Agenda packet, first session — Santa Monica City Council, March 11, 2025 (part 2 of 3)

The two most nominated films were "Dr. Zhivago" and "The Sound of Music." 2) While at USC, a friend and I attended a sold-out concert by the legendary Pete Seeger. 3) When my husband was working at RAND and we were living in an apartment on 4th & Bay, we walked over to the Civic to attend a sold-out concert by Peter, Paul and Mary. 4) When our daughter was at Grant Elementary, she performed in SMMUSD “Stairway of the Stars” concerts at the Civic, along with 1,000 other elementary middle, and high school student musicians each year. There were always 2 sold-out performances. I helped with Stairway ticket sales for many years and was the honoree one year.
5) When my mother was living with us, I accompanied her to the annual “Senior Proms” at the Civic. 6) I also attended amazing Santa Monica Symphony concerts at the Civic. 2) Albums recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Albums_recorded_at_the_Santa_Monica_Civic_Auditorium a) 1961 – The Kingston Trio – “Live at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium” -- released 2007 b) 1963 – George Shearing Quintet – “Jazz Concert”
c) 1972 – Ella Fitzgerald with the Tommy Flanagan Trio and the Count Basie Orchestra – “Jazz at the Santa Monica Civic ‘72”
d) 1972 – David Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust tour – “Live Santa Monica ‘72” – released legally in 2008 e) 1972 – George Carlin – “Class Clown”
f) 1980 – The Eagles – “Eagles Live”
g) 1980 – Fleetwood Mac – “Live”
h) 1995 – Phish – “A Live One” (platinum)
3) Here are some nearby cities that have Civic Auditoriums:
a) Bellflower has the Bristol Civic Auditorium
https://www.bellflower.org/departments/parks___recreation/recreation_facilities/bristol_civic_auditorium.php b) Culver City has its Veterans Memorial Building, which includes an auditorium. https://wwwculvercityhistoricalsociety.org/veterans-memorial-building/ c) Glendale has its Civic Auditorium.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 401 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 14 https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/community-services-parks/parks-facilities-historicsites/glendale-civic-auditorium d) Malibu has the Malibu Civic Theater, a large auditorium that was previously privately owned. https://www.malibucity.org/facilities/facility/details/Malibu-City-Hall-3 e) Pasadena has its Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
https://www.visitpasadena.com/civic-auditorium/
f) San Gabriel has its Civic Auditorium (San Gabriel Mission Playhouse)\ https://www.lahtf.org/theaters/missionplayhouse/ -- The San Gabriel Mission Playhouse is an opulent theater steeped in history, complete with tapestries presented by the King of Spain, a beautifully carved and painted ceiling, a fully operational Wurlitzer Theatre Organ, and chandeliers that replicate the lanterns used on Spanish galleons which sailed around the tip of South America en route to California in the 1800’s.
g) Torrance has its Armstrong Theatre.
https://arts.torranceca.gov/our-city/general-services/cultural-arts/james-r-armstrong-theatre h) Thousand Oaks has its Civic Arts Plaza Theatres.
https://www.toaks.org/departments/cultural-affairs/civic-arts-plaza-3340 i) The City of Los Angeles has the Greek Theatre.
https://www.lagreektheatre.com/connect/history-of-the-greek-theatre j) The County of Los Angeles has:
-- Walt Disney Concert Hall,
https://www.laphil.com/about/our-venues/about-the-walt-disney-concert-hall -- the Los Angeles Music Center, including
-- the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion,
-- the Mark Taper Forum,
-- the Ahmanson Theatre, and
-- the Kirk Douglas Theatre, plus
-- the Hollywood Bowl, and
-- the nearby Ford Amphitheatre.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 402 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 15 k) Orange County has the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts (originally the Orange County Center for the Performing Arts) -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segerstrom_Center_for_the_Arts These performing arts centers are sources of pride, and they bring people together in a positive way. The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium should continue to be City-owned, per the Civic Center Specific Plan, and it should come back to life as a performing arts venue and a source of pride for the City of Santa Monica and its residents.

Background:

Closing the Civic Auditorium was a “big deal” judging from the number of articles below in local newspapers.

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium -- on the city web
site: http://www.smgov.net/departments/ccs/civicauditorium/ Civic Auditorium -- on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Civic_Auditorium Civic Auditorium Declared a Landmark in 2002:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_City_of_Santa_Monica_Designated_Historic_Landmarks "Santa Monica Civic to Get $47 Million Renovation" -- 5/30/11 -- Santa Monica Mirror - - http://www.smmirror.com/articles/News/Santa-Monica-Civic-Auditorium-to-Get-47-MillionRenovation/32286 "Civic Auditorium: Once and Future Masterpiece" -- 6/30/11 -- Santa Monica Dispatch - - http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2011/06/civic-auditorium-once-and-future-masterpiece/ City Council -- 1/24/12 agenda item 3-M:

Revised Design-Build Contract for Civic Auditorium Remodel & Seismic Upgrade Recommended Action -- Staff recommends that the City Council:

1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a revision to the previously approved Design-Build Contract No. 9396 (CCS) with Morley Construction Company, a California-based company, in an amount not to exceed $51,944,432 (includes a 5% contractor contingency, a 10% owner contingency, and allowances). This not to exceed amount of $51,944,432 includes the previously Council approved amount ($35,000,000), preconstruction and design fee ($5,000,000), added scope ($4,000,000) and City’s owner contingency and allowances ($7,944,432).

2. Appropriate budget increases as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report.

3. Authorize the Director of Public Works to issue any necessary change orders to complete the work within budget authority.
htttp://www01.smgov.net/cityclerk/council/agendas/2012/20120124/s2012012403-M.htm Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 403 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 16 City Council -- 8/14/12 agenda item 4-C:

Contingency Planning Related to the Dissolution of Redevelopment Recommended Action -- Staff recommends that the City Council: Authorize staff to proceed with certain priority projects while suspending other priority projects, in light of recent legislative actions related to the dissolution of redevelopment; and Direct staff to return to council at a future date with additional information, as well as necessary appropriations or adjustments to project budgets.

Executive Summary -- This report provides information about recent amendments to the State law that dissolved redevelopment agencies, the impacts of those amendments upon the City’s ability to fund priority capital improvement projects, and recommendations regarding continued work on each project. http://www.smgov.net/departments/council/agendas/2012/20120814/s2012081408-C.htm "Council Stalls Civic, Samohi Improvements" -- 8/15/12 -- Santa Monica Daily Press - - http://www.smdp.com/council-stalls-civic-samohi-improvements/ "Historic Civic Will Go Dark" -- 8/15/12 -- Santa Monica Patch - - http://santamonica.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/historic-civic-will-go-dark City Council -- 10/23/12 agenda item 4-A:

Options for the future of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Recommended Action -- Staff recommends that the City Council review and provide direction on which options for the future of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Council wishes staff to further analyze for future decision-making.

Executive Summary -- The $51.9 million renovation of the landmark Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (Civic) is suspended due to recent legislative actions related to the dissolution of redevelopment and the uncertainty of funds designated for this project. The facility is still scheduled to close on June 30, 2013. Since the August 14, 2012 meeting at which City Council
authorized the suspension, staff has identified options for the facility and potential funding sources. These options fall under four broad categories: 1) partial renovation; 2) full renovation; 3) adaptive re-use; and 4) demolition.
http://www.smgov.net/departments/council/agendas/2012/20121023/s201210234A.pdf "Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Will Close in June as Planned" -- 10/26/12 -- Santa Monica Lookout - - http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2012/October2012/10_26_2012_Santa_Monica_Civic_Auditorium_Will_Close_in_June_As_Planned.html "City Council Sticks to Planned Closing Date for Civic Auditorium" -- 11/2/12 -- The Argonaut - - http://argonautnews.com/santa-monica-city-council-sticks-to-planned-closing-date-for-civic-auditorium/ "American Film Market: Civic Auditorium Theater Essential to the Future" -- 1/24/13 -- Santa Monica Daily Press -- http://smdp.com/afm-civic-auditorium-theater-essential-to-the-future/117191 "'Save the Santa Monica Civic' Group Steps Forward" -- 5/7/13 -- Santa Monica Patch - - http://santamonica.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/save-the-civic-santa-monica Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 404 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 17 "Civic Center Will Have to Learn New Tricks to Survive" -- 5/10/13 -- Santa Monica Daily Press - - http://smdp.com/civic-center-will-have-to-learn-new-tricks-to-survive/122176 "To Preserve Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Revise Specific Plan, Says Expert Panel" -- 5/13/13 - - Santa Monica Lookout -- http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News2013/May2013/05_13_2013_To_Preserve_Santa_Monica_Civic_Auditorium_Revise_Specific_Plan_Says_Exp ert_Panel.html
"Curtains for the Civic" -- 5/19/13 -- Santa Monica Daily Press -- http://smdp.com/curtains-for-thecivic/122417

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 405 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 18 David Yakobson
From: Julia Carnahan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 3:43 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, built by master architect Welton Becket in 1959, is an iconic mid-century building that played a pivotal role in Santa Monica's cultural life. The Civic Auditorium, with an innovative mixed-use program, combining a concert hall, theater, trade show, and convention center, the Civic was designed to serve a broad segment of the community. Thus, along with Santa Monica Conservancy, I endorse RPG's efforts to revitalize this iconic building as a community asset.

RPG has the proven ability to restore and finance the Civic by revitalizing this landmark property to its rightful position as an important economic engine for the city as a magnet for new business and tourism, as a compelling 21st century performing arts venue for people of all ages, and as a point of civic pride for residents showcasing how historic rehabilitation, neighborhood legacy, community partnerships, sustainability, and business can all operate together to shine a positive and exciting light on Santa Monica.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Julia Carnanan
2239 27th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Member, Santa Monica Public Art Committee
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 406 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 1 David Yakobson
From: CYNTHIA MEDIAVILLA <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 5:12 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Cindy Mediavilla, member
Santa Monica Conservancy
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 407 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 19 David Yakobson
From: Nathan Oshidari <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 3:41 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Douglas Sloan
Subject: Vote to sign the ENA with RPG

EXTERNAL
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands. Please vote to sign the ENA so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers. - A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status.

N. Oshidari
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 408 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 20 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 3:03 PM
To: 'Jane Dempsey'; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: RE: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C - Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Thank you Jane great comments …
Gail Denney
Consultant - Retail/Strategic Sales
[email protected]
310 621 7486
From: Jane Dempsey <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:05 PM
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C - Save the Civic Auditorium Dear Mayor and City Council members,
I have lived in Santa Monica since the mid 70’s both renting and owning.

There is no way to say this and sound happy. It does not surprise me that Santa Monica is the 2nd most dangerous city in California per news reports. If you lived her, you watched it happen. I was involved in Korean tourism and most wanted to spend a few hours shopping here in Santa Monica by the busload until about 2005 and then they chose to shop in outer cities as ours frightened them. I even found I was no longer comfortable going to downtown SM. Then Covid and within months, most of us watcher the breaking news live as there was a frightening riot that went on for hours in SM. It is an understatement to say it was horrifying to those of us living here not to mention the whole country. Fast forward and we are now the top news story every week with more reasons for people to not come here. And let’s add than as of April 1st, the sales tax goes up again in Santa Monica. What else can happen before a change is made? I have not read or heard of anything the City plans to do to improve or help our City image. All I keep hearing about is all the money spent defending and making lawsuits go away and the City has no money. Friends of mine now suggest other cities to meet for meals. They don’t even want to come here to visit anymore.

Hopefully this will be a turning point to start to rebuild our City. On Tuesday night, you have a chance with your vote to try to give the City something to be proud of again. The Santa Monica Civic is one place that has not been tarnished over the years. I urge you to vote and sign the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement and approve a lease with the Revitalization Partner Group, so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers. People have wonderful memories of events held there (jewelry shows, dog shows, the Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 409 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 21 Colleagues fundraisers etc.). Then there were concerts over the years with top artists and bands including the TAMI Show in 1964.

It would be nice for Santa Monica to make the news for something other than bad news. I hope the City Council will vote to sign this agreement so the City can have just one thing to be positive about in Santa Monica for a change?
Jane Dempsey
(310) 392-3366
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 410 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 22 David Yakobson
From: Reception <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:58 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
As an active member of the preservation community I am reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Our heritage is still imperiled needlessly.

Sincerely,
Roy Rogers Oldenkamp
Founding Member
WestHollywoodPreservationAlliance.org
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 411 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 23 David Yakobson
From: Peter Spelman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:55 PM
To: Bea Nemlaha; Stephanie Tainsky
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; Elaine Polachek; Susan Cola; Jennifer Taylor; Nia Tang; councilmtgitems Subject: Re: 3/11/25 Agenda Item 5C: Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Hello Council Members:

I completely agree with Ms. Nemlaha's statements -- all of them.

PLEASE do the right thing and Save The Civic!
Sincerely,
Peter Spelman & Stephanie Tainsky
730 Marine St.

Santa Monica 90405
On Mon, Mar 10, 2025 at 2:29 PM Bea Nemlaha <[email protected]> wrote:

Honorable Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, Council Members, and City Staff, Santa Monica needs funds to meet its many obligations. There are several ways to raise them.

But the City also needs to restore its reputation as a desirable destination for local, regional, and worldwide shoppers, visitors, tourists, and lovers of the arts.

Restoring and reopening the Civic for music, culture, and the arts is the only way the City can accomplish both objectives: investment in a future income stream, and revitalizing the City as a place to go and be.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 412 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 24 Selling or using an historic City treasure for any other purpose will not result in a longterm, viable economic investment. And whatever might replace it will not, and cannot enhance Santa Monica’s reputation as a desirable City in which to live or visit.

Fairy tales were some of our first teachers when we were kids. The story of the golden goose still has much to teach us.

Bea Nemlaha
Ocean Park
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 413 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 25 David Yakobson
From: Miriam Kaplan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:54 PM
To: Jane Dempsey
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: Re: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C - Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
I will send a note as well.

Sent from my iPhone.

On Mar 10, 2025, at 12:05 PM, Jane Dempsey <[email protected]> wrote:

Dear Mayor and City Council members,
I have lived in Santa Monica since the mid 70’s both renting and owning.

There is no way to say this and sound happy. It does not surprise me that Santa Monica is the 2nd most dangerous city in California per news reports. If you lived her, you watched it happen.

I was involved in Korean tourism and most wanted to spend a few hours shopping here in Santa Monica by the busload until about 2005 and then they chose to shop in outer cities as ours frightened them. I even found I was no longer comfortable going to downtown SM. Then Covid and within months, most of us watcher the breaking news live as there was a frightening riot that went on for hours in SM. It is an understatement to say it was horrifying to those of us living here not to mention the whole country. Fast forward and we are now the top news story every week with more reasons for people to not come here. And let’s add than as of April 1st, the sales tax goes up again in Santa Monica. What else can happen before a change is made? I have not read or heard of anything the City plans to do to improve or help our City image. All I keep hearing about is all the money spent defending and making lawsuits go away and the City has no money. Friends of mine now suggest other cities to meet for meals. They don’t even want to come here to visit anymore.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 414 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 26 It would be nice for Santa Monica to make the news for something other than bad news. I hope the City Council will vote to sign this agreement so the City can have just one thing to be positive about in Santa Monica for a change?
Jane Dempsey
(310) 392-3366

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 415 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 27 David Yakobson
From: Lisa Pearl <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:50 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
L Pearl
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 416 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 28 David Yakobson
From: Lisa Pearl <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:49 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely, Lisa Coplen
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 417 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 29 David Yakobson
From: Lisa Pearl <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:49 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Lisa Pearl
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 418 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 30 David Yakobson
From: Karen Blechman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:42 PM
To: [email protected]; councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; David White; Nia Tang; Douglas Sloan; Jennifer Taylor Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Great cities are known for their iconic buildings: do not destroy this one! Karen Blechman
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 419 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 1 David Yakobson
From: Caryn Marshall <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:35 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Caryn Marshall
Sent from my iPad
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 420 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 2 David Yakobson
From: Bea Nemlaha <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:29 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick
Cc: Elaine Polachek; Susan Cola; Jennifer Taylor; Nia Tang; councilmtgitems Subject: 3/11/25 Agenda Item 5C: Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Honorable Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, Council Members, and City StaƯ, Santa Monica needs funds to meet its many obligations. There are several ways to raise them.

But the City also needs to restore its reputation as a desirable destination for local, regional, and worldwide shoppers, visitors, tourists, and lovers of the arts.

Selling or using an historic City treasure for any other purpose will not result in a longterm, viable economic investment. And whatever might replace it will not, and cannot enhance Santa Monica’s reputation as a desirable City in which to live or visit.

Fairy tales were some of our first teachers when we were kids. The story of the golden goose still has much to teach us.

Bea Nemlaha
Ocean Park
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 421 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 3 David Yakobson
From: Ann Hoover <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:28 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall
Cc: Elaine Polachek; Christopher J. Smith; Ramon Batista; Jennifer Taylor; Nia Tang; Jenna Grigsby; Erika Aklufi; Sofia Klatzker; Jenny Rogers; Douglas Sloan; Susan Cola; Steven Johnson; Maryanne LaGuardia; John Smith; Lori Brown; Barry Rosenbaum; Susan Cline Subject: March 11, 2025 City Council Meeting - Closed Session Item 5.C. - CIVIC AUDITORIUM

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Esteemed Councilmembers - Please continue to nurture the incredible opportunity our City has been given to partner with RPG to revitalize and reopen the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Economic development was reconfirmed this past Saturday as a key priority for all of you. Bringing back the Civic in glorious 21st Century splendor is a major key to rebooting the tarnished image and attractiveness of Santa Monica as a visitor and tourist destination.

If you want to get jazzed about what could be, just take a look at the Kia Forum, below, revitalized by the Azoff Group (one of the RPG partners).

If you want to be inspired by the calibre of individuals and companies who want to do business with our City, consider that Irving Azoff spearheaded Fire Aid in January and that Tim Sexton helped produce it. The $100 Million raised by Fire Aid now is being distributed to help victims of the terrible January fires, with (just in the news) $2.4 million going to help return fire-damaged Loma Alta Park in Altadena to community families by by May. Read more and review a list of their grantees here.

The point is that RPG brings to the City not only top entertainment industry talent but unparalleled social consciousness and commitment-to-community values as well. I cannot imagine the City would ever find a finer group to partner with.

Please keep moving this incredible deal forward. Thank you! Best,
Ann Bowman
Resident, 28+ years
Recreation and Parks Commissioner
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 422 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 4 Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 423 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 5 fireaidla.org/
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 424 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 6 David Yakobson
From: Cheryl Downey <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:17 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 425 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 7 David Yakobson
From: Debbie Alexander <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 2:13 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Deborah Alexander
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 426 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 8 David Yakobson
From: D'Orsogna, Maria R <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:59 PM
To: D'Orsogna, Maria R
Subject: Agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium 3/11/25

EXTERNAL
Dear all,
It appears that after several round of negotiations, The Revitalization Partner Group (RPG) that wants to save our Civic Auditorium and turn it into a performing arts center at no cost to the taxpayer,
has now submitted a revised Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) proposal to the City.

I hope that you continue discussions in good faith and approve the ENA so the process can move forward.

The Civic will provide revenue, attract visitors, preserve history, all at very little cost to residents.

Here are great columns on why letting RPG go forward is important https://smdp.com/opinion/why-saving-the-civic-may-save-the-city/ https://smdp.com/opinion/win-win-for-the-civic/
https://smdp.com/opinion/saving-the-civic-to-save-the-city/ https://smmirror.com/2025/03/santa-monica-civic-auditorium-the-cultural-icon-santa-monica-needs/ https://smmirror.com/2025/02/sm-a-r-t-column-bring-back-the-music/ https://www.savethecivic.org/post/s-m-a-r-t-article-save-the-civic-keep-it-alive https://www.facebook.com/p/Save-the-Santa-Monica-Civic-100071205001701/ The page "Save the Civic" has 1300 followers on Facebook, so I hope the will of the people (and not of the developers) can prevail.

Maria
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 427 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 9 Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 428 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 10 David Yakobson
From: Lee Rosenbaum <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:51 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Lee Rosenbaum
211 Marguerita Avenue
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 429 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 11 David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Lerer <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:38 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Dan Hall; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Caroline Torosis; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick
Cc: Douglas Sloan
Subject: Civic Auditorium - Closed Session 3/11/25 Item 5.C.

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
Please act to restore the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and with it the positive attention and revenue multiplier to our local businesses such a prominent entertainment venue would bring to our city.

It would be beyond foolish to pass up this opportunity to work with the RPG team to revitalize such an important Santa Monica cultural landmark.

Your votes matter and us voters are paying attention.

Looking forward to being able to attend an event at the Civic! Elizabeth Lerer
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 430 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 12 David Yakobson
From: Suzanne Verge <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:35 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Suzanne Verge
Santa Monica Resident
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 431 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 13 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:32 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Thus, along with Santa Monica Conservancy, I endorse RPG's efforts to revitalize this iconic building as a community asset.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
[Shoshana maler
Sent from AOL on Android
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 432 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 14 David Yakobson
From: Cherry, James D. <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:29 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, built by master architect Welton Becket in 1959, is an iconic midcentury building that played a pivotal role in Santa Monica's cultural life. The Civic Auditorium, with an innovative mixed-use program, combining a concert hall, theater, trade show, and convention center, the Civic was designed to serve a broad segment of the community. Thus, along with Santa Monica Conservancy, I endorse RPG's efforts to revitalize this iconic building as a community asset.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
James D Cherry
1402 San Vicente Blvd 90402
UCLA HEALTH SCIENCES IMPORTANT WARNING: This email (and any attachments) is only intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. You, the recipient, are obligated to maintain it in a safe, secure and confidential manner. Unauthorized redisclosure or failure to maintain confidentiality may subject you to federal and state penalties. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify us by return email, and delete this message from your computer.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 433 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 15 David Yakobson
From: Michael Jolly <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:23 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Please Support RPG's Request for an ENA - restoration of the Santa Monica Civic.

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
--
Michael Jolly
Santa Monica, CA
Sent from iMac on Gmail
Electronic Privacy Notice: This email and any attachments contain information that is or could be covered by electronic communications privacy laws and is confidential and proprietary. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error and immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 434 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 16 David Yakobson
From: Brenda Anderson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:22 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Brenda Anderson
475 24th Street
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 435 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 17 David Yakobson
From: Tom Zanic <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:22 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Please Give RPG a Shot and Approve Their Request for an ENA - Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
As an experienced urban planner and a city resident, I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Tom Zanic
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 436 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 18 David Yakobson
From: Erin Donley <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:21 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
To whom it may concern,
As an active resident of Santa Monica I would like to see the restoration of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium into a world-class music and performing arts venue.

I know of the scale and high quality of events RPG produces and encourage the City Council to move forward and approve the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement submitted by RPG.

It would be akin to our own Greek Theater and Royce Hall.

Thank you,
Erin Donley
1208 Broadway
Santa Monica
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 437 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 19 David Yakobson
From: janine autolitano <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:19 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Janine Autlitano
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 438 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 20 David Yakobson
From: Michele Beacham <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:11 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 439 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 21 David Yakobson
From: Shari Phillips <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:07 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; Elaine Polachek; Douglas Sloan Subject: 3/11/25 Agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members and Mayor Negrete,
First, I’d like to ask that all future City Council Budget Workshops be held in City Council chambers so more people can attend and the meeting can be videotaped live. Having it held in the small Multipurpose Room at the library where live video is not possible, even if it had been held there during the last workshop almost seems deliberate so as to prevent more community involvement. I hope that is not your intent and that you will move the next workshop to the City Council chambers.

Secondly, it would be a wonderful thing to have the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium restored AT NO COST TO CITY TAXPAYERS. The Revitalization Partner Group (RPG), who organized the FireAid benefit concert on January 30th at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum in Inglewood, and raised about $100 million for wildfire relief efforts have proven to be successful at gathering the necessary people and resources to make the auditorium a money producing venue for the city. The city is hemorrhaging cash and though the Civic Auditorium is not the end all solution, it is one source of income you need to consider. Let’s approach our financial shortage from many different angles, with the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium being one of them. The other reason is to make Santa Monica, once again, an entertainment destination. There is no other public space in the city where we can host art performances. Please sign the ENA.

Sincerely,
Shari Phillips
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 440 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 22 David Yakobson
From: Noma Boardmember <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:06 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; Elaine Polachek; Douglas Sloan Cc: Bruce Leddy
Subject: AGENDA ITEM 5C, March 11, 2025 - Approve ENA

EXTERNAL
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.

TO: SANTA MONICA CITY COUNCIL
RE: Agenda Item 5C, March 11, 2025
Dear Mayor, Council Members, Acting City Manager, and City Attorney - The Board of NOMA urges you to accept the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with RPG to move the process of restoring the Civic Auditorium forward. RPG is the perfect consortium for this project, with extensive experience in both venue restoration and live concert management. Their proposal will return the Civic to its glory days as an entertainment and cultural hub for our city, resulting in significant longterm economic benefit, all at no cost to taxpayers.

This city is fortunate to have such a legendary facility that will add to our reputation as a center for the arts, and even luckier to have such a talented group eager to restore it. Please move forward with the ENA.

Bruce Leddy, Chair
On behalf of
The NOMA Board
NOMA'S Next Meeting: THUR. APRIL 3RD
at 7PM on ZOOM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81526517066
smnoma.org
[email protected]
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 441 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 23 David Yakobson
From: Janet Carter <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 1:02 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Support RPG's Request for an ENA - Restoring the Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
To Santa Monica City Council,
I'm reaching out to address Item 5C on the March 11th agenda, writing to support RPG's request for an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement.

