1 THESE MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL
UNTIL APPROVED BY THE
CULVER CITY
STANDING HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING OF THE November 12, 2025
CULVER CITY STANDING HOUSING 4:00 p.m.
AND HOMELESSNESS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
The regular meeting of the Standing Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee of the City Council was called to order at 4:07 p.m. in the Patio Meeting Room at City Hall.
Present: Bubba Fish, Council Member
Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Council Member
Staff Present: Mark Muenzer, Planning Director and Housing and Human Services Director
Shannon Louis, Rent Stabilization
Coordinator
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Pledge of Allegiance
Council Member Fish led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Public Comment – Items NOT On The Agenda
Council Member Fish invited public comment.
Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
2 The following members of the public addressed the
Subcommittee:
Meg Sullivan discussed the most recent City Council meeting; proposed keeping track of properties that Ellis Act out on the Rental Registry; discussed untenantable conditions
requirements; replacing parking to create an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit); space to build an ADU in a parking lot
occupied by a renter rather than a she-shed, home office or guest house; the requirement to replace like benefits with like benefits; length of time to build an ADU; she asked for concessions when housing is being built; asserted that the form and formula for rent adjustments needed to be simplified; discussed the number of people who have applied; number of people who have succeeded; number of multi-family properties; and she indicated that there was a problem with the formula and being able to make a fair rate of return.
Martin Tomasz, Livable Communities Initiative (LCI),
expressed excitement at the passage of the single-stair reform; discussed providing missing-middle housing in the heart of downtown; unlocking housing; walkability; thriving businesses; serving as an anchor to surrounding infill
housing on adjacent streets; housing without car dependence; the Culver City Housing Element; key zoning impediments; encouraging small commercial parcels to redevelop housing; density and open space; current density rules that hurt large apartments and affordability; he recommended an envelope- based zoning overlay option on MU1 and 2 zones; discussed SB (Senate Bill) 79; the opportunity to focus density along transit-rich corridors; current open space requirements; creating an amenity with walkable streets; he did not feel that a separate roof deck, gym, or pool should be required beyond an internal courtyard; discussed key changes to unlock housing enabled by single stairwells; priorities; and he asked that an open discussion of proposed zoning changes be agendized.
Patrick Godinez discussed closure of Wellness Village in 2028; placement of participants in another housing program as soon as possible; shifting monies to the Housing Trust Fund; utilization of LAHSA (Los Angeles Housing Services Authority) and other Housing Authorities; he encouraged staff to reach out to the new interim CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of LAHSA and to the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) LA
representative to present regarding possible funding
Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
3 opportunities; discussed eligibility of Culver City due to the Housing Authority; and concerns with possible violations.
Council Member Fish thanked Mark Muenzer for serving as the Housing and Human Services Director and Planning Director at the same time and he noted that he would hold his comments regarding items raised by Martin Tomasz for later.
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Receipt of Correspondence
None.
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Consent Calendar
Item C-1
Approve Minutes for the Special Meeting of October 7, 2025
MOVED BY MEMBER MCMORRIN, SECONDED BY MEMBER FISH AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE STANDING HOUSING AND HOMELESS
SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF OCTOBER 7, 2025.
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Order of the Agenda
No changes were made.
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Action Items
Item A-1
Eviction Defense and Renters Protection Program Presentation and Discussion by City of Santa Monica Staff
Representatives of the Homelessness Prevention and
Intervention Division and the Human Services Division for the City of Santa Monica provided a presentation on their Renters Protection Program; discussed the existing Right to Counsel Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
4 pilot program funded with federal funds from the COVID era; the flexible funding assistance program; existing programming funded by their department; community demand; the long- standing partnership with the Legal Aid Foundation; the focus on eviction prevention; staffing; case management;
appropriate use of resources; key program components;
tenant’s rights workshops; office hours; rental arrear
assistance; outcomes from the past fiscal year; case
management; tools that provide leverage to help people remain stably housed in the community; approval of the Renters Protection program to expand services; consultants
commissioned to conduct a report; ensuring all Santa Monicans can access resources; community outreach; people who
demonstrate need but may not be involved in other case
management programs; the consultant study that revealed that many people only need one-time assistance or a shallow subsidy to get by; others who need additional support; providing a low-barrier application; challenges; capacity and funding constraints; passage of Measure GS in 2022; and providing a robust safety net to allow people to stay in the community.
Council Member Fish invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the
Subcommittee:
Patrick Godinez discussed the housing protection line item in the Culver City budget and he proposed redirecting a portion of the amount budgeted toward a Culver City Housing Trust Fund.
