for domestic violence restraining orders and family law orders; and (iii) access and
maintenance of public benefits. To that end, we support the staff recommendations in Items
11.A(7) and 11.B.
Item 11.A(7): Funding for Eviction Prevention and Right to Counsel Programs
According to the Judicial Council of California, “Eviction is one of the most urgent civil law
issues for low-income individuals and families.” We agree. As you know, Santa Monica
residents are at greater risk of homelessness and housing insecurity than ever before. Between
the Right to Counsel program and our HSGP housing work, we have seen a nearly 28% increase
in unduplicated Santa Monica residents assisted with housing cases from January 1, 2022 to
January 1, 2023. We only see that number increasing in the future.
Further, a study by Stout Risius Ross, LLC (Stout) found that in the County of Los Angeles, 97%
of tenants with unsealed eviction cases were unrepresented, as opposed to only 12% of landlords.
Stout’s analysis of court-assigned case outcomes for unrepresented tenants indicated that 94% of
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.t
Packet Pg. 1235 Attachment: ITEM11.A.Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
May 9, 2023
2
unrepresented tenants had a high likelihood of experiencing disruptive displacement through the
eviction process.
We seek to stem the tide of disruptive displacement to the benefit of tenants and their families, as
well as the community as a whole. The City of Santa Monica is in a unique position of having
both the resources to address the plight of unrepresented tenants, as well as the practical ability
to implement such a program. The continued funding of the Santa Monica Right to Counsel
program should be an example to the rest of the county.
In the last 12 months of the Right to Counsel program, in cases where we have provided
representation in the unlawful detainer litigation, roughly 70% of tenants have remained in their
housing, with the other 30% granted some combination of additional time, a waiver, a sealed
record, or a soft landing in new housing. Indeed, representation in unlawful detainers is
homelessness prevention, and the program has been successful.
As such, we appreciate the counsel’s consideration of this funding, and its commitment to
address the ongoing homelessness crisis. We support the recommendation of staff in Item
11.A(7) as part of a larger strategy to address homelessness and housing insecurity in Santa
Monica.
Item 11.B: HSGP Funding Recommendations – Community Office and Domestic Violence
Clinic in Santa Monica Courthouse
The LAFLA community office has been a fixture in Santa Monica for nearly three decades. In
addition to the vital litigation work addressed above, this HSGP funded program also engages in
a large amount of pre-litigation prevention work, finding solutions so tenants and their landlords
never have to go to court in the first place. While these attorneys also engage in plenty of
unlawful detainer litigation (alongside the Right to Counsel program), there is an emphasis on
problem-solving and engagement to avoid litigation where possible.
We further support the staff recommendation to continue funding our long-running domestic
violence clinic in the Santa Monica courthouse. The need to protect domestic violence survivors
continues to grow. Studies have shown that intimate partner violence increased during the
pandemic, even if reporting of that violence did not. However, more survivors are seeking
protection as restrictions and the pandemic has lessened. As of January 1, 2023, we saw a nearly
35% increase in Santa Monica residents who received legal services from the DV Clinic
compared to the same time in 2022.
LAFLA provides this vital assistance to survivors of domestic violence, as well as support in
divorce, custody, and child support cases in a manner most convenient for the client, whether
that be through Zoom or in-person assistance. This blended model allows us to serve
traditionally hard-to-reach clients and provides the widest access to survivors seeking protection
from domestic violence.
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.t
Packet Pg. 1236 Attachment: ITEM11.A.Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
May 9, 2023
3
Finally, HSGP also funds our benefits work for Santa Monica residents. LAFLA provides
advice and support regarding government benefits such as Social Security, SSI, Food Stamps,
and CalWORKs. Especially in light of the economic hardships experienced by so many due to
COVID-19, keeping residents connected to these benefits is essential to their well-being.