Please support RPG in restoring the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Sincerely,
Janet D Carter
2803 Kansas Ave
Santa Monica CA 90404
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 442 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 24 David Yakobson
From: Peter Spelman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:58 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Our wonderful Civic Center

EXTERNAL
3/10/25
Hello Council Members:

My wife and I are 47+ year residents of Santa Monica, first renters, now homeowners. Our daughter went through the SM school system K-12. We love and treasure our City.

Please do not sell off one of the few remaining pieces of our heritage. Short term gain in this case will mean long term pain for us, our children, and grandchildren. Instead, keep the Civic as a place for music, art, and culture. There's a proposal to do just that in front of you; vote YES.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Peter Spelman & Stephanie Tainsky
730 Marine St.

Santa Monica 90405
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 443 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 25 David Yakobson
From: Esther Hickman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:43 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; Douglas Sloan; Elaine Polachek; Barry Snell Subject: Agenda Item 5.C (3/11/25) City Council must approve signing the ENA with RPG to restore the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and members of the Council,
When you vote to move forward or not with the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with Revitalization Partner Group (RPG) to restore Santa Monica Civic Auditorium please think about the marginalized, impoverished and struggling communities in Santa Monica and the surrounding Westside. We need more art and opportunity to uplift and empower all the individuals and families that have come from all over the Nation and World to seek better lives and support through housing vouchers, affordable housing, basic aid public school education and State resources. All residents need more art and pride in their city too! With plans to build more housing and expand the population of our city we need the revitalization of our great Civic Auditorium to create more balance and beauty. Music, art, education and sports is one of the things that can break the barriers of socio-economic classes. You have the power to make things right in our community so I hope you will vote to move forward with this phenomenal opportunity that our residents have worked so hard to create for the betterment of the City. We all need a better Santa Monica. Imagine the National press praising our World Class city and moving away from our reputation of being a safe haven for degenerates and criminals.

We urge the Council to agree to the revised ENA and direct the City to pursue this process so that Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center and begin the revitalization of our city.

Thank you for your consideration.

With Sincere Gratitude,
--
Esther Hickman
310.600.7306
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 444 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 26 David Yakobson
From: Edgar Sernas
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:18 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: RE: Opposition to City Council Meeting Staff Report 6941 Im not sure which Zoe request this is. But I will make this one into one PDF.

Edgar Sernas
Staff Assistant III – Records & Election Svcs
(310) 458-8211 x5782
santamonica.gov
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Subscribe to City of Santa Monica Email Updates
From: councilmtgitems <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:14 PM
To: Edgar Sernas <[email protected]>
Subject: FW: Opposition to City Council Meeting Staff Report 6941 Hey Edgar,
Not sure if you saw my previous email but Zoe wants these items made during public comment. Niki mentioned she’d prefer they just be included as one PDF file.

David Yakobson
Staff Assistant III
(310) 458-8211 x2066
santamonica.gov
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Subscribe to City of Santa Monica Email Updates
From: Zoe <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 5:02 PM
To: Dana Brown <[email protected]>; Clerk Mailbox <[email protected]>; Santa Monica City Manager's Office <[email protected]>; Susan Cline <[email protected]> Cc: David Gardinier <[email protected]>; Josh Kurpies <[email protected]>; Lisa Parson Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 445 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 27 <[email protected]>; Lana Negrete <[email protected]>; Ramon Batista <[email protected]>; councilmtgitems <[email protected]>; Caroline Torosis <[email protected]>; Jesse Zwick <[email protected]>; Ellis Raskin <[email protected]>; Natalya Zernitskaya <[email protected]>; Barry Snell <[email protected]>; Dan Hall <[email protected]>; Elaine Polachek <[email protected]>
Subject: Opposition to City Council Meeting Staff Report 6941

EXTERNAL
Dear Ms. Brown,
First, congratulations on your appointment to lead the City of Santa Monica Human Resources team.

I have been busy since your appointment with litigation in the LA Superior Court for the negligence of the processing of my nomination papers by Nikima Newsome,and Maria Dacanay- Weisner Santa Monica City Clerk's for Santa Monica College Board of trustee, hence you did not hear from me sooner.

I am writing to you today to oppose the Staff Report 6941, Approval of City Attorney Amended and Restated Employment Agreement. The report is inaccurate, There are Financial Impacts and Budget Actions to this recommendation. As I filed a claim for the irresponsible way Douglas Sloan Department has failed to investigate and file charges against Marty Kaplan, Sean Besser and Maureen Morris in several Tenant Harassment Complaints dating from 2022 until 2024.

His legal malpractice in defending the City Clerk negligence of my Nomination Papers for Santa Monica College Board of Trustees is also a claim against the City of Santa Monica, specifically to his department. Doglas Sloan lied to the City Council in closed session saying I lost 8 times in LA Superior Court at different hearings of the Writ of Mandate case filed in the LA Superior Court.

Councilmember Dan Hall shared that information with me on December 21, 2024 at the Virginia Avenue Park Lloyd Allen Plaque Unveiling event. You should consider asking for copies of the claims I filed with the City Clerk's Office.

At the February 25, 2025 City Council meeting, I approached Douglas Sloan in the hallway close to the glass doors of City Hall Chambers, in a typical behavior of White Supremacy, Sloan dismissed me as a nuisance, failing to engage with me to discuss an issue that exposes the city to litigation. Earlier at the meeting during Public Comment, I asked him to look at me when speaking and he continued looking at his phone. It is on the record. Not a good look. On January 6, 2025I emailed a presentation of a LA Law Library Class I took on January 7, 2025 about Civility in the Courts which I attached to this email. Sloan knows the law, he and his staff refuse to abide by it. I am still waiting for an answer from Deputy Attorney Benito Delfin about a Subpoena filed last month. Nine days ago he told the court he was going to present an ex parte motion to oppose the subpoena, I am still waiting for it. This is a culture of privilege and entitlement that needs to be addressed by the City Council.

There is a BIG and immediate financial impact of budget action necessary as a result of recommended action. Salary and benefits for the City Attorney position are included in the City’s budget, however if the City Council and the City Manager (Human Resources) authorize this recommendation, there will be a significant exposure to litigation that will exacerbate the reputation of the city with discriminatory practices and the influence of political actors in making decision at the City Attorney's Office.

Douglas Sloan has systematically exposed the City to litigation not to prevent it. In a time when the fiscal wellbeing of the city is impacted by multiple litigations as per Councilmember Ellis Raskin OPA Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 446 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 28 Neighborhood meeting participation last month, Santa Monica lawmakers should be risk averse. Given the track record of malicious prosecution by previous City Attorney's Marsha Moutrie, I would think carefully about this recommendation and its potential exposure to litigation.

I will be filing complaints with the State of California Bar, the Los Angeles Bar, the Los Angeles District Attorney, and the California Attorney General tomorrow to include in this report.

Kindly reply if you have any questions. Thank you.

Zoё Muntaner
“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?"- Tao Te Ching IMPORTANT WARNING: This email (and any attachments) is only intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed to and may contain privileged and confidential information. You, the recipient, are obligated to maintain it safely, securely, and confidentially.

Unauthorized re-disclosure or failure to maintain confidentiality may subject you to federal and state penalties. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify me by return email and delete this message from your computer.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 447 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 29 David Yakobson
From: danilobach <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:15 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Agenda Item 5C - City Council meeting 3/11/25

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and Council members,
The opportunity to team up with RPG (Revitalization Partner Group) in revitalizing the Civic Auditorium and our downtown is too good for the city to pass up. As a Santa Monica resident, I urge you to satisfactorily conclude the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with them now being considered.

Respectfully,
Danilo Bach
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 448 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 30 David Yakobson
From: Lisa Pound <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:10 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; David White
Subject: SAVE THS CIVIC-Sign the ENA

EXTERNAL
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS OF SANTA MONCIA.

The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands. Please vote to sign the ENA so we can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers

Lisa Pound
1010 Pacific St.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 449 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 2 David Yakobson
From: Jane Dempsey <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:05 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C - Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council members,
I have lived in Santa Monica since the mid 70’s both renting and owning.

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 450 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 3 David Yakobson
From: Ann Maggio <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:02 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; councilmtgitems
Subject: March 11 - Closed Session Item - Save the Civic / THE CITY MUST STOP FORCING

SAMOHI TO CARRY THE CITY'S WATER

EXTERNAL
Dear Council,
The Public campaign to REFUSE another school bond that would REMOVE the City's OBLIGATION to SAVE the CIVIC CENTER is UNDERWAY. We have YEARS to inform voters about your back door plans to burden the District (and fund your political campaigns and those of your friends over at the District) by pushing the burdens onto PUBLIC EDUCATION. Shame on you! The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

Vote to sign the ENA so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers.

Ann Maggio Thanawalla
"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth." - Albert Einstein Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 451 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 4 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 12:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Barry Snell; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: City Council 3/11/25 item 5-C -- Civic Auditorium -- SUPPORT!

EXTERNAL
March 10, 2025

To: Mayor Negrete and City Council members
From: Ofer Grossman
RE: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C -- Santa Monica Civic Auditorium The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

I urge you to sign the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement and lease the Civic to RPG so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers.

Background:
- A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status. - A partnership with RPG would mean the Civic would remain owned by the residents of Santa Monica. Keeping public spaces public encourages residents to participate in their communities, which is vital at a time when people feel increasingly isolated.
- Publicly owned venues for music and the arts are rare and important and should not be sold off or used for other purposes.
- A restored Civic would make our City a cultural and arts destination for Santa Monicans, Southern Californians, and beyond -- a source of pride for the people of our great City. - Traffic makes it difficult for Santa Monicans to visit venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theater.

Why not have a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in our city? If City Council members vote to end negotiations, this will be a tragic missed opportunity and a huge loss for all of us.

The suggestion that selling historic, unique, income producing properties of the City is a sound financial tactic is incorrect. These assets are the bread and butter of the City of Santa Monica. They bring in tourists (domestic and foreign) and add quality to the lives of residents, making Santa Monica a special Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 452 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 5 place to live. Do not sell or ignore these unique assets. They are the key to Santa Monica’s financial viability in the future.

Thank you,
Ofer Grossman
1115 Hill Street
To help protect your privacy,
Micro so ft Office prevented
auto matic downlo ad o f this
picture from the Internet. Virus-free.www.avast.com
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 453 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 6 David Yakobson
From: Ellie <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 11:39 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: 3/11 city council item 5-C. Save the civic auditorium

EXTERNAL
Please help save the auditorium
Ellie Pezeshki
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 454 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 1 David Yakobson
From: JEANNE LAURIE <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 2:48 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
This is a legacy moment for you and for the City of Santa Monica The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

The City of Santa Monica needs the Civic Auditorium for many reasons. It is a shame that such a valuable building has sat idle for so long. There is great pride to have it. It would be a terrible shame to turn it into basketball courts or any other purpose.

Here is your chance to do the right thing.

Jeanne Laurie
Sunset Park
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 455 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 2 David Yakobson
From: Jeffrey Sturges <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 11:46 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Please save the Civic!

EXTERNAL
To the Santa Monica team,
The permanent fate of our beloved and historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

Please vote to sign the ENA so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center and a magnificent , at no cost to taxpayers.

A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status.

A partnership with RPG would mean the Civic would remain owned by the residents of Santa Monica. Keeping public spaces public encourages residents to participate in their communities which is vital at a time when people feel increasingly isolated.

Publicly owned venues for music and the arts are rare and important and should not be sold off or used for other purposes.

A restored Civic would make our City a cultural and arts destination for Santa Monicans, Southern Californians and beyond, a source of pride for the people of our great City.

Traffic makes it all but impossible for Santa Monicans to visit venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theater. Why not have a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in our city?
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 456 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 3 Hoping you will make the RPG choice.

Thank you,
Jeffrey Sturges
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 457 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 4 David Yakobson
From: Ellen Hannan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 11:24 AM
To: Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems
Subject: Why is the Civic Center Important? Vote for March 10,2024

EXTERNAL
It is all about the money. We need it to help fund the many hotels in the immediate area of the City Center area. This revenue is a source for more hotel growth. The high tax rate the City Staff has placed on our downtown hotels is a major source(along with auto dealerships taxes) is saving our City from the financial ruin it is facing.

It is not just Save The Civic Auditorium, it is to save our hotels and to save our downtown and SAVE OUR CITY from bankruptcy. And you need to do it now. Not in a year or two, do not wait until the next election. cycle.

March 10, 2024
Ellen Hannan
1218 9th St #6
Santa Monica Ca 90401
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 458 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 1 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 7:20 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: hi

EXTERNAL
Hello Santa Monica City Counsel Members,
as in the past we have the Broad Auditorium, but please study or vet the future use of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. I certainly liked it in the past attendance . Perhaps it can reintroduce the Academy Awards, concerts, educational forums etc., political debates, there is no end to usage.

Good bye, Mitchell Lachman
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 459 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 1 David Yakobson
From: Tricia Crane <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 10:50 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; Elaine Polachek; Douglas Sloan Subject: Agenda Item 5.C (3/11/25) City Council must approve signing the ENA with RPG to restore the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
To: City Council
From: The Board of Northeast Neighbors
Re: Agenda Item 5.C, Council meeting of March 11, 2025
Santa Monica City Council must approve signing of the ENA with RPG to restore the Civic Auditorium
Dear Mayor Negrete and members of the Council,
The Board of Northeast Neighbors asks the City Council to move forward with the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with Revitalization Partner Group (RPG) to restore Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

We urge the Council to agree to the revised ENA and direct the City to pursue this process so that Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center and begin the revitalization of our city.

The Civic was the location for the 40th Annual Academy Awards Photo courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 460 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 2 David Yakobson
From: Anita <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 10:16 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council,
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands. Please vote to sign the ENA so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers.

Sincerely,
Anita Szafran
929 Idaho Ave Apt 1
Santa Monica
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 461 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 3 David Yakobson
From: Bob Elson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 9:06 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: Santa Monica Civic

EXTERNAL
Hi all,
I'm sure that I've lived and worked in Santa Monica longer than anyone this email is going out to. During that time, the City has deteriorated in more ways than I currently choose to write about, or you would choose to read about, so let's limit this to 1 topic. The SM Civic should be saved. Period.

The Civic is an asset that can't (won't) be replaced, just like so many others that are being "disappeared" here. Don't aspire for Santa Monica to become the next Miami Beach or Acapulco. Save what little unique beach city charm remains, (don't build more "affordable units" in the area which is already gridlocked, and has parking shortages,) and have someone rehab and manage the auditorium the way it was in the past.

Sincerely,
N. Robert Elson, M.D.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 462 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 4 David Yakobson
From: Victor Fresco <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 9:00 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Caroline Torosis; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Cc: Elaine Polachek; Nia Tang; Jennifer Taylor; Susan Cola Subject: Re: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Vote for the Civic Auditorium ENA

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council,
I urge you to approve the ENA and negotiate with RPG to restore Santa Monica’s historic Civic Auditorium into a world-class performing arts venue.

A revitalized Civic would be an economic driver for our downtown. The City would incur no costs, publicly owned land would not be sold off DOGE/Musk-style, and Santa Monica would have a worldclass cultural arena, generating tax revenue for decades to come. It’s a win-win-win-win for our City.

It would also give residents something to be excited about. A City-wide morale booster in these challenging times.

Sincerely,
Victor and Diane Fresco
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 463 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 5 David Yakobson
From: Richard Orton <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 8:55 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: Keep the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
Attachments: 61. Sept Civic Aud Newsletter B .pdf

EXTERNAL
I think the first Civic Auditorium was built at the Ocean Park Pier and it was enveloped into part of POP when that started in 1958. By then the current Civic as under construction and we should continue with that tradition and commitment.

Save the Civic
At the bottom I'm attaching the newsletter about the history of the Civic Auditorium to help you why it is so important to keep it. It is the soul of our community, a landmark, and to order it's destruction would be permanent wound to our city's heritage.

Thank you,
Richard Orton
Ocean Park
Look who played there...

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 464 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) Steps Advance for Extensive Civic Building
os Angeles Times (1923-1995); Feb 19, 1956; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times g. E1
Richard’s Tales of Ocean Park, Santa Monica and other magic places.

NEWSLETTER
September 2022 | Issue No.61 | [email protected]
Above: February 16, 1956 sketch of the proposed Santa Monica Civic Auditorium including the reflection pool. Who knew there was a reflection pool? Reproduced with permission of the copyrigh
Steps Advance for Extensive Civic Building
Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Feb 19, 1956; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angel pg. E1
Steps Advance for Extensive Civic Building
Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Feb 19, 1956; ProQuest Historical News pg. E1
Steps Advance for Extensive Civic Building
Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Feb 19, 1956; ProQuest
pg. E1
Reproduced with permission of the copyrig
Reproduced with permission of the copyright ownerFurther February 16, 1956

Page 1 ends

Appreciating the Civic Auditorium
A look at the Santa Monica
Civic Auditorium from the
pages of the LA Times
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 465 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) Santa Monica Fetes Building of Auditorium
Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Jun 16, 1958; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times pg. B1
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permissio Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Jun 16, 1958; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times pg. B1
Santa Monica Fetes Building of Auditorium
Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Jun 16, 1958; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times pg. B1
Santa Monica Fetes Building of Auditorium
Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Jun 16, 1958; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times pg. B1
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Santa Monica Fetes Building of Auditorium
Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Jun 16, 1958; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times pg. B1
June 16, 1958
Oscars, April 17, 1961
Above: The Oscar broadcast, live on ABC-TV from the new Santa Monica Civic Auditorium really put the venue on the map and gave it new prestige.

This was on April 17, 1961
Left: The Civic Auditorium today. Compare the
top of the facade in this picture to the one at the
top of the page. In the 1961 picture the concrete
screen goes all the way to the top. Today there
is a band of white across the top. When was this
change made and why was it made?

Page 2 ends

There’ll be No Snack
Bar for S.M. Sea Gulls
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 466 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium)

Page 3 ends

Above: The excellent Santa Monica Symphony used to call the Civic Auditorium home Above: The 1921 Ocean Park Municipal Auditorium shown here in 1950.

Above: The Belmar neighborhood was cleared away in the late 1950s to make way for enlarging the Civic Center. The old cottages were set afire to provide training for the fire department.

Today!
The Belmar neighborhood
The removal of the Belmar neighborhood
was part of a national program by the
federal government to help cities “clean
up” impoverished areas and keep them
economically viable for the City. These urban modernization efforts were part of a campaign to encourage white upper- and
middle-class people to visit and continue
to reside in the bay city. An estimated
80% of those who were displaced nationwide were African Americans and people from other marginalized groups. Little
was spent on their relocation.

Not the first Auditorium in town
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium was
not the city’s first auditorium. The Ocean
Park Municipal Auditorium opened in
1921, just north of the Ocean Park Pier,
replacing an earlier auditorium destroyed
in a 1912 fire that swept through the
neighborhood. It was used for events into
the 1950s and then re-purposed for Pacific
Ocean Park’s Westinghouse Enchanted
Forest exhibit opening in 1958. POP closed
in 1967. The kiddie park at the south end of
the beach parking lot is where this building
used to be.

More interesting stuff....

Whats happening now?.

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium had
a long illustrious reputation as a top destination for conventions and legendary concerts, but by 2000, it was struggling
to make a profit with an annual deficit of as
much as $2 million, which the city has had
to cover.

The City of Santa Monica began to plan
for a $51.9-million renovation using redevelopment funds and negotiated with the Nederlander Organization to book
events. That effort was suspended after
Governor Jerry Brown dissolved community redevelopment agencies. The auditorium closed on June 30, 2013 and its been closed ever since.

A complete renovation would exceed
$70 million. From an economic perspective, it would be cheaper to replace it, but many consider it a landmark worth preserving. The city has an annual budget of more than half of a billion dollars and is
considering its priorities.

Meanwhile, a long-promised soccer
field has been built on its parking lot making the likelihood of a reopening less likely than ever. I wish it well... Richard Orton
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 467 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium)

Page 4 ends

The Beach Boys
Lesley Gore
Bo Diddley
Chuck Berry
Gerry & the Pacemakers
Jan and Dean
Marvin Gaye
Smokey Robinson
James Brown
The Supremes
The Rolling Stones
Bob Dylan
The Eagles
David Bowie
Bruce Springsteen
Pink Ffloyd
Van Morrison
Journey
Genisis
The Doors
The Who
Billy Joel
Boston
Van Halen
Queen
Frank Zappa
Prince
U2
Aerosmith
Eric Clapton
Jackson Browne
Kingston Trio
Village People
Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald
Crosby, Stills, and Nash
The Kinks
On June 30, 2013, the historic Santa Monica Civic
went dark and closed its doors after fifty-five years
of operation. Nearly fifty of those years it held con-
certs performed by virtually every Rock act you
can imagine.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 468 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 6 The Who
Billy Joel
Boston
Van Halen
Queen
Frank Zappa
Prince
U2
Aerosmith
Eric Clapton
Jackson Browne
Kingston Trio
Village People
Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald
Crosby, Stills, and Nash
The Kinks
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 469 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 7 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 11:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete
Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Please Save the Civic Auditorium-Revitalize our City!

EXTERNAL
Please Save the Civic Auditorium and let them bring world class music back to our city and Help Revitalize our Business and our City..

And bring more badly needed revenue and Tourism.
- 30 yr Santa Monica home owner and resident
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 470 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 8 David Yakobson
From: girltunes <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 10:09 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I stand with Friends of the Civic regarding the following request* for the SM City Council to agree to the revised ENA submitted by RPG so that the process of saving the CIvic Center can move forward. *The Revitalization Partner Group (RPG) that has been negotiating with the City to restore Santa Monica’s Civic Auditorium into a world-class music and performing arts center (at no cost to taxpayers!) has now submitted their second revised Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) to the City.
(RPG includes people who organized the FireAid benefit concert on January 30th at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum in Inglewood, and raised about $100 million for wildfire relief efforts.) The future of the historic Civic Auditorium is now in the hands of our City Council. It can either agree to the revised ENA and move the process forward and agree to a lease. [from Friends of the Civic email blast 3-9-2025] Sincerely,
Ferris Gluck
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 471 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 9 David Yakobson
From: Wendy Dembo <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 8:24 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems; Douglas Sloan
Subject: re: agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Esteamed Council Members,
One way to help the City of Santa Monica's dire financial situation is to help businesses.

Please allow and encourage the revitalization of the Historic Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. People love live music and will come to Santa Monica to attend concerts. They will spend money, which will create much-needed tax revenue.

Please approve a lease for the Revitalization Partner Group (RPG).

Selling land is short-sighted. Land continually goes up in value. Please think of the future of Santa Monica.

With great concern,
Wendy Dembo
Santa Moncia Resident, Voter, and Wilmont Board Member
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 472 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 10 David Yakobson
From: Hillary Rollins <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 7:12 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

The benefits are obvious, but if you need reminders, here are some very good reasons:
- A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status. - A partnership with RPG would mean the Civic would remain owned by the residents of Santa Monica. Keeping public spaces public encourages residents to participate in their communities, which is vital at a time when people feel increasingly isolated.
- Publicly owned venues for music and the arts are rare and important and should not be sold off or used for other purposes.
- A restored Civic would make our City a cultural and arts destination for Santa Monicans, Southern Californians, and beyond -- a source of pride for the people of our great City. - Traffic makes it difficult for Santa Monicans to visit venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theater. Why not have a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in our city? Thank you for serving the community ;)
Hillary Rollins
Hillary Rollins Presents
310.291.1466 (cell)
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 473 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 11 David Yakobson
From: Kit Dreyfuss <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 8:16 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Fwd: Save the Civic auditorium!

EXTERNAL
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From: Kit Dreyfuss <[email protected]>
Date: March 9, 2025 at 7:59:32 PM PDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: Save the Civic auditorium!
I moved to Santa Monica in 1969, raised four children, served as Santa Monica School Nurse for 23 years and have supported city projects along the way. I urge our city council to maintain our Civic Auditorium as a significant attraction for business and pleasure for Santa Monica residents, businesses and visitors.

Sincerely,
Kit Dreyfuss
Sent from my iPhone
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 474 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 12 David Yakobson
From: Mindi Shank <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 7:03 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: Vote to save the Civic for the residents of Santa Monica

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

Please vote to sign the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement and approve a lease with the Revitalization Partner Group, so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers. - A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status. - A partnership with RPG would mean the Civic would remain owned by the residents of Santa Monica. Keeping public spaces public encourages residents to participate in their communities, which is vital at a time when people feel increasingly isolated.
- Publicly owned venues for music and the arts are rare and important and should not be sold off or used for other purposes.
- A restored Civic would make our City a cultural and arts destination for Santa Monicans, Southern Californians, and beyond -- a source of pride for the people of our great City. - Traffic makes it difficult for Santa Monicans to visit venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theater. Why not have a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in our city? We, residents, deserve a culturally rich and iconic concert hall to remain a part of our fine city for us and future generations to enjoy. I have lived in LA for over 20 years and have not had the good fortune of seeing any performances at this historic landmark site but have heard the wonderful stories from those who did. It’s time we bring it back!
If City Council members vote to end negotiations, this will be a tragic missed opportunity and a huge loss for all of us. Vote YES to revitalize and save the Civic!
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 475 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 13 David Yakobson
From: Hal Bogotch <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 6:39 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick
Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands! Please vote to sign the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement and approve a lease with the Revitalization Partner Group (RPG), so that Santa Monica can, once again, have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers.

Years ago, I used to attend concerts at the Santa Monica Civic — it was an extraordinary venue! For Santa Monica residents (as well as folks who live elsewhere), it is accessible by bicycle, bus, and train.

The Civic Auditorium has sat vacant for far too long!
Please don't hesitate to approve the proposed negotiating agreement & lease — so that this project can — at long last, move forward.

