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From: Moore, Richard W <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2023 2:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 11A: Adoption of Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness
EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members:
Making it easier to develop affordable housing will help solve the problem of homelessness.
Thus I am writing as Chair of the Board of Directors of Santa Monica Community Corporation, a nonprofit affordable housing provider, to support item 11 A: Adoption of Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness.
The policies in this resolution will help secure more money for affordable housing, speed the release of existing housing funds, and reduce bureaucratic hurdles, such as delayed inspections, to creating affordable housing in the city. I encourage you to vote yes.
Community Corporation would be happy to share its 40 years of expereince developing affordable housing in the city any time.
Thank you.
Richard W. Moore, Chair
Community Corporation of Santa Monica
Richard W. Moore, Ph.D.
Professor| Management Department
—
David Nazarian College of Business and Economics
California State University, Northridge
Northridge, CA 91330-8376
Phone: (818) 677-2416
[email protected]
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From: Ann Hoover <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2023 2:42 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Christine Parra
Cc: David White; David Martin; Susan Cline; Jing Yeo; Douglas Sloan; Douglas Sloan; Susan Cola Subject: February 14, 2023 Council Meeting - Item 11.A. - Declare a Homelessness Emergency?
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Davis and Esteemed Councilmembers -
I would encourage you to declare a state of emergency regarding homelessness if and only if, as Councilmembers Zwick and Torosis seem to have suggested in a recent SMDP article, the goals of such an emergency are clearly defined and intended to have near-term, quantifiable, measurable results.
As anyone living or working in Santa Monica will tell you, the crisis to be addressed right now is the one of homelessness visibility and attendant public health and safety. As an example, this past Christmas Eve while driving on an errand around 10AM I saw an individual, completely out of his mind, brutally attacking a street tree with a large butcher knife. I pulled over and called 911 and while I was on the phone with the dispatcher, the man stopped carving up the tree and headed with his 10" flashing blade up towards Broadway and Santa Monica boulevards, which were teaming with pedestrians. We have an immediate and highly visible homelessness crisis that presents shocking public safety issues such as this one reflecting violent mental illness.
Yet, reviewing the proposed emergency declaration, I see a fair amount of language about building housing, RFP'g for housing on our public lands, etc., etc....While I support and applaud all efforts by our City to keep people in their homes, the "crisis" that we are seeing now is not one that will be solved by building more housing. For starters, that's not an "emergency" response, that's a long-term, unproven hypothesis of an answer to chronic homelessness. Further, recent research is bearing out that just building housing decoupled from a host of supportive services does exactly zero to help those who repeatedly end up on the streets. If you really think you have an emergency, then you need to edit down the proclamation to focus and deploy ONLY the tools and strategies to address it that will have a dramatic effect on homelessness WITHIN 180 days.
So I'd delete everything about housing (or use of our public lands) in the proposed declaration except as may pertain to keeping currently housed folks housed. And add in that the City will reinstate vagrancy laws and enforce them.
Why do I say this? In addition to research on chronically homeless vs. housing generally, I interact with homeless individuals every single day in Santa Monica just in the course of going about my daily business. They are everywhere. As the City's data in the proposed proclamation indicates, the vast majority of the folks we see on our streets are impaired in some way - by substance addiction, past or present abuse, mental impairments, physical injury. Without being placed in extremely supportive care situations, I do not believe any of these individuals will be able to support and maintain themselves in housing alone, even if it's built quickly and is extremely affordable.
Therefore, the quantifiable, measurable goal of this EMERGENCY should be and only should be a dramatic decrease in visibility, which is easily measured & accounted for. The City needs to go one-by-one through our local homeless population, get each individual connected with the care and support needed (either locally, regionally, or nationally - as in the case of reunion with family out-of-state), and - plain and simple - drastically reduce the numbers of homeless individuals we see on our streets and in our public spaces within 180 days. Clearly this type of work is NOT happening, has NOT been happening as I see the exact same homeless individuals over and over in the exact same places, despite calls to the City's homeless outreach number. Why is this??
IMPORTANT: City Staff have rightly identified the Expo Line as a significant contributor to the problem, at least in Downtown, and that's not just because of Metro's end-of-line/service policies, but also because the Expo Line regularly all day discharges aimless, impacted individuals at 4th and Colorado who then fan out across Downtown, contributing to a Item 11.A
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I don't mean to sound hard-hearted here. My family does what we can, including but not limited to donating generously to The People Concern, both financially and in-kind, but we voters, who've supported LA County Measure H (for Homelessness), local tax measures for housing, and other local taxes to support core City response services like fire and police, cannot solve this problem ourselves. And I personally am sick and tired of throwing money at it both locally and at the state level with the problem only worsening! We need smart, efficient, focused, good government to finally get it together and get this done.