Conclusion
All of these services are part and parcel with LAFLA’s holistic treatment of our clients,
recognizing their issues are multi-faceted and often require more than one type of support to
resolve. Accordingly, we support the recommendations of staff with regard to the Right to
Counsel program in Item 11.A(7) and the HSGP funding outlined in Item 11.B.
Very truly yours,
Kevin F. Mitchell
Managing Attorney
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.t
Packet Pg. 1237 Attachment: ITEM11.A.Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
From:Tara Barauskas
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:Item 11A - 5-9-23
Date:Tuesday, May 9, 2023 9:44:06 AM
Importance:High
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Davis and Members of the City Council,
I’m writing to express my support for the efforts the City has made, as outlined in Item 11A. The City
of Santa Monica has demonstrated its commitment to diversity and inclusiveness over many
decades, by providing strong support for the production and preservation of affordable housing. The
people that live in Community Corp. housing provide workforce to many important jobs in the
community that simply pay less – for example, grocery store workers, construction workers,
hospitality and retail workers, people who work in schools and childcare. Without affordable housing
such as we and other organizations provide, there would not be the possibility for many of these
families to live in Santa Monica and they would need to live hours away. Without affordable rents,
some of these households would likely be homeless, and some of our residents have been homeless
and now are stably housed. We appreciate the efforts of the City to address homelessness through a
variety of means, including an array of services, as well as supporting the production of long-term,
permanent housing for people of modest means. This is a long-term strategy to prevent
homelessness and is critically important in our collective goals of making sure everyone has a
dignified, safe place to live. Thank you to the City leadership and staff who makes this work possible.
Tara
Tara Barauskas, LEED AP
Executive Director
Community Corporation of Santa Monica
1423 2nd Street, Suite B
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-8487 ext. 133
tbarauskas@communitycorp.org
www.communitycorp.org
I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional
territory I live and work.
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
ITEM 11.A.
May 9, 2023
11.A.t
Packet Pg. 1238 Attachment: ITEM11.A.Written Comments (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Update on Homelessness
City Council Meeting -May 9,2023
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1239 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Introduction
Message from the
City Manager
2
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1240 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
What does it take to get someone off the street?
3
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1241 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
4
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1242 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
15% Increase in People Experiencing Homelessness
5
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1243 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Greater Increase in Shelter Count than in Street Count
6
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1244 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Increase in
Downtown
but Decrease
in Beach
Areas
7
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1245 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Four Pillar Approach
8
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Packet Pg. 1246 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
9
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1247 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Pillar 1 –Key Activities
10
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1248 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Pillar 1 -Next Steps / Investments
•Las Flores –73 units
•1819 Pico –48 units
•The Laurel –57 units
•Little Berkeley –13 units
•1318 4th Street –at least 100 units
•20 affordable units in market rate buildings
•Continue LAFLA Right to Counsel and
Eviction Prevention with HOME-ARP dollars
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Packet Pg. 1249 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
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11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1250 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Pillar 2 –Key Activities
13
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1251 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Pillar 2 -Next Steps / Investments
14
•Third C3 Outreach Team
•Continue MDTs
•Therapeutic Transport Van
•EMS Battalion Chief and CRU case
manager
•SAMOSHEL 24/7 capacity
•Initium Phase 1 Community Engagement
Process
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1252 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
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11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1253 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Pillar 3 –Key Activities
16
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1254 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Pillar 3 -Next Steps / Investments
•Shelter, Treatment, & Empowerment
Program (STEP)
•Homeless Support Team (HoST)
•HLP Team expansion
•3-1-1 Responsive Outreach Team
17
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1255 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
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11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1256 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Pillar 4 -Key Activities