Sincerely,
Mr. Hal Bogotch
2520 Cloverfield Blvd
Santa Monica 90405
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 476 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 14 David Yakobson
From: Kathy Knight <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 6:23 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; [email protected]; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium Importance: High

EXTERNAL
March 9, 2025
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council Members:

The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

A partnership with RPB would mean that the Civic would remain owned by we, the residents of Santa Monica.

I don’t want to travel across Los Angeles to go to a concert. I want to go to concerts here.

We are asking for your support to save our Civic Auditorium.

Thank you,
Kathy Knight and Joe Faris
Sunset Park Residents
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 477 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 15 David Yakobson
From: Diana Gordon <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 5:58 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Cc: Elaine Polachek; Nia Tang; Jennifer Taylor; Susan Cola Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Vote for the Civic Auditorium ENA

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council,
I write to urge you to approve the ENA and negotiate with RPG to breathe new life into the Civic Auditorium and restore its luster as a top-notch cultural and entertainment venue for the ages.

The RPG team that has emerged to partner with the City has deep and broad experience in renovating and operating entertainment/cultural venues in the US and elsewhere, and understands the entertainment industry bar none.

Likewise, RPG has the deep pockets to revitalize the Civic at no cost to the City and generate a steady revenue stream for our City and its businesses while burnishing our City’s arts and cultural stature.

It’s a unique win-win opportunity - resurrecting our very own iconic venue that has lain fallow for too long.

And lastly, this rare publicly owned venue called “The Civic” will remain, as it should, in public hands.

Thank you,
Diana Gordon
Santa Monica resident
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 478 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 16 David Yakobson
From: Phyllis Chavez <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 5:56 PM
To: [email protected]; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Cc: Nia Tang; Douglas Sloan; Jennifer Taylor
Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium"

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

If City Council members vote to end negotiations, this will be a tragic missed opportunity and a huge loss for all of us.

Thank you,
Phyllis Chavez
Sunset Park
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 479 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 17 David Yakobson
From: Daniel Galamba <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 5:23 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems; Daniel Galamba
Subject: City Council Meeting 3-11-2025 Item 5.C.-Please save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
I am requesting that your sign the ENA with RPG to restore our Civic Auditorium into a world-class music and performing arts center at no cost to taxpayers. Some of the benefits of signing an ENA include:

A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center that would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity and tax dollars for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status.

A partnership with RPG would mean the Civic would remain owned by the residents of Santa Monica.

Publicly owned venues for music and the arts are rare and important and should not be sold off or used for other purposes.

A restored Civic would make our City a cultural and arts destination for Santa Monicans, Southern Californians and beyond, a source of pride for the people of our great City.

Traffic makes it all but impossible for Santa Monicans to visit venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theater. A restored Civic Auditorium will have a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in Santa Monica.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to revitalize our downtown area. Please don't waste it by destroying the Civic Auditorium and replacing it with something else, e.g. luxury condos that only further stuff the pockets of greedy developers. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Dr Daniel Galamba
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 480 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 18 David Yakobson
From: Toby Berlin <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 4:41 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: "3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium"

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

- A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status.
- A partnership with RPG would mean the Civic would remain owned by the residents of Santa Monica. Keeping public spaces public encourages residents to participate in their communities, which is vital at a time when people feel increasingly isolated. - Publicly owned venues for music and the arts are rare and important and should not be sold off or used for other purposes.
- A restored Civic would make our City a cultural and arts destination for Santa Monicans, Southern Californians, and beyond -- a source of pride for the people of our great City. - Traffic makes it difficult for Santa Monicans to visit venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theater. Why not have a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in our city? If City Council members vote to end negotiations, this will be a tragic missed opportunity and a huge loss for all of us.

Toby Berlin
1701 Pier Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 481 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 19 Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 482 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 20 David Yakobson
From: Mary Hubbell <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 4:18 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C – Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Councilmembers,
Please vote YES to sign the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with the Revitalization Partner Group to restore and revitalize our publicly owned Civic Auditorium. With RPG we are getting our world-class performing arts and cultural center at no cost to taxpayers.

Thank you,
Mary Hubbell
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 483 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 21 David Yakobson
From: Nancy Hicks <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 2:57 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: 3/11/25 Agenda Item 5-C - Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council Members:

Thank you.

Nancy & Wes Hicks
Santa Monica residents
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 484 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 22 David Yakobson
From: Abby Adams <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 2:55 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Cc: Patrick Adams; Kellogg Adams; cooper adams; Riley Adams Subject: SAVE AND RESTORE THE CIVIC!

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status.

The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands. Please vote to sign the ENA so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers. We strongly encourage you to move forward with RPG ASAP, so the city can begin to move forward with this game changing plane. Thank you.

Thank you.

The Adams Family
475 17th Street

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 485 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 23 David Yakobson
From: janet rt <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 2:42 PM
To: [email protected]; Lana Negrete; councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick Subject: Save the Civic

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Council members,
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

Janet Tunick
1224 Grant St
90405
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 486 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 24 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 11:17 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Barry Snell; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: FOSP: City Council 3/11/25 item 5-C -- Civic Auditorium -- SUPPORT!

EXTERNAL
March 8, 2025

To: Mayor Negrete and City Council members
From: Board of Directors, Friends of Sunset Park'
RE: 3/11/25 agenda item 5-C -- Santa Monica Civic Auditorium The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands.

The FOSP Board urges you to sign the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement and lease the Civic to RPG so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers.

Why not have a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in our city? If City Council members vote to end negotiations, this will be a tragic missed opportunity and a huge loss for all of us.

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 487 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 25 David Yakobson
From: Jeffrey Gordon <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 9:50 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; [email protected]; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems Subject: Civic Auditorium-Tuesday 3/11/25 Council Agenda Item 5c—Please Vote Yes

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I strongly urge our Council to vote to sign the ENA and proceed with negotiations to revitalize the Civic as a world class venue with this strong group which has deep, rare experience in constructing and operating such a cultural venue.

We are rarely faced with such a clear win-win situation for our local businesses, residents and the City government. An iconic cultural venue in the heart of our city would provide an ongoing economic engine for local businesses and a steady City revenue stream.

At the same time it would provide us all with a much needed local music and arts home—something we really can be proud of. All at no cost to the City. And while allowing this valuable publicly owned venue and property to remain in public hands into the future.

Thank you, Jeff Gordon, Santa Monica resident
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 488 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 26 David Yakobson
From: Ed A <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 9:07 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis
Subject: Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands. Please vote to sign the ENA so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers.

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 489 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 27 David Yakobson
From: Andrea Level <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 9, 2025 1:59 AM
To: Lana Negrete
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: Save+the+Civic

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and Council Members,
I urge you to sign the Civic Auditorium ENA to restore a world class performing arts centre in Santa Monica. This would be at no cost to taxpayers but would provide an enormous benefit in terms of access to the facility for residents and also the uplift for local businesses.

The fate of this valuable community asset is in your hands.

Thank you for considering my view.

Yours sincerely,
Andrea Level
✉ [email protected]
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 490 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 28 David Yakobson
From: Martyn Burke <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 6:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: SAVE THE CIVIC

EXTERNAL
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 491 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 29 David Yakobson
From: Andrew Wilder <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 6:11 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; Susan Cline; Elaine Polachek
Subject: 03/11/25 Item 5C - Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
Please save the Civic Auditorium and work with RPG to turn it into a revitalized concert and performing arts center.

An arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status.

Traffic makes it all but impossible for Santa Monicans to visit venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Greek Theater. Let's reduce vehicle trips and create a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in our city!
Thank you!
Andrew Wilder
Sunset Park
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 492 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 30 David Yakobson
From: Susan Suntree <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 4:13 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; David White; Ellis Raskin
Subject: The Civic Auditorium!

EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members: The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands. Please vote to sign the ENA so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers.

Additionally,
A revitalized world-class concert and performing arts center would provide the City with a revenue stream for decades. The economic ripple effect for Santa Monica would be huge as a restored concert and performing arts venue in the heart of our city would attract people from all over the region and beyond, generating economic activity (and tax dollars!) for hotels, restaurants, etc., enhancing our City’s destination status.

- A partnership with RPG would mean the Civic would remain owned by the residents of Santa Monica. Keeping public spaces public encourages residents to participate in their communities which is vital at a time when people feel increasingly isolated.

- Publicly owned venues for music and the arts are rare and important and should not be sold off or used for other purposes.

- A restored Civic would make our City a cultural and arts destination for Santa Monicans, Southern Californians and beyond, a source of pride for the people of our great City.

Sincerely,
Susan Suntree
1223 11th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 493 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 31 David Yakobson
From: Stacey Abarbanel <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 3:40 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: Save the Civic Auditorium

EXTERNAL
Dear Council:

The fate of our historic Civic Auditorium is in your hands. Please vote to sign the ENA so Santa Monica can have a world-class performing arts center, at no cost to taxpayers. RPG Group is highly experienced with strong ties to the entertainment industry and a proven track record. They are prepared to secure the funding needed to revitalize the Civic Auditorium as a world-class performance venue if given time and consideration in developing a feasibility assessment and design proposal that fits this project's complex requirements and our community's needs. Please endorse their request for an ENA as considerable economic and cultural benefits to the city will accompany their success.

We cannot wait to again have a vibrant home for music and the arts right here in our city! Thank you,
Stacey Ravel Abarbanel
1039 Harvard Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
[email protected]
310/736-5300
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 494 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 32 David Yakobson
From: D M <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 3:04 PM
To: Lana Negrete
Subject: Save the Civic

EXTERNAL
Please vote to sign the ENA.

I am a musician and feel strongly that we need a world class venue for the performing arts where the Santa Monica Civic stands!
Thank you for considering my viewpoint.

Sincerely,
Diane
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 495 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 33 David Yakobson
From: Ed Harker <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 2:29 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: Determining the fate of the Civic in closed session on Tuesday, March 11

EXTERNAL
Dear City Council,
Please pass the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement presented by RPG so we can begin, once again, enjoying world class arts and entertainment right here in our beautiful beach town! All the vendors along Main Street, Pico, Ocean and the beachfront would love nothing more than days and evenings when folks from all over the city and the country would have another really great reason to come here, enjoy the scene and support our locals.

And for our residents, to have the opportunities to enjoy what the whole world of performers have to offer on stage, is another great reason to live here, stay here, grow families here, and share our blessings with everyone.

This is really a no brainer... AT NO COST TO TAXPAYERS, wow! Thank you,
Ed Harker
SM resident since 1984
2029 20th St 90404
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 496 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 34 David Yakobson
From: Gina Simas <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 2:00 PM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: Please Save the Civic and Vote to Sign the ENA

EXTERNAL
All,
I have been a resident of Santa Monica for over twenty years. I moved here to attend law school and, thereafter, purchased a townhome in 2002. I love going to concerts and do so frequently. Unfortunately, the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek and other venues are so far away from us that we cannot go as frequently as we would like. Our community would benefit greatly by having a venue close by for everyone to use and enjoy. Moreover, it would bring in needed tax dollars and tourists from all over seeking to attend a concert at this storied venue.

I implore you to embrace a partnership with RPG so that the Civic remains owned by the residents of Santa Monica. Covid resulted in a loss of community and connection. Restoring Santa Monica’s Civic Auditorium into a world-class music center could help restore a sense of community. PLEASE vote to sign the ENA. The fate of our City is in your hands. Thank you for looking out for the residents by ensuring our future is bright by having a much needed performing arts and entertainment venue.

Sincerely,
Gina Simas

Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 497 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) 35 David Yakobson
From: Libby Pachares <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, March 8, 2025 1:44 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Civic Auditorium - Please support entering into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with RPG Group

EXTERNAL
Honorable Members of the Council,
I am writing to urge you to vote in favor of entering into an ENA with RPG Group. Our residents need to know that the City Council has diligently pursued every option find an economically feasible way to adaptively reuse this historic site, and in so doing, preserve it’s legacy for future generations, bring revenue into our city and reclaim the city as an important center for the performing arts.

I hope that I can count on you to vote in favor of entering into the ENA.

Sincerely,
Libby Pachares
414 16th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025
Item 5-C
March 11, 2025

5.C.a
Packet Pg. 498 Attachment: Written Comment [Revision 2] (6982 : 5.C. Closed Session: Real Estate Negotiation, Civic Auditorium) City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: March 11, 2025
Agenda Item:
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Elaine Polachek, Interim City Manager, City Manager's Office Subject: Presentation
Prepared By: Esterlina Lugo, Deputy City Clerk
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:

A. PowerPoint Presentation
Packet Pg. 499
Community
Connect
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 500 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) What is Community Connect?
“Community Connect is a vital piece of technology that provides first responders with critical information regarding your residence or business. This information, which the homeowner or business owner inputs, allows first responders to make strategic and tactical decisions enroute should the need arise for us to respond in an emergency. In an emergency, seconds can often mean the difference in the outcome of an emergency. Having information such as floor plans, pets, or specific medical needs will assist responders in those critical moments when every second matters.”
-Fire Chief Matthew Hallock
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 501 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) What Kinds of Information Can I Provide?
Your Property
Understanding critical information such as your residence type, whether you have fire sprinklers, or designated family meeting places, improves our ability to respond and make decisions during an emergency.

Your People
Let us know who is best to contact in case of an emergency. Your contacts can help us with everything from access, to how to deal with potential hazards or locate occupants. Getting in touch helps us better communicate at the time when it’s needed most.

Your Needs
If you or members of your family have mobility or other types of functional needs that may require additional assistance, letting us know means we can plan accordingly and respond more quickly to those needs.

Your Pet
Your pets are part of the family too. We want to make sure that we can evacuate pets and best handle them as best we can during an incident. Tell us about any type of pet at your residence – even take a photo so we can spot them easily! City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 502 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) How Does it Work?

1. Create an account
Sign in for free and get started doing your part. It just takes your email, phone number and address.

2. Enter the info that matters most
Enter valuable information that can help us assist more effectively during an emergency.

3. Help your Fire Department when seconds count
That’s it. Just keep us updated when things change over time so we can always be prepared.

City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 503 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) How do I Create an Account?
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 504 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 505 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) For Residents
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 506 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) For Businesses
• Both mental and physial fitness is important
What are some ways to get mentally and physically fit?
Stu
Volunteering
Learn CPR and First Aid
Exercise
Work on your skills
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 507 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) Scan QR Code to Create Your Profile
Thank you
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
City Manager Report
March 11, 2025
a
Packet Pg. 508 Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (6993 : Presentation) City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: March 11, 2025
Agenda Item: 11.A
1 of 24
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Heather Averick, Director, Housing and Human Services Department Subject: Receive Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections Program, Approval of Human Services Division Reorganization Plan and Adoption of Classification and Salary Resolution
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:

1. Receive the City of Santa Monica Homelessness Strategic Plan 2025-2030. (Attachment A)

2. Receive the Renters’ Protections Program: Analysis, Key Findings, and Recommendations. (Attachment B)

3. Approve the Human Services Division Reorganization Plan.

4. Adopt a Resolution of the City of Santa Monica establishing new classifications and adopting salary rates for various listed positions (Attachment C) and approve the position and classification changes (Attachment D).

5. Adopt the 2025 Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness through 12/31/2026 (Attachment E), unless repealed or extended by Council, due to the ongoing crisis of homelessness exacerbated by the recent wildfires.

6. Authorize budget amendment as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report (requires 5 votes).

7. 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.

Executive Summary
Santa Monica has a long history of comprehensive, coordinated, and interdisciplinary approaches to addressing and preventing homelessness and its impact on the broader community. Since last year’s Annual Homelessness Report to Council, a major accomplishment is the development of a five-year Homelessness Strategic Plan, which was identified as a need in the 2023 City of Santa Monica Homelessness Study

11.A
Packet Pg. 509
2 of 24
conducted by Moss Adams LLP (Attachment F). The City contracted with BerryDunn Accounting and Consulting Firm to develop a citywide strategic plan that builds on the City’s Four Pillars framework to address homelessness - and the Moss Adams study recommendations - to set clear policy direction, promote alignment across City stakeholders, and support regional efforts. The completed plan is the City of Santa Monica Homelessness Strategic Plan 2025-2030.

One of the plans pillars is Prevention. A key component of preventing homelessness and ensuring residents remain stably housed is a Renters’ Protection Program (RPP).

To develop a robust RPP, the City contracted with Fetterman Dunn Consulting, after City Council direction in August 2023 to evaluate renter protection and financial assistance programs. The resulting report is the City of Santa Monica Renters’ Protections Program: Analysis, Key Findings and Recommendations. The recommendations of this report will build upon the foundation of the existing Right to Counsel Program and add a critical new Flexible Financial Assistance Program for Santa Monica renters at risk of eviction due to legal issues and/or inability to pay rent.

While some of the strategic plan objectives can be achieved with existing funding and staff resources, new and enhanced investments are required to successfully meet the goals outlined in the strategic plan. The Moss Adams study also recommended increased staffing to advance the work surrounding homelessness. To this end, a separate and new division is needed within the Housing and Human Services Department that focuses solely on Homeless Prevention and Intervention. The addition of three new staffing positions is requested to advance the work across the Department.

The positions would be funded by Measure GS revenue, with no impact to the General Fund. The development of a new division will enable staff to focus solely on homelessness intervention and prevention among Santa Monica’s most vulnerable populations. In addition, the current Human Services Division will be able to focus resources on the City’s after-school time direct service programs at the Police Activities League (PAL), CREST, and Virginia Avenue Park (VAP), as well as continue efforts to advance other services for youth and families, including efforts to expand models being

11.A
Packet Pg. 510
3 of 24
done elsewhere for youth services, and oversee the advancement of other community programs such as the VAP Commercial Kitchen.

Finally, this report outlines the history of Santa Monica’s Proclamation of Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness and key initiatives advanced under this order since 2023. Staff is asking Council to extend this proclamation to December 31, 2026.

Background
While homelessness is a complex regional issue that cannot be solved by any single community, Santa Monica has an extensive history of significant investments in a local safety net, affordable housing, and coordinated efforts to prevent and address homelessness. Within the state, 40% of the homeless population live in Los Angeles County. As a result, Santa Monica’s location poses an inherent challenge to addressing homelessness. The City is surrounded by Los Angeles City Council District 11 and is easily accessible by bus and train lines. As a result, many of the people experiencing homelessness in the City did not become homeless here.

In 2022, the City commissioned a homelessness study from the City’s Auditor, Moss Adams, which evaluated Santa Monica’s homelessness intervention and prevention efforts. As part of the recommendations, in 2023, Council authorized the development of a citywide homelessness strategic plan.

The City entered into a contract with BerryDunn in September 2023 to develop a fiveyear Homelessness Strategic Plan (HSP). The first step was conducting individual and intradepartmental interviews and facilitating interdepartmental policy and strategic planning sessions with directors and key staff from various City departments. In January 2024, a day-long planning session was held during which the City Manager and Department Heads developed the key components of the HSP, including the Mission, Vision, Values, Goals, and a modified Four Pillar framework. These were brought back to the larger interdepartmental groups, where the Objectives and Performance Measures were developed.

11.A
Packet Pg. 511
4 of 24
The outcome of these efforts was the draft HSP, which was presented to the City Manager and Department Head team, various Boards and Commissions, and to local nonprofit service providers in early fall 2024.

While work on the HSP was underway, the City was also evaluating options to address the increasing need for legal support for Santa Monica residents facing eviction.

Keeping residents housed is a key strategy of preventing homelessness. The U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows that more than 20.5% of all City renter households are severely housing cost burdened, meaning these households spend more than 50% or more of their income on rent and utilities.

Additionally, HUD data shows that 32% of Santa Monica renters are ‘housing at-risk’ as they make less than 80% of the area median income (AMI) and spend more than 30% of their income on housing. The leading cause for evictions for all renters in Santa Monica is non-payment of rent.

Eviction proceedings take place in the courts and research has consistently shown tenants without legal representation almost always lose their cases. To protect renters, ensure housing stability and prevent homelessness for the City's most vulnerable tenants, expanded legal services and financial assistance programs are necessary. Launched in 2021, the City contracts with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) to provide full scope eviction defense services under a program called Right to Counsel (RTC).

In August 2023, Council directed staff to develop recommendations to protect all renters involved in Unlawful Detainer (UD) proceedings and estimate the funding required to protect all vulnerable renters facing rent increases or eviction for non-payment of rent.

Council directed staff to return with recommendations for flexible financial assistance programs and a tenant’s right to counsel ordinance. The staff recommendations for Renters' Protections do not need Council to pass an ordinance to implement. However, if Council wishes to pass an ordinance, staff recommends Council direct the CAO to draft an ordinance establishing a program that, subject to funding availability, ensures by 2030:

11.A
Packet Pg. 512
5 of 24
• All Santa Monica tenants have access to some legal services when facing an eviction, and those who have received a UD and whose incomes do not exceed 80% Area Median Income (AMI) have access to eviction prevention financial assistance not to exceed $20,000;
• All Santa Monica households facing housing unaffordability whose incomes do not exceed 80% AMI have access to receive one-time financial assistance not to exceed $5,000 per fiscal year, ongoing subsidies not to exceed $10,000 per fiscal year, and case management services;
• When service providers are not able to provide full scope legal or financial services due to funding or service capacity limitations, that services be prioritized based on vulnerability factors including but not limited to the presence of minor children, seniors, and disabled tenants, and the length of tenancy; and
• The Director of Housing and Human Services (HHS) may adopt further regulations to implement the program.

A 5-year implementation will allow staff to develop a greater understanding of ongoing funding needs and assess program performance.

Discussion
The HSP sets clearly defined goals for the City. The core focus is to set clear policy direction, promote alignment across stakeholders, and lay out a coordinated vision for the expansion of the homelessness response system, including measurable outcomes, goals, and strategies which focus interdepartmental efforts where they can make the biggest impact. The Objectives outlined in the HSP are investments in keeping all Santa Monica residents safe.

The Moss Adams study identified 19 recommendations, with five categorized as the most critical. All critical priorities are included in the HSP and, despite being resource

11.A
Packet Pg. 513
6 of 24
constrained, the City has made progress on many of the other recommendations as indicated in the following table.

11.A
Packet Pg. 514
7 of 24

OBSERVATION

CATEGORY RECOMMENDATION PRIORITY STATUS
Unifying
Strategic Plan
a. Develop a comprehensive homelessness strategic
plan that builds on the Four Pillars framework to set
clear policy direction, promote alignment across City
stakeholders, and support regional efforts.
b. In the short-term, if resources to create a full
strategic plan are not available, develop specific
objectives for each of the Four Pillars and align City
workplans. Critical Complete
Regional and
Policy-Level
Advocacy
City Council should enhance regional and
intergovernmental partnerships by actively engaging
other regional agencies to support coordination and
access to services that support people experiencing
homelessness. Critical
In
Progress
Authority and
DecisionMaking
Designate an executive sponsor of homelessness
prevention and response with the requisite crossdepartmental authority to drive programs forward, monitor success, lead collaboration efforts, and
support enhanced communication. Critical Complete
Affordable
Housing
To increase housing stock in the City and support
achievement of the City’s Regional Housing Needs
allocation over the next eight years, the City should
continue implementing the Housing Element and
evaluate potential obstacles to housing development. Critical In
Progress
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Continue to prioritize the development of permanent
housing, including permanent supportive housing, to
enable service providers to institute rapid re-housing
and provide appropriate supports, thereby increasing
the cost-effectiveness of services and the rate at
which individuals can exit homelessness. Critical
In
Progress
Performance
Measurement
Framework
a. Develop community-level performance measures to
track major outcomes and keep leadership, staff, and
stakeholders informed of progress.
b. Continue efforts to develop consistent programlevel performance measures to enable comparative monitoring and continuous improvement.
c. Take steps to ensure that program participant
feedback is consistently collected, analyzed, and used
to inform operational and strategic decisions.
d. Implement consistent monitoring and oversight
processes over all City contracts for programs that
directly serve people experiencing homelessness to
enable consistent performance measurement and
validation practices.
e. Develop a plan to restore key staff positions to
support data collection, coordination, analysis, and High Complete

11.A
Packet Pg. 515
8 of 24
reporting.