Discussion ensued between Santa Monica representatives, staff, and Subcommittee Members regarding appreciation for the presentation; efficacy; report-back structure; goals; provisions for if the needs outpace the dollar amount;
outcomes for the existing Right to Counsel program; full- scope representation; tracking case outcomes; dollar amount utilized for each case; savings for the city when people stay housed; case management services; number of unlawful
detainers annually; length of time to conduct the Fetterman Dunn report; funding; number of residents served; percentage of individuals who stayed in their apartments and those who received a soft landing; appreciation for the work done; and collaboration through the Westside Council of Governments (COG).
Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
5 Additional discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding appreciation for the leadership of Santa Monica in the region; Santa Monica’s Measure GS; components of the Right to Counsel expansion; staff time; responding to demand; and expansion of community outreach.
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Item A-2
Planning & Development Department - Housing Update
Mark Muenzer, Planning Director and Interim Housing and Human Services Director, discussed the upcoming Planning Commission meeting; major development projects being considered; staff recommendations; ADUs and JADUs (Junior ADUs); amendments to the zoning code to allow ministerial approval for housing inventory sites; and discussion regarding LCI
recommendations.
Gabriel Barreras, Senior Planner, discussed origination of the item from Subcommittee discussions; state bills available to Culver City; local adoption as part of the zoning code amendment presented for recommendation to the Planning
Commission and City Council; overhaul of the subdivisions part of the code; SB 684; SB 1123; ministerial lot
subdivision; adoption of optional language in the bills to offer new opportunities for renters and tenants and
homeownership; AB (Assembly Bill) 1154; modification to JADU requirements; AB 1033; allowing an ADU to become a condo to provide homeownership opportunities; and CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) exemptions.
Troy Evangelho, Advance Planning Manager, discussed
implementation of the Housing Element; AB 1397; ministerial approvals to any property that provides 20% affordable
housing; state law; the adequate sites list; efforts to satisfy the request from HCD (Housing and Community
Development); the Hayden Tract Specific Plan; incorporating state requirements of SB 79; and vetted options through the community.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding height alternatives being proposed for the Hayden Tract.
Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
6 Member Fish invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the
subcommittee:
Dana Sayles asked about the interplay between the proposed subdivision ordinance and allowing a for sale ADU; the
inability to sell a primary residence independent of a
secondary residence; the need to have an independent legal description; and she questioned how something could be
subdivided from a primary residence.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding clarification that ADUs as condominiums would be adopted as a separate section; different ways to divide up property legally; fee simple lot splits; and Tenancy In Common.
Dana Sayles received clarification that under the amendment the condo map would be ministerial for 25 subdivisions or less.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding appreciation to staff for their efforts; outreach opportunities; additional community education and involvement; the 2026 budget process; release of the SB 684 and SB 1123 tool kit; looking at ways to put things together in layman’s terms; the update to the definition of single- family neighborhoods; clarification that SB 684 and SB 1123 offer opportunities to single family and multi-family
properties; parcel splits; creation of another condo parcel; ownership of the underlying land by the primary owner;
creation of laws and bylaws about who maintains different elements; HOA (Home Owner Association) fees; putting specific language in the zoning code; the 50% residential rule for mixed use; support for mandating more housing; 20%
ministerial approval; SB 79; next steps; initial mapping of impacted parcels and neighborhoods; release of maps from SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments); enforcement of SB 79 by HCD; next steps; determining feasibility; the single-stair ordinance as an outlier; timing; incorporation of something into next year’s work plan; and staff agreement to schedule a discussion with LCI at the next Subcommittee meeting.
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Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
7 Item A-3
Stay Housed LA Presentation and Discussion by Marina Flores and Barbara Schultz
Barbara Schultz, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and Stay Housed LA, provided a background on Stay Housed LA.
Marina Flores, Stay Housed LA, discussed funding sources; eligible jurisdictions for the program; the wide range of available services; education; success rate; housing
instability; power imbalance in courthouses between tenants and owners; likelihood of representation; program costs; and economic benefits of the program.
Barbara Schultz, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and Stay Housed LA, discussed legal cases for tenants from September 2020-September 2025; representation; available services; the low number of evictions for Culver City; the ability to enact a Right to Counsel ordinance in Culver City for relatively little output; support for funding a Right to Counsel program for all tenants in LA county; rental assistance vs. legal representation; evidence that Right to Counsel programs save jurisdictions money due to the high cost of evictions;
consequences to tenants; health costs; costs associated with homelessness; the large number of evictions in the county of Los Angeles; and unmet need.
Marina Flores indicated the need to leave the meeting.
Council Member Fish invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the
Subcommittee:
Patrick Godinez questioned whether Stay Housed LA worked with Housing Choice vouchers; discussed issues with the Housing Authority making payments on time; and problems with past due balances.