19
Review of Metro’s
End of Line Policy
Requests for
Additional Services
from Metro
Ongoing
Discussions
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1257 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Pillar 4 -Next Steps / Investments
•Requests of Metro
•Los Angeles County
Homeless Initiative
Local Solutions Fund
20
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1258 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Declaration of Local Emergency
21
Expedited Grant Applications
Expedited MOUs to Pilot New
Programs
Continued & Expanded Programs
Fast Tracked Funding
Made Affordable Housing Loan
Commitments
Rebalanced Workloads
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1259 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Where we go from here:
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11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1260 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Next Steps
23
•New affordable and PSH developments
•Continue Right to Counsel Program
•Continue Eviction Prevention Assistance
•Additional C3 Outreach Team
•Continue Multidisciplinary Street Teams
•Implement Therapeutic Transport Program
•New CRU Case Manager and EMS Battalion Chief
•Redesign SAMOSHEL for 24/7 intakes
•Behavioral Health Feasibility Study Community Engagement
•Create Shelter, Treatment, and Empowerment Program (STEP)
•Pilot Homeless Support Team (HoST)
•Expand HLP Team
•Launch 3-1-1 Responsive Outreach Team
•Requests of Metro
•Increase in County Local Solutions Fund
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1261 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Next Steps –Moss Adams Recommendations
24
Create Homelessness
Strategic Plan
Expand HLP Team
Expand C3 Outreach Team
Redesign SAMOSHEL
for 24/7 Intakes
Pilot Homelessness
Support Team
Invest in Affordable Housing
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1262 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
For Council
Consideration:
Recommended
Actions
25
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1263 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Staff Recommends that the City Council:
1.Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense
Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2.Review and comment on the 2023 Annual Interdepartmental Homelessness Report and provide staff with
guidance on implementing next steps.
3.Extend the Proclamation of Local Emergency on Homelessness through May 31, 2024, unless repealed or
extended by Council, due to the ongoing crisis of homelessness as evidenced by the 2023 increase in the
Point-In-Time Count.
4.Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with the County of Los Angeles
for operation of the City + County + Community (C3) Homeless Outreach Teams.This award is made as an
exception to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Sections 2.24.250 (i) and 2.24.240 (a) of the Santa
Monica Municipal Code (“SMMC”) and is for a term of four years at a total amount not-to-exceed $5,040,000,
with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
26
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1264 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Staff Recommends that the City Council:
5.Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with The People Concern for operation
of the Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Team (HMST). This award is made as an exception to the competitive
bidding process pursuant to SMMC Sections 2.24.250 (i) and 2.24.240 (a) and is for a term of four years at a
total amount not to exceed $2,400,000, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
6.Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Exodus Recovery for the Services,
Treatment & Empowerment Program (STEP). This award is made as an exception to the competitive bidding
process pursuant to SMMC Sections 2.24.250 (i) and 2.24.240 (a) and is for a term of 4 years at a total amount
not-to-exceed $400,000, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
7.Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a first modification to agreement #11265 (CCS)
in the amount of $2,100,000 with Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles for the Eviction Prevention and Right
to Counsel programs. This proposed modification would also extend the term through June 30, 2027,
resulting in a five-year amended agreement with a new total amount not-to-exceed $2,300,000, with future
year funding contingent upon Council budget approval.
27
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1265 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Staff Recommends that the City Council:
8.Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a first modification to agreement #10705 (CCS) in the
amount not to exceed $200,000 with Dorothy Berndt, a California-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker, to
connect at-risk voucher program tenants with local support services to maintain housing stability. This
proposed modification would extend the term through June 30, 2025, resulting in a seven-year amended
agreement with a new total amount not-to-exceed $465,000, with future year funding contingent upon
Council budget approval.
9.Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report.
28
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1266 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Success Story: Joseph
Generated multiple
911 calls
Served by C3 Team,
Clare Matrix, HLP Team,
and HMST
Has a history of physical
and substance use
issues
Moved from Palisades
Park into housing with an
Emergency Housing
Voucher
29
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Packet Pg. 1267 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)
Questions
11.A.u
Packet Pg. 1268 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (5578 : Update on Homelessness)