Employee
Morale
Take meaningful steps to improve employee morale
by:
a. Supporting employees through clear leadership
direction, delegation of authority, and the ability to hold teams accountable to decisions.
b. Setting division-wide goals and celebrating
successes in team meetings and community settings
to provide meaningful employee recognition.
c. Appropriately matching staff capacity and resources
with community expectations related to homelessness
prevention and response. High
In
Progress
Service Gaps
and Limitations
Continue efforts to evaluate benefits/costs and identify solutions for assessed resource gaps (psychiatric
beds, sobering center, and multidisciplinary outreach
teams), including investing in infrastructure at the local level, advocacy with regional partners, public-private
partnerships, and other opportunities. High Complete
Program
Operating
Hours
a. In support of providing enhanced service hours to
people experiencing homelessness, implement the
City’s proposal to expand access to SAMOSHEL and
expand the Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) team.
b. Using available data, evaluate trends in the demand
for homelessness-related service requests and
determine whether there is a need for expanded
program operating hours. If data indicate that there is a need for expanded program operating hours,
collaborate with service agencies to identify needs and resources to support this expansion. High Complete
Public Works
Continue to explore staffing options that ensure City
employees are provided appropriate resources and
training to safely complete required work. High Complete External
Coordination
Continue pursuing technology solutions that provide
up-to-date, comprehensive, consolidated, and
integrated information with push and pull
functionalities to enable the City and other service
providers to receive notifications and enter data to
optimize coordination and referrals. High
In
Progress

11.A
Packet Pg. 516
9 of 24
Data-Collection
and Access
a. In the short term, pursue options to integrate data
from first responders and the Homelessness
Management information System (HMIS) to enable
improved reporting and/or pursue mechanisms that
support accuracy and expand communication across
teams.
b. In the long term, evaluate the appropriate
mechanism to integrate first responder data into the
HMIS to enhance data accuracy, completeness, and
performance reporting. Medium
Partially
Complete
City Council
Annual Review
a. Reinstitute a consistent timeline for the annual
review of homelessness services and re-evaluate its
format to articulate community-level and program-level
data.
b. In alignment with municipal code, adopt a
methodology to track citywide costs related to
homelessness for inclusion in the annual report.
c. Following the development of a Homelessness
Strategic Plan, review the existing municipal code for
consistency and necessity. Medium Complete
Community
Reporting
a. Continue to develop the homelessness webpage to
provide a centralized repository for community
resources, key reports, and relevant articles.
b. To better communicate the outcomes of the City’s
homelessness services, develop a dashboard to
regularly report community-level performance
measures. Medium
In
Progress
Community
Resources
Continue to develop and strategically distribute
community resources related to homelessness to
enhance understanding of desired behaviors,
opportunities to contribute, and appropriate referrals
for needed services. Medium
In
Progress
Temporary
Housing
In partnership with other community organizations and
service providers across the west side of Los Angeles,
evaluate benefits/costs and identify potential shortterm solutions for emergency and transitional housing needs. Medium
In
Progress
Transportation
a. Continue efforts to adjust the Big Blue Bus’s free
fare program to better support the transportation
needs of people who are at risk of, experiencing, or
exiting homelessness.
b. Communicate the County’s Low-Income Fare is
Easy (LIFE) program as an interim solution to free
fares for those who require access to public
transportation but cannot afford it. Medium
In
Progress
Public Safety
a. As part of the City’s efforts to develop a
homelessness strategic plan, the City and the Santa Medium Partially
Complete

11.A
Packet Pg. 517
10 of 24
Monica Police Department (SMPD) should clearly
define SMPD’s role and the approach to enforcement
that should be used when interacting with people
experiencing homelessness. These efforts should be
done in collaboration with the community.
b. After the strategic plan has been developed, SMPD
should evaluate its policies, programs, and services to ensure alignment with the strategic plan.

In 2019, the City Council implemented a Four Pillar Strategy:
1) Preventing housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increasing the supply of affordable housing
2) Addressing behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents 3) Maintaining equitable access to safe and healthy open spaces 4) Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness.

Through the HSP engagement process, these pillars were revised and modified to the following, which will be used moving forward to guide the work of the HSP:

Pillar 1: Prevention
Goal: Help prevent housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless through responsive service provision and increasing diverse housing supply so every resident can afford to remain in Santa Monica.

Pillar 2: Intervention
Goal: Minimize the length and severity of homelessness and its impacts on the community by providing effective supportive services.

Pillar 3: Coordination
Goal: Collaborate with key partners in the region and advocate for policies at the local, state, and federal levels to advance strategic goals and help ensure equitable allocation of services and resources.

11.A
Packet Pg. 518
11 of 24
Pillar 4: Communication
Goal: Coordinate communication to clearly convey the City’s homelessness response and outcomes and promote community input.

While moving forward with the creation of the HSP, staff have continued to advance efforts and programs outlined to further our ongoing efforts to address and prevent homelessness.

Progress Updates
The HSP provides details beyond what is summarized in this staff report. Below are high level programs already underway, as well as new or expanded programs which will advance the HSP.

Pillar 1: Prevention
1) Preserving Our Diversity (POD): Sustain and expand existing eligibility of POD, which provides cash-based assistance to seniors who are low-income, long-term residents in rent-controlled apartments, to enable more seniors to age in place.

Budget Impacts: Existing funding from the Housing Trust Fund, totaling $3M annually; current staff resources are sufficient to advance this initiative. 2) Affordable Housing Development: Leverage city and other publicly owned underutilized properties for development of affordable housing, including permanent supportive housing. Two developments are underway on city-owned sites.

Budget Impacts: Currently, existing funding and staff resources are sufficient to advance this initiative.
3) Renters’ Protections Programs: RTC and Flexible Financial Assistance (FFA):

Expand, promote, and enforce eviction-prevention regulations and residentprotection resources, including a FFA program.

Budgetary Impacts: Up to $8 Million initially. $7 Million is available from Year 1 Measure GS funds and $1 Million from a one-time grant from the state’s Prohousing Incentive Program. Measure GS funding amounts are not fixed and will vary on an

11.A
Packet Pg. 519
12 of 24
annual basis due to external market factors. The prioritized implementation approach recommended by staff allows for flexibility in scaling the programs based on available resources and demand year-to-year, while ensuring the most vulnerable renters are prioritized. Staff recommend allocating $2 Million of the combined funds to the expanded RTC, and $6 Million to FFA. Appropriations will be incorporated into the FY 2025-27 Biennial Budget. The City currently funds two RTC attorneys under a contract with Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), these additional funds will pay for an additional five RTC attorneys. Dedicated funding will also go to community outreach and education for both RTC and FFA.

The Renters’ Protections Program outlines the process by which staff will expand services to protect 70% of Santa Monica residents who are renters. The plan is a two-pronged program approach: expand the existing RTC Program (legal assistance) and create a new FFA program for Santa Monica’s most vulnerable tenants in danger of eviction.

Framework for a Comprehensive Renters’ Protection Program City staff will manage oversight of the two Renters’ Protection Programs: RTC and FFA. Staff will work with partner agencies (once identified and selected) to establish program parameters, set performance metrics, and perform quarterly program performance evaluations.

Community outreach and renter education efforts are part of both programs, and will be conducted by the partner agencies, once selected, in tandem with City staff support and involvement. Ongoing community engagement and feedback through a small advisory group comprised of Santa Monica renters and other stakeholders is a component of the outreach design. With Council approval, staff anticipates implementation of the RTC expansion and the launch of FFA within 12-18 months. A likely initial challenge for both programs is partner agencies abilities to hire staff to support the programs. FFA is an innovative program that may also require additional

11.A
Packet Pg. 520
13 of 24
training for staff and partners and therefore will not launch concurrently with the RTC expansion.

Program performance metrics will be collected and reported out at the same frequency as the other HSP Objectives and will follow the data collection recommendations in Exhibits C and D of the Fetterman Dunn report.

Overall Program Design
Eligibility for RTC and FFA
1) Santa Monica Resident
2) Household income at or below 80% AMI
3) Prioritization based on vulnerability factors such as minor children in the home, age, length of tenancy, and disability status
Additional requirements for the FFA program:
1) Evidence that a household's rent going forward is financially sustainable 2) For those requiring one-time (emergency) financial assistance, verification of financial emergency within previous 12 months
RTC Services
All eligible Santa Monica renters, regardless of legal status, would be able to utilize some form of legal services to help prevent evictions. Full scope legal representation would be available for tenants facing eviction. Limited legal services - including legal advice, assistance with filing court documents, or completing fee waivers - would be offered for tenants that do not need full scope representation or when program funding limitations or capacity issues do not enable full scope representation to be offered. These services would be made available through the expansion of the current RTC program and would allow for the program to take up to 200 additional full scope legal representation cases. An external lead partner will be responsible for administering the program.

11.A
Packet Pg. 521
14 of 24
FFA Program
The purpose of the FFA program is to help at-risk households remain housed and prevent them from: receiving a 3-day notice to pay or quit from their landlord; having a UD case filed against them; or if they are involved in a UD case and receiving RTC services, to help settle the UD case. An external lead partner will be responsible for administering the program, which will also offer housing stability and case management services to participating households that have a need for these services. The goal of these services is to address other factors, outside of financial pressures, that can increase the risk of housing instability. There are three categories of financial assistance:
• Immediate one-time assistance up to a maximum of $5,000 per household, per year, that are at-risk of losing housing due to a financial emergency. • Ongoing monthly assistance, totaling no more than $10,000 per household, annually, to help the household maintain housing.
• Up to $20,000 in eviction-prevention financial assistance for UD-involved households that are receiving legal services from the RTC program to support tenants in maintaining their housing or, for those who lose their case, support relocation expenses.

Prioritized Implementation
Based on its analysis of the needs, and an evaluation of services currently available, Fetterman Dunn Consulting developed “full scope” recommendations. However, staff recommend a prioritized implementation for the RTC expansion and new FFA program over the next five years. Moving forward with a prioritized implementation for the most housing vulnerable households will allow the City to deploy financial resources as funding is available to meet the demands for services. At recommended initial funding levels for prioritized implementation, staff anticipate serving up to 582 households in the FFA program (through one-time, intermediate, and eviction prevention financial assistance) and offering full scope legal services for up to 200 additional tenants in RTC. With City Council direction and approval, staff will move forward with identifying organizations to serve as the lead partner(s) for

11.A
Packet Pg. 522
15 of 24
the RTC and FFA programs. Qualifying organizations must demonstrate at least three years of successful experience providing rental assistance or legal services (depending on which program they are applying for) in Los Angeles County.

Preference will be given to those organizations that have specific experience providing these services to renters in Santa Monica, per SMMC 2.24.200.

Pillar 2: Intervention
1) SaMo Bridge: In April 2025, the City Attorney’s Office will launch SaMo Bridge, a diversion program designed to focus on rehabilitation in place of incarceration. This ‘respite hub’, funded by an $8 Million Prop 47 grant to the City and operated by Exodus Recovery, Inc., will allow law enforcement to offer low-level offenders services and resources in lieu of entering the criminal justice system. At its December 17, 2024 meeting, Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate and execute agreements with four vendors participating in implementation of SaMo Bridge, and adopted Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance 2796 (CCS) (IZO 2796) to exempt temporary uses on City-owned property or that utilize City funds during a declared local or state of emergency, to ensure that temporary uses, such as the ‘respite hub’, could operate in the City in a manner consistent with the Zoning Ordinance. Since then, in response to feedback from several community engagement meetings, the parking lot on the corner of Pico Boulevard and Main Street has been determined as the preferred location for operations rather than the cement patio adjacent to the Civic Center East Wing, as previously reported.

Budget Impacts: The Prop 47 grant will support SaMo Bridge operations for approximately 3 years. After that term, new funding must be secured to continue operations.
2) 24/7 Homelessness Response: Establish and maintain a network of 24/7 resources that include outreach, enforcement of laws, and connection to an appropriate level of care to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness. This includes expanding street outreach teams to operate seven days a week and the development of a long-term plan for the conversion of SAMOSHEL shelter into a permanent structure at an alternate location in the City.

11.A
Packet Pg. 523
16 of 24
Budget Impacts: Ongoing funding for current outreach teams and SAMOSHEL operational costs is budgeted and available. Costs to develop and relocate SAMOSHEL are currently unknown. SAMOSHEL initiative will move forward if sufficient Housing Trust Funds are available, or other additional funds are identified and appropriated by Council.
3) Behavioral Healthcare Services: Staff presented the Strengthening the System of Intensive Behavioral Healthcare Services for Adults in Santa Monica and Service Planning Area 5 report to Council on February 25, 2025, which outlines how the City can work both locally and regionally to build out adult crisis behavioral health care services. One of many street-based teams, the Therapeutic Transport Team (TTT) assists first responders with 911 and non-emergency calls for service for someone experiencing a mental health crisis. The program is supported with one-time funds through the current agreement period which ends on June 30, 2026.

Budget Impacts: Existing funding and staff resources are available to begin implementation of select initiatives. Additional initiatives would only move forward if funding is identified, available and appropriated by Council.

Pillar 3: Coordination
1) Caltrans Coordination: Advocate for Caltrans to effectively maintain its jurisdiction, including appropriate regional outreach, to mitigate costs to the City. Recently, the City was able to coordinate with Caltrans and expedite the installation of fencing and shrubbery removal at hot spots along the embankments in Santa Monica.

Budget Impacts: Existing staff resources are sufficient to advance this initiative. 2) LA METRO Coordination: Advocate for LA METRO to coordinate regional solutions that mitigate the varied impacts of its End-Of-Line (EOL) policy, including Metro contracting with a regional homelessness provider to staff outreach workers/case managers to assist people experiencing homelessness both on the train and on the platform. Currently, the outreach teams provide coverage at the EOL in the daytime and evening and has commenced limited overnight outreach to connect people to resources prior to them leaving the station. Additionally, in August 2024, the City

11.A
Packet Pg. 524
17 of 24
successfully advocated with METRO to pilot a TAP-TO-EXIT strategy (only the second city throughout the County to have this policy) which has already resulted in a significant increase in citations.

Budget Impacts: Existing staff resources are sufficient to advance this initiative.

Pillar 4: Communication
1) Citywide Communications Strategy: Implement a citywide Communications Strategy that educates and informs the public about the City’s homelessness initiatives, their impact, and how residents and businesses can participate in the City’s response to homelessness.
2) Enhanced 311 Utilization: Establish an integrated and robust process for community members to use 311 for triaging requests and concerns related to homelessness.

Budget Impacts: Existing funding and staff resources are available to begin implementation of the initiatives above. Additional expansion will move forward when required resources are identified, available and appropriated by Council.

Human Services Division Reorganization
The Moss Adams Report Recommendations highlighted the need of the City to appropriately match staff capacity and resources with community expectations related to homelessness response and prevention. This recommendation led to the creation of the Housing and Human Services Department, as well as the addition of a Director to oversee the Department. Now, in furtherance of matching staff to the needs, and to advance the execution and oversight of the HSP, as well as implement future programs which are anticipated, HHS seeks a targeted division reorganization, moving the current Homelessness Prevention and Intervention (HPI) unit out of the Human Services Division and establish the standalone HPI Division. This will allow for more focused management and oversight of homelessness intervention and prevention efforts and allow for more focus in the Human Services Division on advancing services that support youth and families. As part of this reorganization, there are key staffing needs, summarized below.

11.A
Packet Pg. 525
18 of 24
The HPI Division will be led by a new HPI Manager, who will supervise the existing staff that work on HPI priorities and goals. The HPI Division will also bring on an additional Sr. Analyst devoted to oversight and coordination of the City’s ongoing homeless outreach programs. While existing staff regularly collaborate with SMPD and the City’s contracted outreach providers, HHS lacks a staff position committed to owning coordination, assessing gaps in outreach based on data, and pivoting resources to where trends evidence need. This new position will fill a critical need and ensure any outreach gaps are identified quickly and addressed nimbly.

HHS also seeks to add a new Sr. Housing Specialist to address an existing gap in the ability to connect individuals at-risk of losing housing, or already unhoused in our community, to existing vouchers. Ensuring people at-risk of losing housing are quickly connected to existing vouchers, or that unhoused individuals who meet our Santa Monica Priority Program eligibility requirements can quickly move into housing with onsite supportive services, is crucial to addressing the needs of the community. This new position will support individuals in navigating the entirety of the voucher process - providing guidance regarding program procedures and processes to applicants and community partners, assist in matching individuals to available vouchers by working with partners, stakeholders, and community members, and support individuals after their voucher is approved to ensure they are able to find a home and utilize their voucher in a timely manner.

The work of addressing homelessness is one of the City’s top priorities, as such, separating this work within its own Division and with its own Manager to provide oversight and direction is a necessary advancement of the important work already underway, and ensures the City will be able to advance the HSP and future efforts to both address and prevent homelessness, while ensuring the important work of the Human Services Division can continue with its own separate focused management.

Both the Division reorganization and the addition of these key staff will support our efforts in advancing the objectives of the HSP, meeting milestones, further engaging the

11.A
Packet Pg. 526
19 of 24
community in our work, and provide a more organized, focused, and disciplined pathway forward for HPI work.

Budget Impacts: Ongoing costs for 3 FTE additional staff, total $509K annually.

Funding for all changes is available from Measure GS ($497K) and Housing Trust Funds ($12K), with no impact to the General Fund. Due to the limited historical data upon which to project future GS funds, these staffing changes use less than 50% of Year 1 GS funding that is available for administrative expenses, which effectively establishes a reserve that could be used to mitigate funding gaps should GS revenues trend down in future years. Once the Measure GS committee is in place and the City gains a better understanding of the availability of GS funds based on multiple years of revenues, future staffing needs will be brought forward for Council approval. For now, we can forecast having sufficient ongoing funding for all staffing changes with no future impacts to the General Fund.

Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness The City Council adopted a Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency Order on Homelessness (2023 Proclamation) on February 14, 2023 (Attachment G), which Council extended on May 9, 2023, through May 31, 2024 (Attachment H) and then extended again on May 14, 2024, through May 31, 2025 (Attachment I). In the last year, the City used the 2024 Proclamation to fast-track the critical efforts outlined in the tables below. In addition, the Proclamation now makes clear that the Director of the Community Development Department, or designee, has authority to approve temporary uses located on City property or utilizing City funds that support people who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness or to address local impacts of homelessness.

Pursuant to SMMC 9.46.090(C), IZO 2796 expired on February 15, 2025. Staff did not return to Council with an extension prior to the expiration in order to ensure a complete community outreach process related to the Prop 47 grant, particularly the location of the SaMo Bridge respite hub. It is anticipated that staff will return with interim zoning regulations related to temporary uses during a declared local or state of emergency at the March 25, 2025 meeting. The Proclamation and the interim zoning regulations will

11.A
Packet Pg. 527
20 of 24
allow flexibility in location of the SaMo Bridge respite hub should the need for alternate locations arise.

Key Initiatives Advanced Under The Homelessness Emergency Order Key Initiatives
Organization /
Department
Extending the term of an existing acquisition and
predevelopment loan with Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) and making a loan commitment to CCSM for
the rehabilitation and development of affordable housing at 2033-2101 Virginia Avenue CCSM/HHS
Making a loan commitment to CCSM for the development of affordable housing at 1342 Berkeley Street. CCSM/HHS
Contracts Executed As Exception To Competitive Bidding Process Under The Homelessness Emergency Order
Program Services
Organization /
Department
Amount and Time
Period
SaMo Bridge Operator/Service
Provider
Exodus Recovery/CAO $5.6 million over 3
years
SaMo Bridge Mobile Trailer Lease Willscot/CAO $650K over 3 years
SaMo Bridge Grant Administration Elizabeth Anderson
Consulting/CAO
$225K over 3
years
SaMo Bridge Evaluation and Audit
Services
Moss Adams/CAO $350K over 3
years
Affordable
Housing
Programs
Compliance
Monitoring Software
Main Street
Computing/HHS
$124K over 2
years
SMHA Programs Employment
Verification Software
Carahsoft Technology
Corp./HHS
$100K over 3
years
Behavioral
Health Strategy
Consulting Capstone
Solutions/HHS
$100K over 3
years
Westside Mental
Health Urgent
Crisis Beds Exodus Recovery/HSS $400K onetime for
access in

11.A
Packet Pg. 528
21 of 24
Care Center
(UCC)
perpetuity
Therapeutic
Transport Team
(TTT)
Operator/Service
Provider
County of Los
Angeles/HHS
$464K over 2.5
years
Given the many contracts and key initiatives advanced by leveraging the 2024 Proclamation, staff recommends the City Council adopt a new 2025 Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness (2025 Proclamation) through December 31, 2026, to maintain the momentum and achieve the objectives of the HSP as homelessness continues to increase at the local, regional, and state level and is now exacerbated by the recent wildfires.

The 2025 Proclamation will allow the City to continue to address the crisis in a nimble way, including allowing for enforcement of laws that support homelessness prevention, such as Penal Code 396 (e), which limits annual rent increases to no more than 10% during a Proclamation, and streamline, accelerate, and expedite processes to advance development of affordable housing infrastructure and programs. By leveraging the flexibility provided by the emergency order, we can adapt our hiring practices to ensure we have the necessary workforce to effectively address homelessness.

Past Council Actions
Date Description
11/14/22 (Attachment F) 2022 Moss Adams Homelessness Study 02/14/23 (Attachment G)
2023 Proclamation of a Local Homelessness
Emergency
05/09/23 (Attachment H)
2023 Proclamation of a Local Homelessness
Emergency Extension
06/27/23 (Attachment I) Authorization for Agreement with BerryDunn 08/22/23 (Attachment J)
Protecting Santa Monica’s Most Vulnerable Renters
(16 Item - I)
05/14/24 (Attachment K) 2024 Proclamation of a Local Homelessness Extension 05/14/24 (Attachment L)
2024 Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing
Homelessness

11.A
Packet Pg. 529
22 of 24
Environmental Review
Approval of the Human Services Division Reorganization Plan and the 2025 Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness would have no effect on the environment, and therefore, is categorically exempt from 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.” Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to appropriate available Measure GS funds which were received in Year 1 for the period March 2023 through February 2024 to expenditure accounts in accordance with allowable allocations to the Homelessness Prevention and Affordable Housing (HPAH) Fund, as defined in Section 4.90.040 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code. These resources will be used to fund proposed staffing changes, Right to Counsel services, and the Flexible Financial Assistance program.

FY 2024-25 Budget Amendment
Appropriate Budget
Account Description FY 2024-25
29800001.55XXXX MEASURE GS - AFFORDABLE HOUSING $8,998,739 29800001.55XXXX MEASURE GS - INCOME ASSISTANCE $5,399,243 29800001.55XXXX MEASURE GS - TENANCY PRESERVATION $2,519,647 Once complete, the appropriations detailed above will leave a balance of $1,079,849 in Year 1 Measure GS funds. This amount represents the maximum 6% in annual GS revenues that may be utilized for staffing and administration and would cover just over two years of ongoing staffing costs.

In addition, the following budget adjustments and FTE changes are required to facilitate the proposed staffing changes as detailed in Attachments C and D.

11.A
Packet Pg. 530
23 of 24
Fund
Department -
Category
Net
FTE
FY 2024-25
(Pro -Rated)
FY 2025-27
(Ongoing)
General Fund (01)
HHS - Salaries &
Wages

2.00 $ 143,518 $ 509,554
Non-Departmental -
Transfers In
$ (4,028) $ (11,867)
$ (139,490) $ (497,687)
TOTAL IMPACT TO GENERAL FUND $ - $ -
Housing Trust Fund
(10)
Non-Departmental -
Transfers Out

- $ 4,028 $ 11,867
Measure GS Fund (29)
Non-Departmental -
Transfers Out

- $ 139,490 $ 497,687
TOTAL IMPACT TO OTHER FUNDS $ 143,518 $ 509,554
Staff will incorporate ongoing budget actions into the City’s FY 2025-27 Biennial Budget.

All future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval. Staff will return to Council if additional budget actions are required.

Prepared By: Natasha Kingscote, Administrator
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:

A. Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan
B. Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn C. Attachment C - General Salary Resolution - March 2025 D. Attachment D - HSP - Position and Classification Changes E. Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness
F. Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22

11.A
Packet Pg. 531
24 of 24
G. Attachment G - Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness 02-14-23
H. Attachment H - Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness 05-09-23
I. Attachment I - Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness 05- 14-24
J. Attachment J - Authorization for Agreement with BerryDunn 06-27-23 K. Attachment K - Protecting Santa Monica's Most Vulnerable Renters 8.22.23 Council Meeting Item 16I (Web Link)
L. Attachment L - Annual Interdepartmental Update on Addressing Homelessness 05-14-24
M. Written Comments
N. PowerPoint Presentation

11.A
Packet Pg. 532
2025-2030
Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 533 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 2 EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

OVERVIEW
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 which are grounded in best practices tailored to meet Santa Monica’s needs. Homelessness is one of the most visible and challenging matters currently facing the City and the United States as a whole. Santa Monica has a long-standing, coordinated, and interdisciplinary approach to addressing homelessness which is advanced by City departments, non-profit partners, and regional, state, and federal agencies. The City has made strides in reducing and preventing homelessness; however, there is much more work to be done.

In 2024, the United States recorded its highest number of individuals experiencing homelessness since the Point-In-Time (PIT) Count began in 2007. Of the 771,480 people experiencing homelessness in the U.S.,187,084 (24%) lived in California.

At a regional level, Los Angeles County has the largest number of individuals experiencing homelessness in the country accounting for 40% of California’s total homeless population. As a result, Santa Monica’s location poses an inherent challenge to addressing homelessness in the City as it is surrounded on all three sides by LA City Council District 11 and is accessible by both bus and train lines, so many of the people experiencing homelessness in the City did not become homeless here.

BACKGROUND
In 2022, the City commissioned a homelessness study from the City’s Auditor, Moss Adams, which evaluated Santa Monica’s homelessness response and prevention efforts, including the City’s planning, reporting, and communication environment, the federal, state, and regional service environment, and City interventions and resource utilization. At the time the study was developed, the City organized efforts around Four Strategic Pillars - Prevention, Behavioral Health, Safe Public Spaces, and Regional Coordination to provide a framework for the City’s specific objectives related to homelessness. These pillars represent the ongoing efforts the City has made to address and prevent homelessness for decades.

The Moss Adams study recommended that the City develop a Homelessness Strategic Plan (HSP) to better coordinate and allocate resources between City departments, local service providers, and regional partners.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The City began the process of developing the HSP in October 2023. The HSP outlines four evolved strategic pillars to guide the City’s approach to homelessness:

Pillar 2: Intervention
Goal: Minimize the length and severity of homelessness and its impacts on the community by providing effective supportive services.

Pillar 4: Communication
Goal: Coordinate communication to clearly convey the City’s homelessness response and outcomes, and promote community input.

Each strategic pillar of the HSP includes goals, objectives, and performance measures that will serve to guide and track the City’s efforts to address homelessness. Through this plan, the City will have a transparent understanding of future actions, a greater ability to provide a coordinated approach to homelessness, and a better reporting system to the Santa Monica community about results achieved and progress made.

Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 534 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 3 HOW DID WE ARRIVE AT
THIS PLAN?
Homelessness Strategic Plan
October 2023
HSP Project Launch
November – December 2023
• Completed environmental scan
to inform HSP development
• Interviewed internal stakeholders
• Conducted interdepartmental
policy review sessions
January – February 2024
• Developed Mission, Vision, Values,
Goal Statements, and Objectives
with City department heads
• Developed performance measures March – August 2024
• Refined Goal Statements,
Objectives and Performance Measures
• Finalized core components
September – October 2024 and narrative content
• Reviewed HSP draft with
City department heads
• Conducted community engagement sessions
November – December 2024
• Incorporated feedback from
internal and external stakeholders
with external stakeholders including
Commissions and Service Providers
First Quarter 2025
Presentation of HSP to
City Council
Second Quarter 2025
HSP Implementation Begins

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 535 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 4 HOW DID WE ARRIVE AT
THIS PLAN?
Homelessness Strategic Plan
58 Documents reviewed
for Environmental Scan
63 People in 6 presentations
to Boards/Commissions
and Service Providers
15 City Departments
represented
4 Interdepartmental
Policy Reviews
17 Individual and
Group Interviews
8 Interdepartmental Strategic Pillar
Small Group Meetings
80 City staff members participated from DepartmentHeads to those overseeing the work “on the ground” 2 Strategic Planning Sessions
with Department Heads

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 536 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 5 MISSION VISION VALUES
Mission
Provide an
integrated response
to homelessness
that promotes the
wellbeing of all.

Values
Collaborative
We work collaboratively to effectively and efficiently
provide needed services to meet our mission.

Equitable
We recognize that homelessness disproportionately
impacts marginalized communities and people of color,
and we engage these communities in the design of
programs, policies, and services to reduce disparities.

Evidence-Based
We implement strategies to help prevent and reduce
homelessness that are aligned with evidence-based
best practices and tailored to reflect the specific strengths and challenges of Santa Monica.

Transparent
We strive to communicate clearly and openly,
sharing our intentions, decisions, and results
to foster the trust of our community.

Whole Person-Centric
We seek to understand the complexity of identity,
experience, and needs of individuals to
provide responsive and effective services.

Vision
A thriving, connected
community with a
diversity of housing
and social support
services that meet
the needs of
our community.

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 537 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 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 which are grounded in best practices tailored to meet Santa Monica’s needs. This document outlines four strategic pillars to guide the City’s future efforts to address and prevent homelessness. The pillars build on the work the City has already done, work that is currently ongoing, and areas the City would like to focus on in the coming years. In spite of being resource constrained, the City has already begun work on many of the Objectives included in the HSP as referenced by the “ ” symbol in the Implementation Plan table below.

Homelessness prevention remains a core pillar to the City’s homelessness response. The City will continue to prioritize affordable housing to help ensure residents remain housed. Building on existing pillars, the City will prioritize intervention to ensure that if an individual does become unhoused, their experience is short and does not reoccur. This includes prioritizing Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), access to physical and mental health care, social services, and programs to help access housing. Additionally, the City will continue its coordination efforts with regional partners and leverage state and federal funding to support and expand programs and services. Expanding on the existing pillars, the City will also look to improve and prioritize communication with the community and across Citywide departments.
6 STRATEGIC

PILLARS
Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 538 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 7 PREVENTION
Homelessness challenges across the state are largely driven by the rising costs of housing. Santa Monica and other communities in California have seen a significant increase in rental costs and home prices without comparable wage increases. As the City looks to address homelessness, it is equally important to ensure housed Santa Monicans remain in safe, affordable housing and do not become unhoused.

OBJECTIVE 1
Leverage city and other publicly owned underutilized properties for affordable housing development including PSH.

Performance Measures
• By 2029, plan for 1,880 units across available city-owned sites through release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) every two years for identified city-owned properties in the Housing Element, to increase the pipeline of new affordable units. • By 2029, enter into three new exclusive negotiation agreements with selected developers for the development of affordable housing.
• Explore other avenues for expanding affordable housing and PSH (i.e., through master leasing or property acquisition).

OBJECTIVE 2
Sustain and expand existing eligibility of the Preserving Our Diversity (POD) program, which provides cash-based assistance to seniors who are low-income, long-term residents in rent-controlled apartments, to enable more seniors to age in place.

Performance Measures
• Conduct an ongoing needs assessment and fiscal analysis focused on severely rent-burdened senior Santa Monica residents who are not currently being served by POD.
• By September 2025, use what is learned from the Aging and Disability Action Plan community needs assessment to inform expansion of POD.
• By December 2025, add 100 new POD participants.

Our Goal
Help prevent
housed Santa
Monicans from
becoming homeless
through responsive
service provision
and increasing
diverse housing
supply so every
resident can
afford to remain
and thrive in
Santa Monica.

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 539 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 8 PREVENTION
Homelessness Strategic Plan
OBJECTIVE 3
Expand, promote, and enforce eviction-prevention regulations and tenant-protection resources, including an expanded Right to Counsel (RTC) program and Flexible Financial Assistance (FFA) program.

Performance Measures
• By March 2025, present to City Council recommendations for a Renters’ Protections Program (RPP) including an expanded RTC and FFA Program for tenants.
• By March 2025, update City website with current eviction-defense and tenant-protection information. • By March 2026, implement RTC program recommendations including a community engagement and communication plan to inform tenants of their rights.
• By June 2026, explore creating a Universal Basic Income (UBI) program to support vulnerable populations to thrive in Santa Monica by completing a study of a possible UBI pilot program. • Increase the number of people who receive legal assistance and/or rental assistance and remained housed year-over-year.

OBJECTIVE 4
Better understand and manage existing rental housing stock to reduce the length of time a unit is vacant and the overall number of rental vacancies.

Performance Measures
• By April 2025, establish a Short-Term Rental (Home Sharing) Address Identification, Compliance Monitoring and Registration software system.
• By January 2026, establish a rental registry.
• By July 2026, create a “proactive rental housing inspection” system that not only inspects units for habitability (to survive) but livability (to thrive).

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 540 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 9 PREVENTION
Homelessness Strategic Plan
OBJECTIVE 5
Augment limited Santa Monica Housing Authority Project Based Vouchers (PBVs), which are subsidies attached to individual housing units, with alternative funding to support PSH development and operations.

Performance Measures
• By December 2025, conduct a gap analysis to determine the need/demand for vouchers. • By December 2026, study the feasibility of creating alternative voucher assistance or a capitalized subsidy program for PSH.
• By 2029, increase the number/percentage of operating subsidies available for PSH.

OBJECTIVE 6
Explore mechanisms to develop middle-income housing so that current residents can remain and people who work in the city can live in Santa Monica.

Performance Measures
• By March 2026, assess the public policy benefits and financing options to assist the development of housing for certain Area Median Income (AMI) populations (after the rental registry is established). • By December 2026, conduct a study to determine the impact of Santa Monica housing prices on the Santa Monica workforce.

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 541 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 10 INTERVENTION
If a person does become unhoused, it is paramount to make sure it is brief and non-recurring. The City has invested in a variety of resources to support residents in accessing physical and behavioral healthcare and interim housing. The City also supports departments in creating clean and healthy public spaces, addressing encampments, and conducting outreach to people experiencing homelessness, and leveraging local and regional resources to ensure services and outreach are happening city-wide.

OBJECTIVE 1
Use data to drive outreach and multidisciplinary operations, paired with increased sharing of interdepartmental and service provider data, to better assess community needs and inform program decisions including targeted expansion of resources.

Performance Measures
• By December 2025, standardize data points related to homelessness across departments and programs.
• By December 2025, compare data elements for Calls for Service (CFS), 311 calls, and Outreach Team outcomes to help ensure the consistency of data collected.
• By December 2025, create an internal data dashboard for CFS that integrates homelessness data from city and county databases.
• Deploy resources efficiently and with interdepartmental coordination based on data received and evaluated to address:
– Geographic hotspots
– “High need” individuals
• Reduce CFS and 311 requests for people experiencing homelessness. • Reduce unsheltered homelessness by a minimum of 10% year-over-year.

Our Goal
Minimize the
length and severity
of homelessness
and its impacts on
the community by
providing effective
supportive services.

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 542 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 11 OBJECTIVE 2
Establish and maintain a network of 24/7 responses that include multidisciplinary outreach, enforcement of laws, and connection to an appropriate level of care to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

Performance Measures
• By September 2025, assess gaps in service provision and identify appropriate roles and responsibilities among service groups/providers to achieve 24/7 response.
• By December 2025, develop a long-term plan for SAMOSHEL with the goal of converting this into a permanent structure at an alternate location in the City.
• Maintain shelter bed utilization at city-funded shelters through city referrals. • Create greater availability at non-city funded shelters to allow for city referrals year-over-year. • Reduce CFS related to homelessness requiring Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) or Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) deployment or Public Works Department (PWD) year-over-year. • Increase access to detox beds year-over-year.
• Increase the successful placement of people into services from street outreach (including behavioral health and other widely available services) year-over-year.
• Increase the number of people housed in interim and permanent housing annually using local and regional resources year-over-year.
• Reduce the number of people who return to homelessness after exiting homelessness into stable housing year-over-year.

OBJECTIVE 3
Continue and expand diversion initiatives in the criminal justice system to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

Performance Measures
• By June 2026, pursue sustainable funding to continue diversion programs. • Increase the number of participants who graduate from diversion programs year-over-year. • Reduce the recidivism rate for diversion program participants year-over-year.

INTERVENTION
Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 543 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 12 OBJECTIVE 4
Activate community spaces using national best practices related to park safety and engagement to help ensure quality experiences for all.

Performance Measures
• By June 2026, identify funding to complete an assessment of existing parks and facilities for environmental and safety needs. • Contingent upon receiving funding, establish an intentional design (a design that considers impacts on people, places and resources) framework for public spaces and the built environment through interdepartmental processes. • Contingent upon receiving funding, complete necessary facility maintenance, restore staffing to reopen public facilities, and reactivate public spaces with community-based programming that is welcoming and accessible to all. • Proactively monitor security camera systems to create greater safety and outreach for community spaces.

INTERVENTION
Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 544 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 13 COORDINATION
The City has invested significant time and resources into developing and implementing programs and resources to support both housed and unhoused residents. However, the lack of affordable housing, lack of necessary housing stock, and strained support systems across LA County – paired with a regional homelessness crisis – means the City alone cannot fund and support programs to address the challenges. Leveraging funding and resources from regional, state, and federal partners is crucial to the City’s success. Municipal borders are porous, and there is a daily influx and outflux of unhoused people in Santa Monica.

City resources alone are insufficient to meet current demand.

Involvement in regional planning efforts helps to coordinate and plan resources and advocate for funding to provide a coordinated response to addressing homelessness across communities.

OBJECTIVE 1
Advocate for Caltrans to effectively maintain its jurisdiction, including appropriate regional outreach, to mitigate costs to the city.

Performance Measures
• By December 2025, propose a partnership with businesses and Caltrans to construct a consistent and durable barrier along the Caltrans property between Olympic and the freeway from 11th to 20th Streets.
• By December 2025, explore an enhanced services partnership with Caltrans to leverage City funded resources in low-risk areas of their jurisdiction in return for increased responsiveness to encampment build-up in high-risk areas. • Collaborate with Caltrans on clean ups at least monthly and meet at least quarterly to discuss operations and continue coordination.
• Continue to advocate and share opportunities with Caltrans to utilize more sustainable methods to securely enclose all of its properties within city limits and effectively maintain its jurisdiction, including appropriate regional outreach, to mitigate costs to the city.
• Reduction in Customer Service Reports (CSRs), 311 complaints, and 911 emergency calls pertaining to issues on Caltrans property year-over-year.

Our Goal
Collaborate with
key partners in
the region and
advocate for
policies at the
local, state, and
federal government
to advance
strategic plan goals
and help ensure
equitable allocation
of services and
resources.

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 545 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 14 OBJECTIVE 2
Advocate for LA METRO to coordinate regional solutions that mitigate the varied impacts of its End-of-Line (EOL) policy.

Performance Measures
• By December 2025, utilize LA METRO data from the Tap-To-Exit fare pilot program in Santa Monica to establish a baseline for fare evasion and set a target for reduction year-over-year. • Utilize established regular working group with LA METRO to review the EOL data and develop solutions. • Reduce the number of unhoused people at the end of the line each night (establish a reliable baseline and then set a target for reduction year-over-year).
• Reduce the number of CFS and 911 calls at the station during overnight hours.

OBJECTIVE 3
Work with the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) Behavioral Health Advisory Committee to implement specific goals and objectives that support the regional provision of homeless services.

Performance Measures
• Annually, confirm an agenda of advocacy issues on which the working group will collaborate and create specific goals for the working group to pursue in consultation with service providers including expanding regional behavioral health services.
• Evaluate how the WSCCOG funding was allocated in previous years to plan for future years and increase WSCCOG investment in behavioral health services going forward.

OBJECTIVE 4
Address service gaps by increasing coordination among regional partners and local service providers to connect vulnerable community members to services.

Performance Measures
• Utilize the recently established Aging and Disability Action Plan Advisory Committee to address gaps in service/coordination for older adults and people with disabilities. – By June 2025, prioritize gaps to be addressed.
– By July 2025, identify grant funding to address identified service gaps. – By March 2026, implement a strategy that increases coordination with older adults and people with disabilities. • By early 2025, assess local landscape of behavioral health services and work with partners to implement local and regional recommendations and address key challenges.
• By July 2026, coordinate with LA County to establish a baseline of people who are connected to mainstream benefits. • By December 2026, assess baseline data to identify where additional coordination with regional partners is needed. • Increase the number of people who have access to services (set a baseline and improve year-over-year).

COORDINATION
Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 546 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 15 OBJECTIVE 5
Advocate for the County to better coordinate its investment in current programs and establish future initiatives in the westside to fully address the area’s behavioral health, housing, and employment needs.

Performance Measures
• By January 2025, enter into contract negotiations with LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH) to extend the Therapeutic Transport Team van contract into calendar year/fiscal year 2026. • Work with the county and the WSCCOG to advance mental health and substance use services, including:
– Issuing an RFP to develop a strategy for establishing a behavioral health center on the westside to expand availability of community-based mental health and substance use services, including crisis services. – Encouraging LA County to provide additional mental health and substance use services at the West LA Armory “Safe Landing Site”.
• By December 2025, work with the county and WSCCOG to expand county-provided interim and long-term housing solutions across the westside.
• By December 2025, work with City and County partners like the American Jobs Center, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, and Santa Monica College to support our grantees employment goals. • By January 2027, incorporate employment related goals into the HSGP FY27-31 grantee performance evaluations.

OBJECTIVE 6
Secure additional funding and pursue policies through advocacy to the regional (i.e., neighboring jurisdictions), state and federal government to incorporate best practices and advance the Santa Monica HSP Objectives.

Performance Measures
• Annually bring to City Council a state and federal legislative agenda. • Work to increase funding from the county, state and federal government for homelessness services year-over-year. • Develop policy recommendations to streamline housing development financing at state and federal level. • Continue to research evolving best practices in the field of addressing homelessness and prevention and employ new strategies based on best practices.

COORDINATION
Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 547 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 16 COMMUNICATION
City departments have been working collaboratively to provide a coordinated, consistent, and supportive approach to outreach and services. The City has been focused on identifying
opportunities for more streamlined and efficient communication with the community, improving transparency, and making it easier for the community to provide feedback to the City. Clear and consistent approaches, coordination, and communication is essential to ensure trust with both housed and unhoused residents.

OBJECTIVE 1
Implement a citywide communications strategy that educates and informs the public about the City’s homelessness initiatives and their impact and how residents and businesses can participate in the City’s response to homelessness.

Performance Measures
• By June 2025, select key performance measures from the homelessness strategic plan that tell the story of the city’s response to share with the public (e.g., number of people helped off the street, number of housing units built, prevention outcomes) and develop an externally facing dashboard reflecting these key measures.
• By December 2025, complete a homelessness communications strategy and develop an internal process for quarterly review and monitoring. • Track the number of site visits to the homelessness dashboard (establish baseline and measure year-over-year increase). • Quarterly, conduct proactive community engagement.

OBJECTIVE 2
Establish an integrated and robust process for triaging requests and concerns related to homelessness for an efficient response to 311/911 reports made by community members.

Performance Measures
• By December 2024, improve navigation across the 311 systems for reporting issues related to homelessness.
• By June 2025, establish a straightforward way for city departments to access key homelessness data, including 311 tickets, for better coordination/collaboration and direction of resources.
• Modify the homelessness communications strategy to incorporate details regarding 311/911.
• Reduce the number of public safety and public works CFS related to homelessness and non-emergency public safety call volume year-over-year.

Our Goal
Coordinate
communication
to clearly convey
the City’s
homelessness
response and
outcomes and promote
community input.

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 548 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 17 OBJECTIVE 3
Create a citywide internal communications strategy and coordination processes to help ensure a streamlined homelessness response.

Performance Measures
• By December 2025, establish and maintain an up-to-date internal dashboard that reports homelessness activity. • Convene the interdepartmental leadership team on addressing homelessness and quality of life issues by the Housing and Human Services Department (HHS) at least quarterly to evaluate data to monitor progress toward program goals and improve services.
• Enhance homelessness response messaging/content in the City Manager’s newsletter. • Provide city staff with the appropriate training and tools to support their work. – By June 2025, distribute materials and train staff on programs offered and how to respond to (or forward) public inquiries.
– By December 2025, establish 311 as a point-of-contact system and method of consistent messaging to the community.

COMMUNICATION
Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 549 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 18 Built to endure the changes of a five-year period, while staying relevant, this strategic plan communicates what the City will focus on to achieve the vision and goals of our homelessness response. With the strategic plan in place, the City will finalize the implementation plan to translate the strategic pillars, goals, and objectives into actionable steps with assigned responsibilities, established timelines, defined prioritization, metrics and estimated funding and staff resources it will take to put the plan into action. This will allow city departments to work together to achieve the desired future. As needs or opportunities shift over time, the City expects to address changes within the yearly implementation plan and the City’s budget priorities. In addition to tracking progress, the City will continue to audit and monitor the effectiveness of homelessness programs and services which will help inform the annual evaluation of the HSP. Community members can expect to understand what we are working on and the outcomes via the public dashboards.

Keeping Track of Progress
The City will monitor progress toward strategic plan goals and objectives and report on performance measures via public dashboards which will be updated annually. The HHS will present an interdepartmental progress report on the HSP, which will serve as the City’s annual update on homelessness, beginning in the fall 2026 which will be shared with the community via the City’s HSP webpage.

Implementation Roadmap
The City will now begin the process of implementing the plan. The table below reflects a high-level implementation roadmap for the lifecycle of the HSP which ranks the Objectives in order of priority and includes a cost estimate of financial resources based on current City data. While some of the objectives can be achieved with existing funding and staff resources, some of them will require new and enhanced investments to successfully meet the HSP goals.

What
Homelessness Strategic Plan
's Next? 11.A.a
Packet Pg. 550 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) What's Next? Homelessness Strategic Plan

PILLAR OBJECTIVE RESOURCES
Prevention
Sustain and expand existing eligibility of the Preserving Our Diversity (POD) program, which provides cash-based assistance to seniors who are low-income, long-term residents in rent-controlled apartments, to enable more seniors to age in place.

POD Program: $3 million per year from
Housing Trust Fund (HTF)
Prevention
Expand, promote, and enforce eviction-prevention regulations and tenant-protection resources, including an expanded Right to Counsel (RTC) program and Flexible Financial Assistance (FFA) program.

Up to $8 million available initially;
additional resources available depending
on Measure GS funding
Intervention
Establish and maintain a network of 24/7 responses that include multidisciplinary outreach teams (MDT), enforcement of laws, and connection to an appropriate level of care to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

MDT: $1,200,000 per year for 3 teams to work
1 weekday shift; SAMOSHEL: $1,912,471 per
year; currently funded through multi-year grants
Coordination Advocate for Caltrans to effectively maintain its jurisdiction, including appropriate regional outreach, to mitigate costs to the city.

No additional staff or financial resources
required
Coordination Address service gaps by increasing coordination among regional partners and local service providers to connect vulnerable community members to services.

No additional staff or financial resources
required
Coordination
Advocate for the County to better coordinate its investment in current programs and establish future initiatives in the westside to fully address the area’s behavioral health, housing, and employment needs.

No additional staff or financial resources
required
Coordination
Secure additional funding and pursue policies through advocacy to the regional (i.e., neighboring jurisdictions), state and federal government to incorporate best practices and advance the Santa Monica HSP objectives.

Additional staff resources required
No additional financial resources required
Prevention Leverage city and other publicly owned underutilized properties for affordable housing development including PSH.

Parking Structure 3: $4.2 million from HTF;
Wilshire Boulevard: $14 million from HTF
Prevention
Augment limited Santa Monica Housing Authority Project Based Vouchers (PBVs), which are subsidies attached to individual housing units, with alternative funding to support PSH development and operations.

Study on cost and feasibility of
augmenting PBVs: $200,000
Intervention
Use data to drive outreach and multidisciplinary operations, paired with increased sharing of interdepartmental and service provider data, to better assess community needs and inform program decisions including targeted expansion of resources.

Additional staff resources required
No additional financial resources required
Intervention
Continue and expand diversion initiatives in the criminal justice system to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

SaMo Bridge: $2,642,057 per year;
Shelter, Treatment and Empowerment
Program (STEP) Court: $338,048 per year;
currently funded through multi-year grants
Intervention
Activate community spaces using national best practices related to park safety and engagement to help ensure quality experiences for all.

Additional staff resources required. Cost
per event in park: $15,000 for daytime
event and $20,000 for nighttime event
Coordination Advocate for LA METRO to coordinate regional solutions that mitigate the varied impacts of its End-of-Line (EOL) policy.

No additional staff or financial resources
required
Coordination
Work with the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) Behavioral Health Advisory Committee to implement specific goals and objectives that support regional provision of homeless services.

No additional staff or financial resources
required
Communication
Implement a citywide communications strategy that educates and informs the public about the City’s homelessness initiatives and their impact and how residents and businesses can participate in the City’s response to homelessness.

No additional staff or financial resources
required for implementation but may be
required for expansion
Communication
Establish an integrated and robust process for triaging requests and concerns related to homelessness for an efficient response to 311/911 reports made by community members.

No additional staff or financial resources
required for implementation but may be
required for expansion
Communication
Create a citywide internal communications strategy and coordination processes to help ensure a streamlined homelessness response.

No additional staff or financial resources
required for implementation but may be
required for expansion
Prevention
Better understand and manage existing rental housing stock to reduce the length of time a unit is vacant and the overall number of rental vacancies.

Additional staff resources required
One-time cost to create a Rental Registry:
$300,000-$500,000 (if not outsourced) to
$15,000-$25,000 (if outsourced)
Prevention Explore mechanisms to develop middle-income housing so that current residents can remain and people who work in the city can live in Santa Monica.

Study on cost and feasibility of
middle-income housing: $200,000
Indicates when one or more Performance Measures
are in progress for the Objective. 19

PRIORITY LEVEL CRITICAL HIGH MEDIUM

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 551 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Strategic Plan

11.A.a
Packet Pg. 552 Attachment: Attachment A - Homelessness Strategic Plan [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 1 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
RENTERS’

PROTECTIONS
PROGRAM –

FINAL REPORT
JULY 8, 2024

CITY OF SANTA MONICA

ANALYSIS, KEY FINDINGS,

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 553 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 2 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................ 3 BACKGROUND…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Stakeholder Interviews…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Right to Counsel……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 Flexible Financial Assistance……………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Priority Populations……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8 Data………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 Unlawful Detainer Filings – Superior Court of Los Angeles County…………………… 9 Unlawful Detainers – Landlord Filings with City Attorney’s Office……………………….10 3-Day Notices to Pay or Quit – Landlord Filings with City Attorney’s Office…….11 Conclusion: Estimating Need……………………………………………………………………………………….12 Other Program Models………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13 Right to Counsel………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………14 Long Beach……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14
Philadelphia………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14 San Francisco…………………………………………………………………………………………………….15
Flexible Financial Assistance…………………………………………………………………………………………16 Boulder………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16
Philadelphia………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17 San Francisco…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17
Additional Considerations………………………………………………………………………….………………….18 KEY FINDINGS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19 RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….21 EHXIBITS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………25 Exhibit A: Project Contributors……………………………………………………………………………………………… 26 Exhibit B: Overall Program Design………………………………………………………………………………………… 28 Exhibit C: Right to Counsel Services…………………………………………………………………………………….29 Exhibit D: Flexible Financial Assistance Services………………………………………………………………34 Exhibit E: Budget Detail and Justification……………………………………………………………………………37

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 554 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 3 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
City of Santa Monica
RENTERS’ PROTECTIONS PROGRAM: ANALYSIS, KEY FINDINGS,

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

INTRODUCTION
On August 16, 2023, Santa Monica’s City Council presented Item 16: Protecting Santa Monica’s Vulnerable Renters1 (“Item 16”) whereby they asserted the need for “recommendations for programs and ordinances to protect the 70 percent of Santa Monicans who are renters amidst record evictions.” Though the City provides human and housing services, Item 16 directs the City Manager to build upon this work by conceptualizing a comprehensive tenant right to counsel program that includes flexible financial assistance.

In pursuit of Santa Monica’s goal to enhance renters’ protections, Fetterman Dunn Consulting conducted a situational analysis that includes insights from key stakeholders, evaluation of local data, and research of exemplary program models. The results of the analysis informed recommendations for right to counsel and flexible financial assistance programming for those at-risk of eviction, including:
• Needed resources and estimated costs for program development and implementation • An approach for phasing implementation and prioritizing sub-populations most at-risk of eviction
• A description of services needed to support program participant stabilization and limit evictions
As documented in this report, the City of Santa Monica has opportunities to additionally prevent displacements of vulnerable renters by investing in the strategies itemized below.

