Santa Monica City Council
September 13, 2022

Attachment A
Alternative Approaches for SMHA Resident Advisory Board Input Process 1 Option 1
Facilitate Opportunities for RAB
Members to Meet Virtually and
Independently of SMHA
Option 2
SMHA Organizes and Supports
Annual Virtual RAB Workshop
Option 3
Council Appoints RAB and Meets
Quarterly
Staff Resources
& Role
Staff involvement, with existing
resources, to:
• Create group-level
communication channel
accounts
• Initial notification of RAB
members of choice to opt-in
Staff would not create or maintain
the email list, communicate to the
opt-in group about meetings, or
attend meetings
Staff involvement, with existing
resources, to:
• Organize, implement, attend,
and document an ANNUAL
virtual RAB workshop
This approach would replace the
annual Housing Commission
meeting dedicated for the same
purpose
Staff involvement, with the
ADDITION of organizational and
supportive resources to:
• Organize, implement, attend,
and document QUARTERLY
meeting(s)
Staff would return to Council at
mid-year to recommend specifics
regarding Council appointing the
RAB, operations, and staff
resources necessary to implement
this option
Attachment A
Alternative Approaches for SMHA Resident Advisory Board Input Process 2 Option 1
Facilitate Opportunities for RAB
Members to Meet Virtually and
Independently of SMHA
Option 2
SMHA Organizes and Supports
Annual Virtual RAB Workshop
Option 3
Council Appoints RAB and Meets
Quarterly
Formation &
Communication
Staff would initially contact all
1,300+ RAB members to inform
them of opportunity to opt-in to a
group-level email communication
channel
Any notifications and meetings
coordination thereafter would be
the responsibility of the
participants opting in to this group
Staff would contact all 1,300+ RAB
members to inform them of the
annual workshop opportunity
Allow an opportunity for input via
email/mail/phone
Council would appoint a subset of
HCV participants to the RAB to
represent all 1,300+ HCV
participants
Staff would organize and support
quarterly RAB meetings
Membership
All HCV (Section 8) persons with
Santa Monica vouchers would be
eligible to participate
All HCV (Section 8) persons with
Santa Monica vouchers would be
eligible to participate
All HCV (Section 8) persons with
Santa Monica vouchers could be
considered for appointment to the
RAB
Its composition is required to be
representative of the broader HCV
population
Attachment A
Alternative Approaches for SMHA Resident Advisory Board Input Process 3 Option 1
Facilitate Opportunities for RAB
Members to Meet Virtually and
Independently of SMHA
Option 2
SMHA Organizes and Supports
Annual Virtual RAB Workshop
Option 3
Council Appoints RAB and Meets
Quarterly
Meetings
Participants decide
• Meeting frequency
• How to conduct discussions
• Ready themselves for future
input on SMHA Plans
One annual workshop where staff
would receive input on SMHA
Plans
Quarterly meetings
Housing
Commission Role
N/A
Annual RAB workshop would
replace the annual Housing
Commission meeting scheduled
for input on the SMHA Plans
RAB meeting(s) would replace
Housing Commission meeting
scheduled for input on the SMHA
Plans
Opportunities
Provides a forum for HCV holders
to discuss issues with other
voucher holders and refine
thinking for input to the SMHA
regarding Plans
Provides an opportunity for HCV
holders to provide input in a forum
where other voucher holders may
attend and provide related input on
SMHA Plans
Staff would continue to provide an
opportunity for input via
email/mail/phone
Provides an opportunity for RAB to
convene multiple times during the
year in a forum where other HCV
holders may attend and discuss
HCV program issues
Attachment A
Alternative Approaches for SMHA Resident Advisory Board Input Process 4 Option 1
Facilitate Opportunities for RAB
Members to Meet Virtually and
Independently of SMHA
Option 2
SMHA Organizes and Supports
Annual Virtual RAB Workshop
Option 3
Council Appoints RAB and Meets
Quarterly
Considerations
Responsibility of successfully
implementing this option would
fall on the RAB members who
opt-in
Would not relieve SMHA of:
• responsibility to notify all RAB
members annually regarding
the SMHA Plans process
• allow an opportunity for input
• address input received from
individual RAB members
Possible confusion among RAB
members about input
opportunities regarding the official
RAB – which is all 1,300+ HCV
households – and a cohort of
RAB members who choose to
opt-in and participate in grouplevel communications
May not satisfy request from some
community members for multiple
RAB meetings during the year
As meeting attendance may not
work for many voucher holders,
staff recommends that the
quarterly RAB meetings would
need to be paired with
opportunities for all voucher
holders to provide input via email,
mail, or phone
A Council-appointed RAB would
be subject to the Brown Act
Size of the RAB, criteria and
process for selection, and
achieving a RAB representative of
HCV participants, would be key
considerations in creating a new
RAB.