One area of town that needs immediate attention during any declared state of emergency is the area around the VONS at 14th and Wilshire. It boggles my mind that this area where so many people shop - which includes the Rite Aid, the VONS & parking lot, the alley between the two, and the block where the Will Rogers Post Office is are chronically full of homeless individuals, many of whom I practically know because they've been there for years! There has been feces smeared on the wall of the VONS. Watch your step because frequently there is pee or vomit on the sidewalk. A woman squatted and pooped right in front of me. For weeks earlier this year there was a pile of debris, old food, and vomit right next to the Post Office entrance. Yet I never, ever see an SMPD or other City presence here. What is going on? Has the City deliberately chosen to let this area rot?
So please only declare a state of emergency on homelessness if you give it the eminently measurable goal of DRAMATICALLY DECREASING VISIBILITY within 180 days. Only include tools within the proclamation that will produce clear and measurable results ASAP. You might consider asking Staff for monthly reports on the progress. This is what voters want. We want a clean, safe City. One where our streets, sidewalks, parks and other public spaces are clean and safe. One where we can sit on a park bench without worrying about lice or scabies or being stabbed. One where we can go to the post office or grocery store without being asked for money, typically by someone who is sucking on a juul or cigarette! One where we don't always have be be glancing nervously behind us or watching our step. And one where we know that people in need are attended to and permanently helped off of the streets.
Sincerely,
Ann Bowman
Santa Monica resident
26+ years
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From: Kristen Aster <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 8:51 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Public Comment: Agenda Item 11.A. (Support)
EXTERNAL
One of Los Angeles County’s largest housing and social services agencies and present in every Service Planning Area (SPA), The People Concern is an expert in connecting with people on the streets, bringing them inside and then keeping them inside. 92% of people placed in permanent housing by The People Concern never experience homelessness again. We support, with appreciation, Agenda Item 11.A. regarding a city proclamation declaring a local emergency on homelessness.
As noted in the motion, the city and region are facing a humanitarian crisis of homelessness and we need all tools in the toolbox, with strong coordination across government and with service providers, to end it. The People Concern is proud to partner with the city, county, LAHSA, philanthropy, and community stakeholders to help provide life‐saving outreach, interim housing, housing navigation, case management, mental health and substance use treatment, hygiene services, and more in Santa Monica. The City of Santa Monica should be proud of its role as a longstanding leader, in partnership with service providers, piloting interventions such as multi‐disciplinary outreach teams and housing first that are now standard best practice in the field. Santa Monica should also be proud of how it has leveraged its local taxpayer dollars, in conjunction with other government, philanthropic, and private‐sector resources, to private additional resources to Santa Monicans experiencing homelessness. We appreciate that through this declaration the city seeks to strengthen its regional collaboration, pursue additional resources, increase multi‐faceted support for residents experiencing homelessness, expedite hiring, and streamline city processes to achieve these goals. We look forward to working with the City of Santa Monica and the broader Santa Monica community to build off of the strong local foundation and leverage this declaration for even greater urgency and collaboration to solve the crisis of our time.
Thank you again for these bold actions to address homelessness. Together, we can make the City of Santa Monica housed, healthy, and safe.
Kristen Aster
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, Development
THE PEOPLE CONCERN | OPCC & LAMP COMMUNITY UNITED
p: (323) 334‐9000 x 106 | m: (323) 973‐0093
a: 2116 Arlington Ave. Ste. 100, Los Angeles, CA 90018
www.thepeopleconcern.org
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From: lori klaidman <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 11:59 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Ian Haworth; Raymond Haworth
Subject: Agenda item 11.a
EXTERNAL
Dear Honorable Councilmembers,
I'm writing to urge you to vote for agenda item 11.a, and to declare an emergency on homelessness.
In our neighborhood of Sunset Park (across from Santa Monica College), our quality of life is being severely affected by homeless people.
In particular, we have an abandoned building next to us, that is constantly being broken into, with a long trail of documented fires being set on the premises. This has been ongoing for years and decades.