Right to Counsel Services
• Educate Santa Monica tenants about renters’ protections programming, including both right to counsel and flexible financial assistance services, through community outreach • Educate tenants about their rights, and connect those in need of services with tenantfocused organizations supporting Santa Monicans • Provide access to full-scope legal representation for renters’ eviction defenses, inasmuch as funding enables full-scope legal representation • Continue to provide access to full-scope legal representation until an eviction notice or unlawful detainer complaint is withdrawn, the case is dismissed, or a judgement in the matter is entered
1 https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=1377&MediaPosition=&ID= 5930&CssClass=

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 555 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 4 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
• Provide access to limited services, such as advice, filing an answer on behalf of a tenant, and completing fee waivers, when funding does not enable full-scope services • Provide eviction prevention financial assistance for unlawful detainer involved tenants to preserve their tenancy or enable their relocation to another residence, if needed Flexible Financial Assistance Services
• Educate Santa Monica tenants about flexible financial assistance services, as part of the right to counsel team’s community outreach
• Provide one time, shallow, and deep rental supports to vulnerable populations at high risk of housing instability, at or before receiving a 3-day notice to pay or quit • Provide supportive services to address additional household needs that are contributing to housing instability
• Flexible financial assistance should, inasmuch as possible, leverage other City of Santa Monica programming, such as Housing and Human Services
The keys for program development include:
1) Phasing implementation and providing multi-year funding Five-Year Projection
FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029
Right to Counsel
Households 200 240 320 400 472
Expense* $4,805,085 $5,766,102 $7,688,136 $9,610,170 $12,096,000 Flexible Financial Assistance
Households 283 566 849 1,132 1,412
Expense* $2,076,714 $4,153,428 $6,230,141 $8,306,855 $10,372,919 City Program Administration
Expense $163,954 $163,954 $218,605 $218,605 $284,187
TOTAL COST $7,045,753 $10,083,484 $14,136,882 $18,135,630 $22,753,106 *Expense line item includes costs for contractors, program development, and implementation 2) Establishing and maintaining partnerships for service delivery a. Recruit and develop qualified providers to expand the delivery network, particularly in service areas where availabilities do not meet demands for programming b. As part of this work, the City of Santa Monica should help prospective and current qualified providers through application and/or contract amendment processes By prioritizing these activities, the City of Santa Monica will, as envisioned by City Council, enhance renters’ protections and build capacities to “protect the 70 percent of Santa Monicans who are renters amidst record evictions.”

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 556 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 5 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

BACKGROUND
A significant number of renters in the City of Santa Monica are at-risk of eviction as housing costs are rising faster than household incomes. According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (2016- 2020), more than 6,700 Santa Monica renter households, or 20.5%, are considered severely housing cost burdened (defined as spending 50% or more of their income on rent and utilities).

When considering the impact of income on housing stability, the data shows even more Santa Monicans are deemed at-risk with 32% of renters having incomes less than 80% of area median income and spending more than 30% on housing.

Item 16 includes research highlighting the unprecedented economic challenges created by the pandemic that have further contributed to housing instability. The report notes, in cities such as Santa Monica, the pandemic exacerbated already high housing costs and put greater pressure on tenants—many of whom are considered at high risk of homelessness. The national eviction crisis, however, existed long before COVID-19, with over 3.6 million evictions filed each year.
2 The impact of evictions is far reaching. Evictions undermine housing stability and contribute to losses of mental and physical health, child custody, education attainment, and employment.3 Historic inequalities also contribute to the eviction crisis. Black and Hispanic renters experience the risk of eviction two times more than white tenants.4 Procedurally, as reported by the National Coalition for a Civil Right Counsel’s John Pollock, “…representation in eviction cases is greatly imbalanced: on average, 3% of tenants are represented nationwide, compared to 81% of landlords.”5
Rental market conditions also contribute to eviction risk, especially for long-term tenants in rent-controlled units. The Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s 2023 Annual Report states 21% (5,889) of rent-controlled units are occupied by long-term tenants, defined as units occupied by tenants who moved in before January 1, 1999. These tenants are particularly vulnerable to eviction as they pay significantly lower rent compared to market-rate tenants. A review of median maximum allowable rents in Santa Monica’s rent-controlled units shows most marketrate median rents are nearly 150% higher than long-term tenant median rents.6 When a rentcontrolled unit is vacated, the owner can set a new, much higher market-rate rent, incentivizing evictions of long-term tenants.
2 Gromis, Ashley, Eviction: Intersection of Poverty, Inequality, and Housing; Eviction Lab, Princeton University 3 Ibid 4 Wedeen, Sophia (2021) Black and Hispanic Renters Face the Greatest Threat of Eviction in Pandemic, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
5 Pollock, John (2023) 14-1 Advancing Tenant Protections: The Right to Counsel for Tenants Facing Eviction, National Low Income Housing Coalition
6 City of Santa Monica: Santa Monica Rent Control Board Annual Report (2023)

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 557 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 6 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
These risk indicators underscore the importance of enhancing tenant protections. Research consistently concludes that without legal representation tenants almost always lose their cases. Furthermore, as nonpayment of rent is the leading cause of evictions, it is critical that legal representation be coupled with financial assistance for interventions to be effective. The University of California San Francisco’s 2023 statewide study of people experiencing homelessness reports expanding targeted services, including financial assistance and legal support, is a key strategy for preventing homelessness.7

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
The situational analysis includes representative perspectives from dozens of Santa Monica stakeholders who are invested in the overall health, vibrancy, and diversity of their community.

The analysis also includes an in-depth review of locally available data and is informed by experts in other communities where renters’ protections programs have been successfully implemented. Refer to Exhibit A for a list Project Contributors.

Stakeholder Interviews
Key informant interviews leveraged City relationships with aligned and impactful organizations and established an inclusive process for interested stakeholders to contribute to the process.

Twenty-five (25) in-depth interviews were conducted with 53 participants across: Government agencies; Legal, housing, and social services providers; Tenant advocate groups; and Resident groups. Interview questions focused on understanding perspectives on current needs, barriers, and priority populations in relation to right to counsel and flexible financial assistance programming.

Right to Counsel
The City of Santa Monica has a decades-long relationship with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles to support a myriad of civil legal needs for Santa Monicans. While these legal services have historically included landlord/tenant issues, in July 2021, the City expanded these services through a right to counsel pilot program. During the first two years of the pilot, the program provided 199 Santa Monica tenants with legal services ranging from full scope representation to limited counsel and advice.8 High demand for right to counsel services led to a funding award increase, effective July 1, 2023, to enable the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles to add an additional attorney to the program.
7 Kushel, Margot and Moore, Tiana, et al (2023) Toward a New Understanding: The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness, University of California San Francisco 8 Based on FY 22 and FY 23 annual program reports found at: https://www.santamonica.gov/human-servicesgrants-program-reports

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 558 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 7 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Perspectives on right to counsel programming were primarily provided by legal services providers, residents, and government agencies. Many of these stakeholders noted equitable access to services as a priority. Income limits and documentation status were frequently cited as barriers to accessing legal services. Income limits were seen as both administratively burdensome and too exclusionary in a market with comparably high incomes and significantly high rent rates. And while Basta Universal provides legal services for undocumented households in Santa Monica, most interview participants were unaware of their offerings.

Advocates and residents further emphasized the need for enhanced community outreach and legal education with the recognition that the program will only achieve its goal of preventing evictions if tenants are aware of the services available to them. Additionally, tenant education is seen as a preventative tool that enables tenants to make more informed decisions. As noted by a representative from Santa Monicans for Renters Rights – Determining when to offer right to counsel programming was also an important consideration.

Legal experts emphasized that the earlier an attorney gets involved in a case the better, citing it is possible in Santa Monica to start at the notice stage of proceedings if capacity constraints are addressed. Due in part to funding limitations, capacity constraints are also due to attorney shortages. It was recognized through conversations with groups, such as Basta, Inc., that there are opportunities to address issues caused by attorney shortages by expanding the network of contracted providers. These additional providers need to be engaged during implementation planning to determine how they can best support Santa Monica’s right to counsel services.

Additionally, stakeholders are asking for right to counsel services that are broad enough to provide full scope representation for those who need it or limited services for those who do not. This point was underscored by a Rent Control Board representative, “Sometimes people just need good advice or a timely written letter to save their tenancy.” Flexible Financial Assistance
The City of Santa Monica does not currently have a dedicated program for tenant financial assistance. However, several partner agencies that are funded by the City’s Human Services Grants Program administer some financial assistance for renters through their case management services. These committed groups of service providers are interested in participating in financial assistance expansion efforts to support Santa Monicans at-risk of … A lot of times people need to know their legal
rights, what to do to avoid getting to the point
where they've got a problem with their landlord
that could trigger an eviction.”

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 559 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 8 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
eviction. Of note, all stakeholders reported that the current funding allocated to prevention and stabilization efforts is insufficient to meet rising demand. St. Joseph Center reported they were seven months into the fiscal year and had already expended 75% of financial assistance funds in one of their programs due to soaring demand.

City department personnel and service providers are seeking financial assistance programming with clear and transparent guidelines. They, along with residents, expressed concerns related to heavy documentation burdens, eligibility requirements, and (for those who are undocumented) being deemed a public charge. The complexity of program eligibility requirements can unintentionally leave out vulnerable Santa Monicans, keeping them from critical services. Legal services providers emphasized the importance of having quick and seamless access to financial assistance and spoke of embedding case managers in legal providers’ offices to create a more efficient process with fewer barriers for tenants.

The concept of immediate versus long term support was part of nearly every conversation.

Interview participants recognize many Santa Monicans at-risk of eviction need ongoing rental assistance to address the broader housing affordability issue. In response to this challenge, many spoke of the need to establish a universal basic income program and/or expand the Preserving Our Diversity program. Several groups asked for shallow subsidies. Shallow rental subsidies provide long term, lower levels of assistance (compared to “deep” subsidies such as housing vouchers) to help people achieve housing stability and prevent homelessness.9 The City’s Youth and Family Services team shared a prospective opportunity—provide time-limited shallow subsidies to low-income families on the affordable housing waitlist until their affordable housing is obtained. The goals of services such as these are to prevent displacements and protect Santa Monica’s diversity.

Priority Populations
Stakeholders provided their perspectives on priority populations in response to questions related to phasing program implementation and prioritizing tenant households at highest risk of eviction. A common theme when discussing priority populations was the importance of preserving households of varying income levels and diverse backgrounds in Santa Monica.

The list below represents the most frequently cited priority populations. Those listed in bold additionally represent the groups who have priority under Measure GS: 4.90.030(b) Expenditure of Homelessness Prevention and Affordable Housing – a prospective funding source for the Renters’ Protections Program.
9 https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/COVID-19-Homeless-System-Response-Shallow-RentalSubsidies.pdf

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 560 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 9 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Families with minor children was mentioned by multiple nonprofit providers and City of Santa Monica personnel. Anecdotally, they are seeing more single parent households and multigenerational families seeking help. Santa Monica’s Black Empowerment Association additionally reported an increase in the number of families living in their cars. The City of Santa Monica’s Youth and Family Services team emphasized their concern regarding support for families: “Please remember families get lost in the conversation about housing. Don’t forget them or they will start to leave our community.”
Transitional age youth, generally those between 18 and 22 years old, was a group mentioned by both residents and nonprofit organizations. One group provided an example of young adults getting pregnant and having to move out of their home because additional children cannot be added to their lease. Familias Latinas Unidas expressed concern about their young people, stating “…they go to college and graduate and then cannot return to the city where they grew up because the rents are so high...”
Data
Data collection and analysis focused on Santa Monica specific unlawful detainer10 filings from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County and landlord filings from the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office.

Unlawful Detainer Filings – Superior Court of Los Angeles County The Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (“DCBA”) provided limited eviction filing data, by zip code, from reports they received from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. The data covered a six-month period, from June 2023 through November 2023, during which time 236 unlawful detainers were filed against Santa Monica renters. When annualized, the data represents an estimated 472 unlawful detainer filings in Santa Monica. Of note, the 90401 and 90404 zip codes had the highest percentage of filings. These zip codes represent the areas of Santa Monica with the lowest area median incomes.11 10 An unlawful detainer is the legal complaint a landlord files with the court when seeking an eviction. 11 incomebyzipcode.com

1. Families with minor children 5. Historically underserved

2. Undocumented 6. Long-term tenants

3. Low / fixed income 7. People with disabilities

4. Seniors 8. Transitional age youth

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 561 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 10 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Unlawful Detainers – Landlord Filings with the City Attorney’s Office Information from landlord filings with the City Attorney’s Office was utilized to evaluate the reasons for tenant evictions. Section 4.27.060(b): Landlord Reporting Requirements for Endeavors to Evict Residential Tenants of Santa Monica’s City Charter states that landlords are to email Santa Monica’s City Attorney’s Office copies of endeavors to evict within two days of serving such notice.

In 2023, 66 unlawful detainers were filed with the City Attorney’s Office, of which 76% were for nonpayment of rent. In the first four months of 2024, 24 unlawful detainer notices were filed with the City Attorney’s Office, of which 91.6% were for nonpayment of rent. While the low number of records indicate landlords are not fully complying with the requirement; the data from the filings provide important insight into the reasons tenants are at-risk of eviction.

Additionally, landlord unlawful detainer filing data includes the amount of rent a tenant is past due, for those being evicted for nonpayment of rent. As indicated in the chart below, Santa Santa Monica Unlawful Detainer Filings: June – November 2023 71 36 6 66
57 90401
90402
90403
90404
90405
Data from DCBA through Superior Court of Los Angeles County Santa Monica Unlawful Detainers by Filing Type
24%
8%
76%
92%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2023 (n = 66) 2024* (n = 24)
No Fault/Nuisance
Nonpayment
Data from City Attorney’s Office Landlord Filings *2024 Data = January 1 through April 30, 2024

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 562 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 11 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Monica tenants are receiving unlawful detainers for what could be considered modest amounts given the high cost of the rental market. The data shows tenants are receiving unlawful detainers for median past due amounts ranging from $3,161.00 to $4,815.00, or on average, 177% of the Los Angeles-Glendale-Long Beach Fair Market Rent (“FMR”). 3-Day Notices to Pay or Quit – Landlord Filings with City Attorney’s Office In addition to unlawful detainers, landlords also submit copies of 3-day notices to pay or quit to the City Attorney's Office. As with the unlawful detainer filings, the number of notices reported to the City Attorney’s Office indicate underreporting by landlords. The data, however, provides important contextual information that informs understandings of needs, especially as it relates to flexible financial assistance programming.

The data shows, over the course of a 16-month period, from January 2023 through April 2024, 400 unduplicated addresses received 530 3-day notices to pay or quit. Of the 400 addresses, approximately 69% (275) received one notice, while 31% (125) received more than one 3-day notice during that timeframe. There are two important considerations regarding this data:

1. The City Attorney’s Office redacted the data to protect the identity of Santa Monica residents; therefore, there was not a way to verify that a duplicated address represents the same household.

2. The filings do not include explanations for why one address received multiple 3-day notices; therefore, assumptions were made regarding the cause for multiple notices going to the same address.

With these considerations in mind, it can be reasonably inferred that approximately 69% of tenants who received a single 3-day notice may only need a one-time rental payment to stave off an eviction filing, whereas as many as 31% may need ongoing rental assistance.

Additionally, the past due rent amounts that led to the 3-day notice being issued informs the estimated amount of financial assistance that may be needed to prevent an eviction. The chart below shows the median past due rent amounts for addresses that received one 3-day notice Efficiency 1-Bedroom 2-Bedroom 3-Bedroom
# of Units 12 14 13 4
Median Rent Amount $3,161 $3,638 $4,815 $3,271
Past Due
Fair Market Rent $1,534 $1,747 $2,222 $2,888
% of FMR Past Due 206% 208% 217% 113%
2023 Santa Monica Unlawful Detainers by Rent Amount Past Due NOTE: Only the filing data that lists the unit size was utilized in the data analysis. Without the unit size, the percent of FMR past due could not be applied.

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 563 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 12 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
over the 16-month period. Of note, the majority (79%) of the 3-day notice to pay or quit records listed past due rent amounts of less than $5,000.

The below chart shows the median past due rent amounts for addresses that received multiple 3-day notices over the 16-month period.

Conclusion – Estimating Need: The Superior Court of Los Angeles County data provides the clearest indication of community need for right to counsel services. Court data over a sixmonth period in 2023 shows 236 unlawful detainers were filed against Santa Monica tenants.

When annualized, one can reasonably conclude the City of Santa Monica should plan for approximately 472 tenants to need legal services. Additionally, the landlord filing data with the City Attorney’s Office shows an estimated 80% (378) of unlawful detainers will be for nonpayment of rent. This underscores the significance of eviction prevention financial assistance funding as a complement to right to counsel services. It is important to note that while there is an expectation that unlawful detainer filings will spike with the final pandemic era protections ending April 1, 2024; local experts have opined that the numbers will stabilize.

The data supporting community need for flexible financial assistance funding to prevent an unlawful detainer from being filed (at or before the 3-day notice stage) is less concrete; however, preliminary assumptions can be made based on the available information. To start, the unlawful detainer data from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County was compared against landlord filings with the City Attorney’s Office over the same six-month period. The comparison shows landlords submitted unlawful detainers to the City Attorney’s Office 17% of the time (40 unlawful detainers filed with the City Attorney’s Office compared to 236 unlawful detainers filed with the Superior Court of Los Angeles County = 16.9%).

Size
Unknown
Efficiency 1-Bedroom 2-Bedroom 3-Bedroom
# of Units 46 102 37 3 46
Median Rent Amount $2,416 $3,295 $4,781 $3,045 $3,195
Past Due
NOTE: Only those records that listed past due rent amounts were included in the analysis (234 of 255 records) Addresses With Multiple 3-Day Notices from January 2023 – April 2024 Addresses with Single 3-Day Notices from January 2023 – April 2024 Size
Unknown
Efficiency 1-Bedroom 2-Bedroom 3-Bedroom
# of Units 30 89 43 3 60
Median Rent Amount $2,153 $3,379 $5,112 $8,206 $2,983
Past Due
NOTE: Only those records that listed past due rent amounts were included in the analysis (225 of 275 records)

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 564 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 13 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Unlawful Detainer Filings June – November 2023
Superior Court of Los Angeles County Records 236
Landlord Filings with City Attorney’s Office 40
% of Landlord Filings Compared to Court Records 16.9% (40 / 236) During the same six months, 120 unduplicated addresses received a 3-day notice to pay or quit (number does not include households who also received an unlawful detainer). Using the assumption that landlords are complying with the City’s requirement to submit copies of notices to tenants 17% of the time, it is estimated that 706 households received a 3-day notice to pay or quit from June – November 2023 (calculation: 100/17 *120 = 706). When annualized, that represents approximately 1,412 renter households that may receive a 3-day notice for nonpayment of rent and benefit from flexible financial assistance to help avoid eviction.

When applying the percent of addresses (noted in the 3-day Notice to Pay or Quit section on page 11) that received one notice (69%) and the percent of addresses that received more than one notice (31%), one can estimate the number of households that may need one-time rental assistance due to a financial emergency versus those that may need ongoing assistance to support household stabilization. The chart below summarizes annual need projections based on these assumptions:

Type of Services Santa Monica
Tenant Households
Right to Counsel – Legal Services 472
Right to Counsel – Eviction Prevention Financial
Assistance: For tenants in eviction proceedings
378
(80% of 472)
Flexible Financial Assistance (subtotals below) 1,412
One-time Financial Assistance: for tenants at or
below the 3-day notice stage
974
(1,412 * 69%)
Intermediate Financial Assistance: for tenants at or
below the 3-day notice stage
438
(1,412 * 31%)
Other Program Models
Interviews were conducted with other communities that have successfully established right to counsel and financial assistance programming. Interviews with Long Beach, Philadelphia, and San Francisco focused heavily on right to counsel, whereas the interview with Boulder focused

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 565 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 14 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
primarily on financial assistance. These interviews were complemented by additional research and conversations with advocacy organizations.

Right to Counsel
Each of the interviewed communities have implemented right to counsel programs, mostly through ballot measures or city council enacted legislation. The City of Long Beach is the exception – they invested in right to counsel in response to the pandemic’s impact on tenant households and have not yet enacted formal legislation.

COMMUNITY RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM DESIGN
Long Beach,
California
Population size12:
449,468
% With Severe
Housing Cost
Burden13: 25.5%
• Contract with Los Angeles Department of Consumer and
Business Affairs for right to counsel services through Stay Housed LA; contract with Fair Housing Foundation for case management and tenant/landlord counseling
• Contracting with an established entity (Stay Housed LA) allowed for Long Beach to quickly bring legal services to their residents in a community that did not have existing infrastructure to leverage
• Initial investment in 2021 with Stay Housed LA was $250K; funding has increased to $1.5M in FY 2024
o Funding source: American Rescue Plan Act
• In FY 2023, with $1.1M in funding, Stay Housed LA provided 1,328 Long Beach tenant households with legal services
(breakdown of types of legal services not provided)
• Eligibility requirements: Tenants must be at or below 80% area median income to receive right to counsel services through Stay Housed LA (used as a method to prioritize access due to limited resources)
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
• Contract with one lead agency (Community Legal Services of Philadelphia) for eviction prevention; lead agency is responsible for administering subcontracts with five other service providers • Initial investment in 2022 of $1M; has increased to $5.6M 12 Population size for all communities taken from U.S Census Bureau QuickFacts as of July 1, 2023 13 Housing cost burden percentage for all communities taken from HUD CHAS 2016-2020 data

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 566 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 15 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

COMMUNITY RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM DESIGN
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
Continued
Population Size:
1,550,542
% With Severe
Housing Cost
Burden: 26.4%
o Funding sources: general funds and proceeds from large bond issuance
• Approximately, 3,500 tenant households receive legal services annually
• Eligibility requirements: Services are available to tenants in specific zip codes with the highest poverty/risk indicators (used as a method to prioritize access due to limited resources) • Community outreach: Tenants who have cases filed against them receive a mailer; tenants in qualifying zip codes receive phone calls and text messages to inform them of the program.

Mailers are sent by the programs’ lead agency; calls and texts are an extension of the city’s 311 system.
• Philadelphia also has a separate eviction diversion program that includes mediation; these services are available to all tenants San Francisco,
California
Population size:
808,988
% With Severe
Housing Cost
Burden: 16.4%
• Contract with eight right to counsel service providers with one serving as the lead agency coordinating the work (Eviction Defense Collaborative)
• Contracting with eight different agencies results in duplicating administrative costs across all agencies
• Annual right to counsel budget is $17M; in FY 24, $315K is the cost per fully funded attorney (all costs to support an attorney, including paralegal, administrative support, indirect costs, etc.) o Funding sources: local general funds; state, federal funds • In FY 23 right to counsel cases totaled 1,800 with 84% receiving full scope and 16% receiving limited scope
• Eligibility: Prop F requires universal access with no eligibility requirements
o Created a system to prioritize access using a vulnerability index, which enabled phased implementation
o All tenants seeking legal support receive some type of legal service; tenants with higher vulnerability have
access to full scope representation; tenants with lower vulnerability receive limited services

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 567 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 16 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Financial Assistance
Three of the four communities have financial assistance tied to their right to counsel programming. These communities have varying levels and types of financial assistance and budgets that far exceed what is allocated to right to counsel.

COMMUNITY PROGRAM DESCRIPTION FUNDING
Boulder,
Colorado
Population size:
105,858
% With Severe
Housing Cost
Burden: 37.6%
• Prevention for those facing
immediate eviction
• Eligibility: “Keep it simple”
o Proof of residency (lease)
o Proof of facing an eviction
• Emergency assistance for
those who do not yet have a
demand for payment
• Eligible for $3K every 12
months; if amount does not
cover what is owed and they
cannot get balance of funds
from another source, then
assistance is not provided
• $1.2M per year (20% for
prevention and 80% for
emergency assistance)
• Funding for right to
counsel and financial
assistance comes from a
$75 per rental license tax
• Funds are administered by
the City of Boulder for
those who are in an
eviction (5 staff)
• Funds are administered by
nonprofit partners for
those not in an eviction

COMMUNITY RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM DESIGN
San Francisco,
California
Continued
o The threshold that determines the level of service a
household receives changes as the system’s capacity
changes
o Despite not having an income requirement, 95% or more of those they serve are very low to moderately low
income
• Community Outreach: In addition to traditional outreach methods, collaboration with courts is what makes the program successful; the court sends notifications to tenants to let them know an eviction has been filed against them and that they have a right to counsel – including a phone number to call

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 568 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 17 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

COMMUNITY PROGRAM DESCRIPTION FUNDING
Boulder,
Colorado
Continued
• Not intended to be long term;
mostly trying to intervene
earlier and prevent an eviction
process from moving forward
Note: Financial assistance
accounts for approximately 85%
of total annual program costs
when including right to counsel;
total annual budget is $1.4M
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania,
Population size:
1,550,542
% With Severe
Housing Cost
Burden: 26.4%
• Prevention funds tied solely to
eviction diversion (mediation
program) and are only available
before an eviction is filed
• Eligibility:
o 80% AMI – selfcertification of income
(tenant does not have to
submit documentation)
o Prioritize tenancies that
will “work out”
• Eligible for up to $3,500 in
arrears plus 2 month’s rent
afterwards (no cap on amount
for forward rent)
• $30M per year
• Funded with local general
funds and from local
housing trust fund
• Funds are administered by a
nonprofit incorporated as
part of the city (10 staff)
Note: Financial assistance
accounts for approximately 78%
of total annual program costs
when including right to counsel
and diversion; total annual budget
is $38.6M
San Francisco,
California
Population size:
808,988
% With Severe
Housing Cost
Burden: 16.4%
• Eligible for up to $20K for
unlawful detainer involved
tenants; eligible for up to $10K
for non-unlawful detainer
involved tenants
• Eligibility/Verification
o Income plus other
vulnerability factors
determine eligibility
o Only verify income, lease,
and amount owed (selfcertify income regularly)
• $25M per year
• Funded with local general
funds and other state and
federal dollars
• Financial assistance is
administered by the right to
counsel lead agency,
Eviction Defense
Collaborative (with a
separate team for these
services)

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 569 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 18 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

COMMUNITY PROGRAM DESCRIPTION FUNDING
San Francisco,
California
Continued
o Unlawful detainer involved
tenants must also have a
sustainability plan
• Funding not intended to provide
ongoing support; the greater
nonprofit ecosystem has access
to financial assistance for
ongoing support
Note: Financial assistance
accounts for approximately 60%
of total annual program costs
when including right to counsel;
total annual budget is $42M
Additional Considerations
Boulder created a feedback loop with tenants by establishing a Tenant Advisory Committee.