Barbara Schultz, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and Stay Housed LA, discussed work to ensure that subsidies are not terminated; processes with the Housing Authority; subsidized housing hearings included with Right to Counsel; the
Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
8 importance of early intervention with subsidized housed tenants; and the loss of a housing subsidy as catastrophic.
Discussion ensued between Barbara Schultz, staff, and
Subcommittee Members regarding appreciation for the
presentation and the work done; appreciation for the slide with information on Culver City; capacity for partnership; availability of detailed filing information from the court; willingness to partner with any city that provides funding; legal service partners; assignment of a community-based organization for outreach and education; inclusion of a rental assistance component; funding; the complementary nature of rental assistance and legal representation; cases where rental assistance is not the issue; addressing items in other ways; the quote received from Bet Tzedek that was cost prohibitive; the number of unlawful detainers in Culver City for 2024; different levels of services provided; prevention work done in Santa Monica; full scope cases; harassment; types of protections that a jurisdiction has; forms of harassment; agreement to add coverage for substantive harassment;
shifting of legal services; the partnership with Bet Tzedek; next steps; a request for a presentation from Stay Housed LA to the full City Council; and reopening the conversation now that new information is available.
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FISH, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER
MCMORRIN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE STANDING HOUSING
AND HOMELESSNESS SUBCOMMITTEE DIRECT STAFF TO RETURN TO THE
CITY COUNCIL WITH CONSIDERATION OF ADDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE
TO THE ANTI-HARASSMENT PROVISION AND A PRESENTATION FROM STAY
HOUSED LA FOR THE FUNDING TOWARDS THE LACAHSA (LOS ANGELES
COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS AGENCY) FUND RECEIVED FOR A RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM.
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Item A-4
Better Angels: Homelessness Prevention and Services Program Presentation and Discussion by Elizabeth Birks, Cesillia Mixco, and Elissa Unton
Elizabeth Birks, Better Angels, provided background on the organization; discussed prevention and service programs; the tech component; integration of the outreach app with the Homeless Management Integration System (HMIS); the shelter Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
9 directory for case managers; development of the HMIS customer portal; building affordable housing; and efforts to provide grants for people under 30% AMI (Annual Median Income).
Cesillia Mixco, Better Angels, discussed the STEP (Short-Term Eviction Prevention) Fund; people impacted by the fund; service area; the small number of applications from Culver City; the zero interest micro-loan program; information available; reporting; feedback requesting access to other resources; post-loan support; case management; integration with ImagineLA; qualification for tax credits and benefits; and barriers to funding.
Elissa Unton, Better Angels, discussed the ability to fund within 7 days; the Wildfire Grant Program; creation of a bank for people who are precariously housed; resource days hosted around LA County; Grace Diner Resource Fairs; efforts to put everything together in one place; and volunteers.
Elizabeth Birks, Better Angels, discussed the importance of providing a mobile app; dashboards; HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliance; volunteer opportunities; and potential partnership.
Council Member Fish invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the
Subcommittee:
Patrick Godinez received clarification that Better Angels are not Housing Navigators as they do not want to duplicate efforts but they instead offer Shelter Connect; client access to HMIS; creation of a customer portal; lack of access for people on the street; and he discussed lack of interaction to be able to find out about the status of one’s situation when on the streets.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding appreciation for the presentation; eagerness for additional collaboration; participation in the annual
Wellness Fair; in-kind support; support for engagements at Grace Diner; legal liability; amplification of resources; the dashboard update and updates to platforms; partner showcases; and inclusion of additional resources.
Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
10 Additional discussion ensued between Better Angels
representatives, staff, and Subcommittee Members regarding support provided; grants; money spent to rent tables, chairs, and canopies; making sure people get to resources; a request to encourage those in interim housing, shelter, and halfway home sites to attend the outreach events; reliance on
volunteers; highlighting volunteer opportunities with Better Angels; inclusion in the community calendar; email blasts; outreach to recently homeless or people who are new to Culver City; looking at ways to mitigate the suffering; and sharing Resource Days with the Mobile Crisis Team, Project Homekey, and Wellness Village.
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This item was considered out of sequence.
Items from Subcommittee Members/Staff
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding upcoming agenda items and the date for the next meeting.
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Public Comment for Items NOT on the Agenda (Continued)
Council Member Fish invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the
Subcommittee:
Katharine Platt indicated that she had an interview next week and expressed support for Stay Housed LA.
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Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council
November 12, 2025
11 Adjournment
There being no further business, at 6:12 p.m., the Standing Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee of the City Council adjourned.
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___________________________________________________________ Jeremy Bocchino
SECRETARY of the Culver City Standing Housing and
Homelessness Subcommittee of the City Council, Culver City, California
APPROVED
___________________________________________________________ Freddy Puza
COUNCIL MEMBER, Standing Housing and Homelessness
Subcommittee of the City Council, Culver City, California