On one particular occasion last Sept, during a hot Santa Ana condition, a fire was initiated within 10 feet of our property, in which burning embers were blowing directly onto our units. If a passerby hadn't noticed and called the fire dept, our units may have gone up in flames, resulting in the loss of lives and property.
We also have a large number of schools in our neighborhood: several elementary schools, several preschools and a middle school, in addition to the college within a radius of several blocks. Numerous children walking to our local schools could be potentially be threatened by ever increasing numbers of erratically behaved homeless people.
We also appreciate the City and SMPD have been working with us. However, they are limited as to what they can do. We are hoping that the passage of a state of emergency on homelessness, will direct more resources to an increasing problem, with drastic, immediate measures, to reverse the negative impact on our neighborhood.
Thank you,
Lori Klaidman,
Sunset Park
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
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From: Andrew Thomas <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 2:22 PM
To: Andrew Thomas
Subject: RE: February 14, 2023 Santa Monica City Council Agenda Item 11A
EXTERNAL
Hello Mayor Davis, Mayor Pro Tem Negrete, and Santa Monica City Council members, This is Andrew Thomas, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
I am reaching out regarding Agenda Item 11AM on tonight’s February 14, 2023 Santa Monica City Council Agenda. This item is the Adoption of Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness.
If Item 11A is adopted, we ask that Santa Monica City Council and City of Santa Monica Staff work with Downtown Santa Monica, Inc and the Downtown community to prioritize and allocate resources that will have an immediate impact on business recovery under the emergency order.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Andrew Thomas, LPM
Chief Executive Officer
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
1351 Third Street Promenade, Ste. 201
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.393.8355 (Office)
www.DowntownSM.com
Facebook | Twitter
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From: Oliver, Robert <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 4:52 PM
To: Denise Anderson-Warren
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: Asm. Rick Chavez Zbur comment re: agenda item 11(A)
EXTERNAL
Good afternoon, City Clerk Anderson‐Warren.
I would like to enter into the public record the following comment from Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur on agenda item 11(A) (Adoption of Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness):
“I commend the City of Santa Monica for taking this important step to help end this humanitarian crisis. It will take all of us working together, and by joining other cities and the county in declaring a local emergency, Santa Monica is reaffirming its commitment to solving and preventing homelessness and creating more affordable housing. These remain top priorities for me, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to achieve them.” Sincerely,
Robert Oliver
District Director
Office of Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur
2800 28th Street, Suite 105
Santa Monica, California 90405
Tel: (310) 450‐0041
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From: Mathew Millen <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 9:27 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Oscar de La Torre; Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra Subject: 2/14 #11A STOP DUMPING REGIONAL SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE PICO NEIGHBORHOOD
EXTERNAL
Stop Dumping Regional Social Services In the Historically Segregated Pico Neighborhood The Pico Neighborhood has the following Regional Social Service Programs
1. CLARE Fdn residential housing for substance abusers
2. Salvation Army residential housing for substance abusers
3. Two Ocean Park Community Center 55 bed homeless shelters
4. Two facilities The Manor housing for the mentally ill (whose residents have committed 2 murders)
5. 55 Unit 4 story homeless housing at 14th and Michigan w/ 5 parking spaces for residents, across the street from a pre school
6. 84 Unit SEVEN STORY HIGH homeless housing w/ 26 parking spaces at 1634 20th St. 1 block from Crossroads school (architectural renderings look like the LA County Jail)
7. City developed low income housing projects on almost every block that the State of Calif. Dept of Housing determined "perpetuated segregation"
IF THE CITY INTENDS TO USE THIS DECLARATION OF AN EMERGENCY TO APPLY FOR FUNDS TO HOUSE THE
HOMELESS WHO COME HERE FROM
EVERYWHERE, THERE MUST BE A PROHIBITION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE PROJECTS IN THE PICO NEIGHBORHOOD. We have more than our fair share, now the Wilshire to San Vicente Blvd neighborhood can provide these services. if the City wants more facilities., build a 7 story homeless housing project on Montana Ave if the Council wants more Regional homeless housing.
The City should offer our highly paid grant applicant staff to other cities so those cities can provide homeless housing. Call La Canada Flintridge, San Marino, Bradbury, Arcadia, Cerritos, Altadena, Rancho Palos Verdes, Manhattan, Redondo and Hermosa Beach and assist those cities in applying for grant money to build homeless housing.
Mathew Millen
16th St. 90404
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