The Tenant Advisory Committee is a five-person committee whose role is to advise on the implementation of the Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Services program. Among other duties, the Tenant Advisory Committee provides strategies for engaging residents most affected by inequities in rental housing practices, assists with community outreach, and provides recommendations about existing city services that could be expanded.14 This is an important aspect of Boulder’s program – it serves as a mechanism to receive continual feedback about the program and ensures ongoing community engagement.

Several communities offer, or in the case of Philadelphia, mandate mediation services. Long Beach residents have access to mediation services through the Fair Housing Foundation.

Boulder’s mediation services are available both prior to and at eviction court. In Philadelphia, mediation services are required—a 30-day mediation period is triggered when a notice is issued to tenants. While mandatory mediation is not currently permissible in California, it is worth noting that in Philadelphia, nearly 75% of the more than 4,000 landlord/tenant pairs that have participated in mediation reached a settlement that allowed tenants to remain in their homes and avoid eviction.15 As a standalone intervention, mediation will not solve for preserving tenancy and increasing housing stability, however it can promote procedural justice, facilitate access to resources, and help with relationship repair. 16 In Philadelphia, mediation is tied to financial assistance to enable the goal of preserving tenancies. 14 h#ps://bouldercolorado.gov/tenant-advisory-commi#ee 15 h#ps://www.phila.gov/2023-01-31-evic?on-diversion-program-now-includes-targeted-financial-assistancecomponent/ 16 h#ps://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administra?ve/legal_aid_indigent_defendants/ls-covid19-dppbest-prac?ces.pdf

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 570 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 19 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

KEY FINDINGS
1) Community Engagement: Santa Monica stakeholders were highly engaged throughout the project. Many expressed interest in further contributing to implementation and evaluation of a renters’ protection program. Santa Monica would benefit from establishing an advisory group similar to the City of Boulder’s Tenant Advisory Committee. Engaging a diverse group of Santa Monicans would help ensure the program is culturally competent and consistently informed by renters and other local community stakeholders. 2) Community Outreach: The reported lack of community awareness of the right to counsel services currently available to Santa Monica renters underscores the need for a large-scale community outreach plan. To be effective, the plan should include building initial public awareness and ongoing community education. The program can leverage Rent Control’s experience utilizing varying communication methods to educate the public including, town halls and community meetings, public postings, mailers, and text messages. Additionally, many communities with right to counsel services collaborate with courts to conduct targeted outreach to unlawful detainer involved tenants to notify them of their right to counsel. It is also important that communications are available in tenants' primary languages. 3) Financial Assistance and Early Intervention: The landlord filing data from the City Attorney’s Office confirms most tenants received unlawful detainers for nonpayment of rent. Robust rental assistance is crucial to the success of a renters’ protection program.

While the highest priority is prevention assistance for unlawful detainer involved tenants, there is broad recognition that many Santa Monica renters would benefit from flexible financial assistance (one-time rent payments, shallow, or deep rent assistance) before the notice stage. As stated during an interview with a key stakeholder — 4) Expanding Legal Services and Addressing Capacity Challenges: The City of Santa Monica’s right to counsel pilot provides the foundation to build more comprehensive renters’ protections that meet the varying legal needs of renters. Some have complex cases that necessitate full scope representation, others report wanting guidance, advice, and to know their rights. Expanding the network of legal services providers is needed to address capacity challenges and will better ensure Santa Monica renters’ legal needs can be met.

Like financial assistance, early intervention is needed – the sooner legal services are available to a tenant, the better the prospective outcome.

We’re a lot better off preventing people from being
evicted than trying to deal with the consequences
afterwards. It is not only more equitable and
humane, but it is also more cost effective.”

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 571 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 20 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
5) Eligibility: Burdensome and overly restrictive eligibility requirements are to be avoided for both right to counsel and financial assistance programming. Adopting a prioritization system based on tenant vulnerability for right to counsel services, such as San Francisco’s model, will address concerns of legal service providers getting bogged down with verifying household eligibility in time sensitive situations, while ensuring Santa Monicans at highest risk of eviction are served. This model will also allow for phased implementation by facilitating adjustments to the vulnerability index threshold (used to determine the number of households served with full scope versus limited services) based on available resources.

Equitable access to services is equally important. Familias Latinas Unidas underscored this point by sharing that sometimes they are unable to obtain legal representation because of their legal status, saying “It should not be like that. Help should be the same for everyone.” 6) Access: It is important to Santa Monica renters that they have multiple ways to access renters’ protection programming, and that the services are available in their primary language. People expect there to be more than an online option, noting that not everyone has access to the internet or is computer savvy. They are requesting dedicated help to complete applications for those who need it. As shared by a member of the Community Corporation of Santa Monica’s Resident Council—
7) Support Services: There was nearly unanimous agreement that some sort of ongoing support is needed for those with more complex needs, especially for households who may not be stable after addressing immediate eviction risks. There was also a recognition that the City’s existing resources are not designed for people who are housed and at-risk; instead, they are developed for people who are transitioning out of homelessness or criminal justice systems. Conflicting opinions about requiring services, such as financial education, underscore the importance of designing a program with unique services, tailored to the needs of each individual household.
8) Flexibility and Ongoing Evaluation: Whether scaling existing services or designing and implementing new programs, it is critical that the City of Santa Monica and its providers be nimble and integrate ongoing evaluation practices. Formal program evaluations at regular intervals that allow for programmatic adjustments will not only ensure the program is meeting its stated objectives, but also provide the community at-large confidence in the project.

If you are already stressed about losing your home,
the process for taking care of those things should
not also be stressful.”

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 572 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 21 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations provide the framework for a comprehensive Renters’ Protections Program. They include recommendations for the overall program design, right to counsel and flexible financial assistance services, phased implementation (including projected budgets), and keys for program development.
1) Overall Program Design: It is recommended that the City of Santa Monica identify and allocate funding for a comprehensive renters’ protection program that includes right to counsel and flexible financial services. Funding should be sufficient to cover eligible direct and indirect expenses and should be distributed in the form of grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations. City personnel should administer grants and facilitate evaluation, with ongoing community engagement and feedback through a small advisory group comprised of Santa Monica renters and other stakeholders. Refer to Exhibit B for detailed Overall Program Design description.
2) Right to Counsel Services: It is recommended that the City of Santa Monica develop a comprehensive set of right to counsel services that includes community outreach, tenant rights education, legal services comprised of full scope representation or limited services when program capacity issues do not enable full scope, and financial assistance for unlawful detainer involved tenants. Refer to Exhibit C for detailed Right to Counsel Services description.
a. Develop a large-scale community outreach plan to educate Santa Monica renters, landlords, and community service organizations about the program. b. Expand tenant rights education and diversify methods for providing education services.
c. Create a permanent right to counsel program that provides tenants at-risk of eviction with full scope representation or limited services (based on tenant needs and/or capacity of legal service providers). Limited services may include, guidance and advice, tenants having an answer filed on their behalf, fee waivers, etcetera. In this model, all Santa Monica renters will be eligible for some form of legal services. d. Establish a tool for prioritizing access to full scope versus limited services through the creation of a vulnerability index. Retain the services of a subject matter expert, such as the one utilized by San Francisco, to assist with the creation of the prioritization tool.
e. Provide up to $20,000 of eviction prevention financial assistance per unlawful detainer involved tenant as a resource for saving their tenancy, or to support their relocation for those who lost their case. Limited eligibility requirements, such as income and ability to sustain housing after receiving the financial assistance, are recommended.

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 573 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 22 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
f. Evaluate program performance no less than quarterly. A list of initial outcome measures can be found in Exhibit C.
3) Flexible Financial Assistance: It is recommended that the City of Santa Monica create a comprehensive set of flexible financial assistance services, that include supportive services to stabilize tenancies during times of crisis or support tenants through periods of housing instability. Leveraging the right to counsel community outreach plan to notify tenants, landlords, and community organizations of the services will be key. Tenants often know prior to their rent payment due date whether they will be able to pay their rent. Therefore, flexible financial assistance should be available to tenants at or before the 3-day notice to pay or quit stage. Refer to Exhibit D for detailed Right to Counsel Program description. a. Provide one-time rental assistance, up to $5,000 per household, to tenants that experience a financial emergency that is impacting their ability to pay rent. b. Provide shallow assistance, up to $10,000 per household, to tenants whose high housing cost burden, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, impacts their housing stability and ability to maintain their tenancy.

Shallow assistance is typically longer term with lower monthly financial assistance amounts.
c. Provide deep assistance, up to $10,000 per household, to tenants whose housing instability, caused by a short-term crisis (such as job loss), can be mitigated through a higher financial assistance amount utilized over a shorter period. d. Limited eligibility requirements, such as income and/or housing cost burden, are recommended for financial assistance.
e. Invest in housing stabilization and case management services for tenants with such needs. For example, tenants experiencing a one-time financial emergency may not require case management, whereas those needing ongoing financial assistance may. f. Evaluate program performance no less than quarterly. A list of initial outcome measures can be found in Exhibit D.
4) Phased Implementation: It is recommended the City of Santa Monica adopt a phased implementation plan over five years, beginning in FY 2025. Phased implementation is recommended for new programs and is beneficial when there are funding constraints.

Developing and implementing new programs is an iterative process that is informed by formal program evaluation activities, community member feedback, and program administrators. The program evaluation results will inform program updates and funding allocations.

The chart on the following page represents the five-year budget projection, based on community need estimates found on page 13 of this report. Refer to Exhibit E for the Budget Detail and Justification document.

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 574 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 23 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
5-YEAR PHASED IMPLEMENTATION
BUDGET PROJECTION FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 Right to Counsel Capacity 200 240 320 400 472
Estimated Attorneys 5 6 8 10 12
% of Total Goal 42% 51% 68% 85% 100%
Right to Counsel
Tenant Outreach & Education $320,338.98 $384,406.78 $512,542.37 $640,677.97 $756,000.00 Legal Services (includes indirect) $1,601,694.92 $1,922,033.90 $2,562,711.86 $3,203,389.83 $3,780,000.00 Eviction Prevention Financial Assistance $3,203,389.83 $3,844,067.80 $5,125,423.73 $6,406,779.66 $7,560,000.00 Subtotal $4,805,084.75 $5,766,101.69 $7,688,135.59 $9,610,169.49 $12,096,000.00 One Time Assistance Capacity 195 390 585 780 974
Intermediate Assistance Capacity 88 176 264 352 438
% of Total Goal 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Flexible Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance - One Time $ 975,000.00 $ 1,950,000.00 $ 2,925,000.00 $ 3,900,000.00 $ 4,870,000.00 Financial Assistance - Intermediate $ 876,899.38 $ 1,753,798.77 $ 2,630,698.15 $ 3,507,597.54 $ 4,380,000.00 Case Management/Program Management $ 187,345.35 $ 374,690.70 $ 562,036.05 $ 749,381.40 $ 935,766.00 Additional Direct & Indirect Cost $ 37,469.07 $ 74,938.14 $ 112,407.21 $ 149,876.28 $ 187,153.20 Subtotal $ 2,076,713.80 $ 4,153,427.61 $ 6,230,141.41 $ 8,306,855.21 $ 10,372,919.20 Full Time Equivalent Personnel 1.5 1.5 2 2 2.6
% of Total FTE 58% 58% 77% 77% 100%
City Program Administration
City Personnel $ 149,049.12 $ 149,049.12 $ 198,732.16 $ 198,732.16 $ 258,351.81 Facilities, supplies, and other expenses $ 14,904.91 $ 14,904.91 $ 19,873.22 $ 19,873.22 $ 25,835.18 Subtotal $ 163,954.03 $ 163,954.03 $ 218,605.38 $ 218,605.38 $ 284,186.99 TOTAL PROJECTED ANNUAL COST $7,045,752.58 $10,083,483.33 $14,136,882.38 $18,135,630.08 $22,753,106.19 *The estimated annual budgets do not include increases for wages, rent, and other cost of living measures. It is recommended the City of Santa Monica review annual cost increases and apply those percentages to the total program budget.

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 575 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 24 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Keys for Program Development
1) Provide multi-year funding
a. Exemplary communities highlighted in this report have dedicated funding streams (from revenue including taxes, bonds, trusts, etcetera) to support the ongoing operations of renters’ protections programs
b. Renters’ Protections Program budgets and standards provide guides for multiyear funding (see Exhibits B, C, D, and E for details) 2) Establish and maintain partnerships for service delivery a. Throughout this report, considerations for establishing and maintaining partnerships are noted
b. The City of Santa Monica can additionally address capacity constraints, especially those caused by attorney shortages, by applying some of the following practices:
i. Recruit and develop qualified providers to expand the delivery network, particularly in service areas where availabilities do not meet demands for programming
ii. As part of this work, the City of Santa Monica should help prospective and current qualified providers through application and/or contract amendment processes

1. Provide orientations to explain application and/or contract amendment processes and answer questions

2. After orientations, provide technical assistance through application and/or contract amendment submission and review and facilitate smooth transitions to contract awards

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 576 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 25 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
EXHIBITS 25

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 577 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 26 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

EXHIBIT A
Project Contributors

ORGANIZATION COMMUNITY
Basta, Inc. Los Angeles, California
Basta Universal Los Angeles, California
Child Poverty Action Lab Dallas, Texas
City Attorney’s Office Santa Monica, California
City of Boulder Boulder, Colorado
City of Long Beach Long Beach, California
City of Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
City of San Francisco San Francisco. California
City of Santa Monica Santa Monica, California
City of West Hollywood West Hollywood, California
Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) Santa Monica, California Community Corporation of Santa Monica Resident Council Santa Monica, California Community Legal Services of Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Business Affairs Los Angeles, California Eviction Defense Collaborative San Francisco, California Eviction Lab Princeton, New Jersey
Fair Housing Foundation Long Beach, California
Familias Latinas Unidas (FLU) Santa Monica, California
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) Los Angeles, California

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 578 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 27 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

ORGANIZATION COMMUNITY
Meals on Wheels Santa Monica, California
National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel Baltimore, Maryland Santa Monica Rent Control Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica Black Empowerment Association Santa Monica, California Santa Monicans for Renters Rights (SMRR) Santa Monica, California St. Joseph Center Venice, California
Stay Housed LA Los Angeles, California
WISE & Healthy Aging Santa Monica, California

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 579 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 28 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

EXHIBIT B
Renters’ Protections Overall Program Design
Key Activities Qualifying Organizations Qualifying Expenses Evaluation Standards Provide multi-year funding for
grants (consider five-year funding
cycle to align with the phased
implementation timeline)
Procure right to counsel and
flexible financial assistance
services
Award grants
Reserve the right to
• Separate collaborative
grants
• Combine awards to form
collaborative grants
Organization (or fiscal agent) with
services aligning with charitable
purposes set forth in Internal
Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)
Services helping low and
moderate-income households
residing in Santa Monica
Documentation of capacities for
prioritizing sub-populations with
the most needs
• Vulnerable populations
• Persons with disabilities
Documentation of fiscal health
Direct, program expenses
• Facilities and facilities
maintenance
• Materials and supplies
• Technology systems
• Program, support, and
supervisory staff
o Recruitment and
retention
o Wages and fringe
benefits
• Sub-contractor providers
o Program services
o Consulting services
• Personnel development
and licensing
• Events
• Travel
• Insurance
Indirect, administrative costs—
10% de minimis or approved
indirect cost rate
• Fiscal agent fees
• Administrative staff
• Sub-contractor providers
o Administrative services
providers
o Auditors
Should ensure prevention of the
displacement of vulnerable
households through
• Tenant rights outreach
and education
• Full-scope legal
representation
• Limited services for clients
at-risk of eviction, when
funding does not enable
full-scope services
• Eviction prevention
financial assistance
• Flexible financial
assistance
• Housing stability and case
management services
Reviews by community members
with expertise in strategies,
should focus on
• Alignment
• Commitment to equity
Reviews by City of Santa Monica
staff, should focus on
• Performance
• Program management
capabilities

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 580 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 29 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

EXHIBIT C
Right to Counsel Services
Key Strategies
• Educate Santa Monica tenants about the renters’ protections program through community outreach
• Educate tenants about their rights, and connect those in need of services with tenantfocused organizations supporting Santa Monicans • Provide access to full-scope legal representation for renters’ eviction defenses, inasmuch as funding enables full-scope legal representation • Continue to provide access to full-scope legal representation until an eviction notice or unlawful detainer complaint is withdrawn, the case is dismissed, or a judgement in the matter is entered
o File responsive pleadings
o Represent tenants in court proceedings through trials o Provide legal advice
• Provide access to limited services, when funding does not enable full-scope services o Legal assistance for renters’ representing themselves in eviction defenses (“pro per” eviction defenses)
o Limited services may include, tenants having an answer filed on their behalf, assistance with fee waivers, and advice/guidance
• Provide eviction prevention financial assistance
Key Services
• Community outreach
o Inform the community of available renters’ protections services, how and where to access them
o Specifically notify unlawful detainer involved tenants of their right to counsel and information on how to access legal services
• Tenant rights education
o Threats of eviction
o Rent increases
o Habitability matters
o Reasonable accommodations
• Legal services
o Full-scope legal representation for clients facing eviction, inasmuch as funding enables full-scope legal representation
o Limited services for clients facing eviction, when funding does not enable full-scope legal representation
o Fair housing matters
o Rent Control Board proceedings
o Housing Authority proceedings
o General tenant issues

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 581 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 30 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
o Cost: Estimated at a minimum of $315,000 per attorney with the expectation of fully supporting an attorney including administration, paralegal, social work, etc. as determined by the provider
o All Santa Monica renters should be eligible for some form of legal services; it is recommended to utilize a to-be-developed vulnerability index to determine the level and type of legal services a tenant receives
§ Recognizing that each community’s needs and values differ, it is important the vulnerability index reflect City of Santa Monica goals and perspectives • Eviction prevention financial assistance
o Financial assistance to prevent evictions for tenants who have been served with an unlawful detainer and/or funding to support tenant transitions for those who lose their unlawful detainer cases
§ Financial assistance should be flexible enough for right to counsel staff to determine what is necessary and reasonable to settle the unlawful detainer case in favor of the tenant
§ If certain criteria are met, financial assistance can support up to two weeks of rent to stay the execution of the order for tenants who already lost their cases and have alternative housing ready
§ Financial assistance may also be used to support tenant relocations (deposits, first month’s rent payments, etcetera) for those who lose their unlawful detainer case
o Amount: Up to $20,000 per household
§ Stay Housed LA and San Francisco allow for up to $20,000 in financial assistance per household for unlawful detainer involved tenants § A review of 54 rent due amounts for unlawful detainer filings (from City Attorney’s Office provided records, January 2023–April 2024) show 94% of tenants owed amounts less than $20,000
o Eligibility considerations:
§ Households must demonstrate their rent going forward is sustainable § Household income is below City determined area median income threshold (recommended to at least include households with incomes that are at or below 50% of area median income, in keeping with San Francisco’s model) § Prioritization based on vulnerability factors, such as minor children in the home, age, length of tenancy, and disability status
Data Collection and Reporting
• A primary consideration for data collection and reporting is limiting an organization’s administrative burden; therefore, wherever possible, reporting requirements should build upon the City’s existing expectations for funded agencies

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 582 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 31 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
• It is further recommended, for efficiency, service providers utilize a shared client management information system (with appropriate safeguards to protect client privacy)
• Data collected during intake, and case work, are to be entered into the shared client management information system, as well as additional data sets that can be utilized for evaluating program performance
• The lead agency is to generate program-wide quarterly reports with aggregate data that includes outputs and performance outcomes (noted in the section below). The below outputs are based on the City of Santa Monica’s current right to counsel pilot program.
o Number of tenant households served
o Number of tenant households unable to be served
o Household demographics (age, race, ethnicity, gender, income level, zip code, etcetera)
o Household special characteristics (homelessness history, military history, disability status, etcetera)
o Level / Type of Service
§ # of tenants participating in tenant rights education § # of full-scope representation cases
§ # of limited services cases
§ # of eviction prevention financial assistance cases
§ Amount of eviction prevention financial assistance provided Initial Outcome Measurements
• It is expected that the program will also track and report outcome measurements to evaluate program effectiveness, including the metrics currently tracked by the City’s pilot program.
o Current metrics include the number and type of limited services provided to households, and for those who receive full scope representation, the outcome of those services (i.e. negotiated settlements without litigation) • The below list represents the minimum program performance standards expected to be tracked for the Right to Counsel services. The City of Santa Monica may opt to supplement these outcomes with additional metrics.
o Tenant Rights Outreach and Education:
§ # of tenants connected to attorneys
§ # of tenants better understanding their rights after participating in tenant rights education
o Right to Counsel:
§ # of households with the goal of wanting to stay in their homes § # of households whose eviction is prevented

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 583 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 32 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
§ # of households moving with adequate time and resources to secure alternate housing in their community – inside Santa Monica § # of households moving with adequate time and resources to secure alternate housing outside their community – outside Santa Monica Key Activity—Establishing Collaborative Grant Lead Partner(s) • Coordinate with the City of Santa Monica on community outreach efforts • Collaborate with subcontracted partner agencies
• Coordinate with partner agencies
• Draft policies and processes
• Administer management information systems
• Facilitate personnel
o Recruitment and retention
o Development and licensing, including trainings
• Implement services (in accordance with funding requirements) • Convene and apply effective practices to case conferences • Coordinate coverage at first trial dates and serve as Los Angeles Superior Court’s contact for right to counsel services in Santa Monica
• Facilitate right to counsel service data collection, to include data from subcontracted partners, and analysis for evaluations
Additional Qualifications for Provision of Tenant Rights Outreach and Education • Organization (or lead partner) with demonstrated experience providing tenant rights services to renters in Los Angeles County, with a preference given to those with experience providing these services to renters in Santa Monica • Demonstrated commitment to collaborating with other tenant rights organizations and legal service providers
Additional Qualifications for Provision of Legal Services and Eviction Prevention Financial Assistance
• Organization (or lead partner) with 3 years, or more, of experience providing full-scope legal representation to renters facing eviction in Los Angeles County, with a preference given to those with experience providing these services to renters facing eviction Santa Monica
• Demonstrated commitment to collaborating with tenant rights organizations and other legal service providers
Additional Qualifying Expenses
• Staff, including
o Advocates for outreach and education

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 584 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 33 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
o Paralegals
o Attorneys
§ Annually, full-time attorneys should provide full-scope legal representation to at least 45 households at-risk of eviction, with exceptions made for attorneys providing full-scope legal representation to a significant number of renters at-risk of eviction with special needs § Limited services to be counted at a rate of 10 to 1
o Navigators for special needs clients
o Social workers for eviction prevention rental assistance • Litigation
o Services of process
o Depositions
o Investigations
• Eviction prevention financial assistance

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 585 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 34 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

EXHIBIT D
Flexible Financial Assistance Services
Key Strategies
• Educate Santa Monica tenants about the renters’ protections program through community outreach
• Provide rental supports to special needs populations at high risk of housing instability o Adults with disabilities
o Seniors
o Other individuals and families at high risk of housing instability • Provide supportive services to address additional household needs that are contributing factors to housing instability
• Flexible financial assistance should, inasmuch as possible, leverage other City of Santa Monica programming, such as housing services and human services • To avoid organizational conflicts of interest, awardees should not determine eligibility for or provide assistance to households occupying units they own or operate Key Services
• Community outreach
o Leverage right to counsel community outreach to inform the public of available flexible financial assistance services, how and where to access them • Flexible financial assistance
o Prevent at-risk households, at or before the 3-day notice stage, from adverse action that may result in an unlawful detainer and loss of housing § One-time assistance—to be provided, in emergencies, as one-time assistance or as a one-time supplement to shallow assistance or deep assistance
§ Shallow assistance (longer term, lower monthly amount)—to lower participants’ rent burdens to sustainable levels until more permanent solutions to housing stability are developed
§ Deep assistance (shorter term, higher monthly amount)—to lower participants’ rent burdens to sustainable levels, while mitigating the effects of short-term crises, until more permanent solutions to housing stability are developed
o Amount:
§ Up to $5,000 per household for one-time assistance
• A review of 225 past due amount for addresses that received a single 3-day notice to pay or quit (from City Attorney’s Office provided records, January 2023–April 2024) show 79% of tenants owed amounts less than $5,000

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 586 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 35 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
§ Up to $10,000 per household to provide longer-term shallow subsidies or shorter-term deep subsidies as determined by household needs o Eligibility considerations:
§ Household income is below City determined area median income threshold (recommended to not go below 50% area median income) or housing cost burden as a percent of income
§ Prioritization based on vulnerability factors, such as minor children in the home, age, length of tenancy, and disability status
§ For those requiring one-time assistance, verification of financial emergency within previous 12 months
• Housing stability and case management – for renters in need of such services Data Collection and Reporting
• A primary consideration for data collection and reporting is limiting an organization’s administrative burden; therefore, wherever possible, reporting requirements should build upon the City’s existing expectations for funded agencies • It is further recommended, for efficiency, service providers utilize a shared client management information system (with appropriate safeguards to protect client privacy)
• Data collected during intake and exit are to be entered into the shared client management information system, as well as the services a household received during program participation
• The lead agency is to generate program-wide quarterly reports with aggregate data that includes outputs and performance outcomes (noted in the section below). Several of the below outputs are based on the City of Santa Monica’s current reporting expectations for funded agencies.
o Number of tenant households served
o Number of tenant households unable to be served
o Household demographics (age, race, ethnicity, gender, income level, zip code, etcetera)
o Monthly rent amount
o Household special characteristics (homelessness history, military history, disability status, etcetera)
o Level / Type of Service
§ # of tenants receiving shallow subsidies
§ # of tenants receiving deep subsidies
§ # of tenants receiving one-time assistance
§ Amount of financial assistance provided to each tenant § # of tenants receiving housing stability and case management services

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 587 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 36 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Initial Outcome Measurements
• It is expected that the program will also track and report outcome measurements to evaluate program effectiveness, including the metrics currently tracked by the City’s funded agencies.
• The below list represents the minimum program performance standards expected to be tracked for Flexible Financial Assistance services. The City of Santa Monica may opt to supplement these outcomes with additional metrics.
o One-time Assistance
§ # of tenants remaining in their homes
o Shallow and Deep Assistance:
§ # of tenants remaining in their homes (at exit and at 3-month follow-up) § # of tenants moving into below market rental units (specifying inside or outside of Santa Monica)
§ # of tenants moving into market-rate rental units (specifying inside or outside of Santa Monica)
Key Activity— Establishing Collaborative Grant Lead Partner(s) • Coordinate with the City of Santa Monica and right to counsel provider(s) on community outreach efforts
• Collaborate with subcontracted partner agencies
• Coordinate with partner agencies
• Draft policies and processes
o Eligibility
o Area median income considerations for
§ Rent burden thresholds
§ Rent burden target(s)
§ Maximum amounts and durations of assistance
• Administer management information systems
• Facilitate personnel
o Recruitment and retention
o Development and licensing, including trainings
• Implement services (in accordance with funding requirements) • Facilitate flexible financial assistance service data collection and analysis for evaluations Additional Qualifications for Provision of Flexible Financial Assistance • Organization (or lead partner) with 3 years, or more, of experience providing rental assistance in Los Angeles County, with a preference given to those with experience providing these services to renters in Santa Monica
• Demonstrated commitment to collaborating with rental assistance organizations

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 588 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 37 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206

EXHIBIT E
Budget Detail and Justification
Right to Counsel - Legal Services Estimated # of
Attorneys
Estimated Cost
Per Attorney
Estimated Annual
Cost
Justification
Outreach and Tenant Education $ 756,000.00
This line item includes both community outreach and tenant education (see Exhibit C - services and outcome sections, for more detail). Per LAFLA, these services are typically calculated at 20% of the cost of legal services, noted below.

Legal Services 12 $ 315,000.00 $ 3,780,000.00
The cost per attorney is based on San Francisco's model for one "fully loaded" attorney in FY '24. Their cost includes: 1 FT attorney, .25 Social Services Advocate, .25 Legal Supervision .15 intake staff; $660 litigation expenses per client; 15% overhead.

LAFLA provided the total number of total attorneys (12) needed to support the estimated annual number of Santa Monica renters (472) who may receive an unlawful detainer (UD). The number is based on 40 full scope cases per attorney per year. The current annual case rate is 50 cases per attorney, however due to the complexity of cases and with the utilization of law fellows to address attorney shortages, LAFLA recommends a lower case rate. Communities, such as San Francisco, are considering lowering annual caseloads to 1:45. The City of Santa Monica will need to negotiate with the selected contracted legal services provider(s) to establish a mutually agreed upon annual caseload size, which will impact the total number of attorneys needed.

NOTE: The City of Santa Monica currently funds two right to counsel (RTC) attorneys through the pilot and two additional attorneys, who provide housing related legal services, through LAFLA's general services contract. Based on the number of estimated attorneys needed for RTC, the City would need to fund eight more attorneys. $ 4,536,000.00
Right to Counsel - Financial
Assistance
Estimated # of
Households
Estimated Amount
per Household
Estimated Annual
Cost Justification
Flexible Financial Assistance - For
tenants in eviction proceedings
378 $ 20,000.00 $ 7,560,000.00
This funding is to enable UD involved tenants to remain in their homes. The estimated amount of financial assistance per household is in keeping with the amount available to UD involved tenants receiving services through Stay Housed LA and in San Francisco.

Total Estimated Right to Counsel Program Annual Cost $ 12,096,000.00 Subtotal Legal Services

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 589 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 38 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
Flexible Financial Assistance Estimated # of
Households
Estimated Amount
per Household
Estimated Annual
Cost
Justification
One-time Emergency Assistance -
For tenants at or before 3-day
notice stage
974 $ 5,000.00 $ 4,870,000.00
Provides one-time rental assistance for tenant households that have a financial emergency that impact their ability to pay rent. 79% of tenants who received one 3-day notice to pay or quit had a past due amount of less than $5,000 (based on landlord filings with CAO).

Intermediate Financial Assistance -
For tenants at or before 3-day
notice stage
438 $ 10,000.00 $ 4,380,000.00
Provides flexibility for a households needing a long-term shallow subsidy (i.e. $400 for up to two years) or a short term deep subsidy (i.e. $2,500 for four months) to assist with housing stabilization while working with a case manager on a long term plan. $ 9,250,000.00
Flexible Financial Assistance -
Support Services
Estimated # of
FTE
Estimated Annual
Salary + Benefits
Estimated Annual
Cost Justification
Case Managers / Intake Staff 9 $ 90,974.00 $ 818,766.00 Case management services are expected to be primarily utilized for those receiving intermediate rental assistance. City of Santa Monica provider, St. Joseph Center, has caseloads of 1:25 for their older adult program. The estimated number of case managers assumes the same caseload size for flexible financial assistance & stabilization services with caseloads turning over twice annually.

The estimated salary is based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reference for job code "Social Worker, All Other" in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim geographic area.

The mean annual wage is $69,980, plus added 30% for benefits.

Program Managers 1.5 $ 117,000.00 $ 117,000.00
The estimated salary is based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reference for job code "Social and Community Service Manager" in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim geographic area. Mean annual wage is $88,920; added 30% for benefits.

Facilities, Program Supplies,
Equipment, etc. $ 93,576.60 Assumes 10% for additional direct program expenses.

Indirect Costs $ 93,576.60 Assumes 10% de minimis indirect cost rate. $ 1,122,919.20
Total Estimated Flexible Financial Assistance Program Annual Cost $ 10,372,919.20 Subtotal Financial Assistance
Subtotal Support Services

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 590 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 39 4925 GREENVILLE AVE, SUITE 100 | DALLAS, TX 75206
City of Santa Monica Program
Administration
Estimated # of
FTE
Estimated Annual
Salary
Expense Assigned
to Program
Justification
Administrative Analyst

0.33 $ 109,558.80 $ 36,154.40
The staffing plan is based on the October 2023 City of Los Angeles Housing Department report for establishing a right to counsel program in Los Angeles. The Housing Department recommended five full-time equivalent (FTE) positions.

The City of Santa Monica proposed staffing model is based on 2.6 FTE. The estimated salaries are based on Santa Monica city personnel salaries plus 30% for benefits. Base salary for an Administrative Analyst is $84,275, plus 30% for benefits Policy & Performance Analyst 1 $ 109,558.80 $ 109,558.80 Base salary of $84,276, plus 30% for benefits Data Analyst 0.33 $ 109,558.80 $ 36,154.40 Base salary of $84,276, plus 30% for benefits Staff Assistant - III

0.5 $ 80,168.40 $ 40,084.20 Base salary of $61,668 plus 30% for benefits Staff Assistant - II

0.5 $ 72,800.00 $ 36,400.00 Base salary of $56,000 plus 30% for benefits Facilities, Program Supplies,
Equipment, etc. $ 25,835.18 Assumes 10% for additional program administration expenses $ 284,186.99
Budget Considerations:

1. Communities that have enacted right to counsel protections often cite a decline in the number of unlawful detainer filings. As part of the ongoing evaluation activities, the City of Santa Monica will need to continue receiving UD filing data from the Superior Courts of Los Angeles and make adjustments as indicated by the data related to number of attorneys needed to serve Santa Monica renters.

2. Increasing the availability of flexible financial assistance funding at or before the 3-day notice stage will inevitably decrease the number of annual UD filings, given the majority of UD filings are for non payment of rent. This too will impact the number of attorney's needed for right to counsel services.

3. The estimated budget does not include the projected one-time cost for developing and implementing the vulnerability index and associated management information system.

Total Estimated City Program Administration Annual Cost

11.A.b
Packet Pg. 591 Attachment: Attachment B - Renters Protection Report - Fetterman Dunn (6095 : Homelessness Strategic

ATTACHMENT C
City Council Meeting: March 11, 2025 Santa Monica, California RESOLUTION NUMBER ________(CCS)
(City Council Series)

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA

ABOLISHING THE CLASSIFICATION OF HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES

MANAGER FROM THE CLASSIFICATION PLAN AND ESTABLISHING NEW

CLASSIFICATIONS AND ADOPTING SALARY RATES FOR THE FOLLOWING NEW OR EXISTING CLASSIFICATIONS: AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

ADMINISTRATOR, HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION MANAGER,

HUMAN SERVICES MANAGER, AND SENIOR HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION ANALYST.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. The following salary levels are hereby established, effective March 23, 2025, for the indicated classifications:

Classification Salary Reason
Affordable Housing Development
Administrator*
$156,000/annual; Step 5 Title change and
equity adjustment
Homelessness Prevention and
Intervention Manager*
$194,928/annual; Step 5 New classification
Human Services Manager $194,928/annual; Step 5 Equity adjustment Senior Homelessness Prevention
and Intervention Analyst*
$128,316/annual; Step 5 Title change only,
no change in salary
*Pending approval by the Personnel Board
SECTION 2. The following classification is hereby abolished, effective March 23, 2025:

Classification Salary Reason
Housing and Human Services
Manager
$208,548/annual; Step 5 No longer needed
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.

APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_______________________
Douglas T. Sloan
City Attorney

11.A.c
Packet Pg. 592 Attachment: Attachment C - General Salary Resolution - March 2025 [Revision 2] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters'

ATTACHMENT D

FUND DEPT FTE POSITION TITLE FUND DEPT FTE POSITION TITLE 01 HHS 4.0 Senior Human Services Analyst 01 HHS 4.0
Senior Homelessness Prevention
and Intervention Analyst Title Change - No Budget Impact 01 HHS 1.0 Human Services Manager 01 HHS 1.0 Human Services Manager Salary Change - No Negative Impact to General Fund 01 HHS 1.0 Housing Programs Manager 01 HHS 1.0
Affordable Housing Development
Administrator Add/Delete -
Budgeted in General Fund; 100% of
costs paid for by Housing Trust Funds
01 HHS 1.0 Human Services Administrator 01 HHS 1.0
Homelessness Prevention and
Intervention Manager Add/Delete -
Budgeted in General Fund; 100% of
costs paid for by Measure GS
01 HHS 1.0
Senior Homelessness Prevention
and Intervention Analyst Add 1.0
Budgeted in General Fund; 100% of
costs paid for by Measure GS
01 HHS 1.0 Senior Housing Specialist Add 1.0
Budgeted in General Fund; 100% of
costs paid for by Measure GS
PERMANENT EMPLOYEES TOTAL 2.0

POSITION AND CLASSIFICATION CHANGES

DELETE ADD REASON

NET FTE
CHANGE

NET IMPACT

11.A.d
Packet Pg. 593 Attachment: Attachment D - HSP - Position and Classification Changes [Revision 1] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) 1 City Council Meeting: March 11, 2025 Santa Monica, California 2025 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; and
WHEREAS, on February 14, 2023, the City adopted a Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness 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, which was extended to May 31, 2024; and
WHEREAS, on May 14, 2024 the City adopted a further Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness (“the 2024 Proclamation”); WHEREAS, the 2024 Proclamation was utilized to advance several key initiatives related to homelessness, including but not limited to:

1. Extending the term of an existing acquisition and predevelopment loan with Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) and making a loan commitment to CCSM for the rehabilitation and development of affordable housing at 2033-2101 Virginia Avenue;

2. Making a loan commitment to CCSM for the development of affordable housing at 1342 Berkeley Street;

11.A.e
Packet Pg. 594 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 2 3. Approving an agreement with Exodus Recovery, Inc. as the primary service provider for the SaMo Bridge program;

4. Approving an agreement with Willscot for the lease of mobile trailers for the SaMo Bridge program;

5. Approving an agreement with Elizabeth Anderson Consulting (EAC) for grant administration services for the SaMo Bridge program;

6. Approving an agreement with Moss Adams for evaluation and audit services for the SaMo Bridge program;

7. Modifying an agreement with Main Street Computing to extend the term and to add functionality to affordable housing compliance monitoring software;

8. Executing an agreement with Carahsoft for employment verification software for tenants and applicants in Santa Monica programs that keep people stably housed;

9. Modifying a contract with Capstone Solutions for behavioral health consulting services;

10.Executing a Letter of Intent with Exodus Recovery, Inc. dedicating four beds at the Westside Mental Health Urgent Care Center (UCC) for Santa Monica use;

11.Modifying an agreement with the County of Los Angeles to extend the term and allow for continued operation of the Therapeutic Transport Team program.

11.A.e
Packet Pg. 595 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 3 WHEREAS, based on the 2024 Point-In-Time Homeless Count (“2024 PITC”) data , there were 75,312 people experiencing homeless in Los Angeles County; and WHEREAS, based on the 2024 PITC data for Service Planning Area 5 (SPA 5), the SPA Santa Monica is in, there were 5,383 people experiencing homelessness; and WHEREAS, based on the 2024 PITC data, there were 774 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica; and
WHEREAS, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) conducted an End of Line Survey in January 2025, and found 39 unhoused persons were unsheltered at the Santa Monica Downtown Metro Station given Metro’s current End of Line policy, which requires deboarding of all passengers and belongings at the end of the line when trains go out of service; and
WHEREAS, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report published in October 2023, the fastest growing group in the nation’s population of people experiencing homelessness is older adults, composing nearly half of the homeless population nationwide, and a number that is expected to triple by 2030, and older adult homelessness has increased by 25% in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care between 2020 and 2024; and
WHEREAS, a California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH) found that high housing costs and low income left participants vulnerable to homelessness, and that the most common reason for leaving housing was economic; and WHEREAS, the Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium that protected tenants from eviction who were under 80% of Area Median Income who were

11.A.e
Packet Pg. 596 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 4 unable to pay rent due to the pandemic expired March 31, 2023 and tenants had up to twelve (12) months to repay past due rent owed to avoid risk of eviction; and WHEREAS, the number of eviction lawsuits provided to the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office in 2024 increased by over 28% from the number provided in 2023, with

84.8% of 2024 eviction lawsuits based on nonpayment of rent, suggesting even more tenants at risk of eviction and homelessness than in 2023; and WHEREAS, at its March 11, 2023 workshop, the City Council reaffirmed Preventing Homelessness as a priority, adopting the following Priority Statement:
“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”; and WHEREAS, the ongoing crisis of homelessness continues as evidenced by the following:

1. In 2024, of the total arrests in the City, 60% were attributable to people experiencing homelessness;

2. The number of calls-for-service to the Fire Department attributed to people experiencing homelessness constituted 16% of the total call volume in 2024 and fire incidents related to people experiencing homelessness were 39% (180 out of 459 total fires);

3. In 2024, SMPD responded to 1,648 calls related to encampments, and the HLP Team handled 862 requests to address encampments through the 311 system;

4. Per SMPD, there were 22 public death cases of people experiencing homelessness in 2024;

11.A.e
Packet Pg. 597 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 5 5. In 2024, the Public Works Department estimates that on an average monthly basis, approximately 224 individuals experiencing homelessness were identified in the areas that are serviced by the Department; WHEREAS, the City of Culver City, County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles, and City of Long Beach have each declared or proclaimed a local emergency to address homelessness; and
WHEREAS, Los Angeles County is experiencing a massive workforce shortage which has led to understaffing and challenges hiring and retaining staff due to the demands of the work of addressing and preventing homelessness, leading to delays in implementing programs, such as the Therapeutic Transport Team; and WHEREAS, when combined with workforce shortages experienced throughout the County, and strict civil service rules, the City struggles to fill positions expeditiously, if at all, which hampers the City’s ability to create necessary organizational capacity to effectively implement programs and services needed to address and prevent homelessness; and
WHEREAS, the recent Palisades Fire resulted in the loss of 6,837 homes which will exacerbate the existing local housing crisis in terms of affordability and availability; and
WHEREAS, the conditions that existed at the time the 2024 Proclamation was adopted persist, and, therefore, the City Council finds it necessary to issue another Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness through December 31, 2026 (“2025 Proclamation”), to expeditiously increase City services and programs to address and prevent homelessness; and

11.A.e
Packet Pg. 598 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 6 WHEREAS, another proclamation of local emergency on homelessness would enable the City to:

1. Receive additional county, state, and federal resources to address the homelessness crisis to further efforts such as:
a. Expanding multi-disciplinary outreach teams;
b. Providing enhanced supports for individuals that are rent burdened to prevent homelessness;

2. Prevent rental price gouging through enforcement of Penal Code 396(e) during the existence of the Proclamation;

3. Streamline and expedite City processes and approvals concerning development, deployment of resources, employment, contracting, grant approvals, receipt, 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;

4. Streamline, accelerate, and expedite processes to implement the 2021-2029 Council approved Housing Element regarding City-owned land identified for affordable housing;

5. Authorize the Director of the Community Development Department, or designee, to approve temporary uses located on City property or utilizing City funds that support people who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness or to address local impacts of homelessness.

6. Issue requests for proposals to identify development teams with demonstrated capacity to design, finance, construct, and operate affordable housing and

11.A.e
Packet Pg. 599 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 7 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;

7. 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; and

8. Allow the City Manager to take all available actions authorized under Chapter

2.16. NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that a local emergency on homelessness exists in the City of Santa Monica; and 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 City Manager 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 Proclamation will allow the City Manager to modify or waive the requirements on a case-by-case basis 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

11.A.e
Packet Pg. 600 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 8 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 on May 31, 2024, upon expiration of the 2023 Proclamation, and that widespread publicity and notice shall be given of this Proclamation throughout the City; and that this Proclamation shall expire on December 31, 2026, unless repealed or extended by the City Council.

ADOPTED this ____ day of _____, 2025.

By:
__________________
Susan Cline
Acting City Manager
Approved as to form: Attest:
__________________ __________________
Douglas Sloan Nikima Newsome
City Attorney City Clerk

11.A.e
Packet Pg. 601 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic 9 11.A.e
Packet Pg. 602 Attachment: Attachment E - 2025 Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency on Homelessness [Revision 4] (6095 : Homelessness Strategic

THIS REPORT IS INTENDED FOR THE INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA, AND MAY NOT BE PROVIDED TO, USED, OR RELIED UPON BY ANY THIRD PARTIES.

FINAL REPORT
City of Santa Monica

HOMELESSNESS STUDY
November 14, 2022
Moss Adams LLP
999 Third Avenue, Suite 2800
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 302-6500

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 603 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | i

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 1
A. Background, Scope, and Methodology 1
B. Themes and Priorities 2
C. Commendations 5
D. Summary of Observations and Recommendations 7
Implementation Plan 12
Introduction 15
A. Background 15
B. Scope and Methodology 16
Environment 19
A. Homelessness Trends 19
B. Community Priorities 21
C. Regulatory Framework 21
D. Federal, State, County, City, Agency, and Community Roles 23 E. Cost and Source of Funds 32
Observations and Recommendations 34
A. Strategy and Planning 34
B. Communication and Community Engagement 47
C. Organization Structure and Staffing 55
D. Homelessness Prevention and Response Program Analysis 62 Appendix A: Service Ecosystem Inventory 86
Appendix B: Community Group Forum Themes 97

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 604 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Table of Contents – Continued
Homelessness Study | ii

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Appendix C: Peer Research Summary 99
Appendix D: City Homelessness Programs in Fiscal Year 2021 100 Appendix E: Strategic Plan and City Resources Crosswalk 106 Appendix F: Sample Performance Measurement Framework 108

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 605 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 1

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Preventing and responding to homelessness is a persistent social challenge that has widespread impacts on individuals, communities, and governments across the country. Nationwide, the most recent Point-In-Time (PIT) count of unhoused individuals marked the fourth consecutive year of growth in the unhoused population.1
Within the City of Santa Monica (the City, Santa Monica), staff and stakeholders report that the homelessness crisis appears to be more visible and widespread in recent times—even as the total population of unsheltered individuals within the City has decreased almost 16% between 2018 and 2022, based on the official PIT count. While the City and its partners have invested significant resources into this area, over 90% of surveyed Santa Monicans reported that homelessness is a very urgent issue for the City to address.2
There is no singular approach that will guarantee success when responding to homelessness, as the conditions that can cause homelessness vary widely and the root causes are difficult to address.

While no single entity could reasonably be responsible for addressing homelessness in a community, the City has played and will continue to play a critical role in the solution.

In FY2020-21, the City is estimated to have spent a total of $42.5 million on direct program costs and other city service costs related to homelessness. The City is estimated to have invested $12.9 million on homelessness-related programming, the majority of which ($9 million) was funded through the general fund. In addition, the City also had indirect costs related to homelessness within its operating departments, including an estimated $4.2 million in related costs reported by the Public Works Department and $25.4 million in related costs (17.9% of all public safety costs) reported by the City’s Police and Fire Departments.

Within this context, the City engaged Moss Adams LLP (Moss Adams) to conduct a comprehensive study of its homelessness response and prevention efforts, 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. The goal of this study is to gain a holistic understanding of the current state of, barriers to, and opportunities for, homelessness response and prevention initiatives in order to identify how the City can optimize its efforts in this critical area.

The Homelessness Study objectives for each of the three focus areas are as follows:
• Planning, Reporting, and Communication Analysis
○ Evaluate the planning and strategy of the City’s homelessness efforts ○ Assess available data sources, performance reporting, and outcomes 1 National Alliance to End Homelessness – State of Homelessness: 2021 Edition: https://endhomelessness.org/homelessnessin-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2021/ 2 City of Santa Monica Community Survey, May 2022.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 606 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 2

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
○ Review communications with City Council and the community ○ Compare City practices to leading practices
• Ecosystem Analysis
○ Identify the role and service offerings of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, City of Santa Monica, and community organizations within the City ○ Document the current environment, including inventorying available service offerings from each agency type
○ Evaluate gaps and duplications within the service ecosystem • City Interventions and Resource Utilization Analysis
○ Evaluate the City’s organizational structure for delivering homelessness services ○ Document City interventions to homelessness, including expenditures, service descriptions, successes, and challenges for organizations that receive grant funding from the City, direct activities through the Community Services, Police, and Fire Departments, as well as indirect activities through other City departments (including the City Attorney’s Office and Public Works)
The study was conducted between April and October 2022 and consisted of four major phases:
project startup, fact-finding and data collection, analysis, and reporting results.

To complete this assessment, Moss Adams worked closely with City staff and representatives from over 30 service providers and community groups to gain an up-to-date understanding of the current environment. We also conducted a comprehensive document review, hosted a community group forum, performed research into evidence-based best practices, and evaluated the City’s efforts in relation to the practices of other cities in California including Berkeley, Pasadena, Palo Alto, West Hollywood, and Richmond. These cities were selected in collaboration with City staff and based on a variety of factors, including similar unhoused demographics and regulatory environments. We would like to express our profound gratitude for the individuals who contributed their time, experience, and vision to this study.

We grouped our observations and recommendations into four categories: 1) Strategy and Planning; 2) Communication and Community Engagement; 3) Organization Structure and Staffing; and 4) Homelessness Prevention and Response Program Analysis.

The recommendations provided in this report require significant investment of financial resources and staff time to accomplish (and some require extensive support or coordination from external parties).

While several upcoming ballot measures may provide some additional resources (see Cost and Source of Funds section for more details), they will not provide sufficient funding to substantially address many of the recommendations within this report. Therefore, we anticipate that the City’s ability to implement all or even many of the recommendations may be limited. As such, we recommend focusing on the critical and high-priority areas as resources become available.

These high-priority areas are described below.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 607 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 3

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Adequate levels of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing (PSH) are the most critical components to both homelessness prevention and resolution.

When there is a shortage of permanent housing (both affordable housing and PSH), stays in emergency and transitional housing are extended because there is nowhere else for people experiencing homelessness to go. When an individual cannot exit the system through permanent housing, it creates a backlog within temporary housing and other programs, which then reduces capacity for incoming participants. When all forms of shelter are full (including managed sites like safe parking programs, emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing), people experiencing homelessness rely on outreach services to provide care on the street since there are no other viable options to provide them with assistance. The pathway to permanent housing is depicted in the graphic below.

Research indicates that developing PSH is highly effective in reducing homelessness and results in cost savings between an estimated $30,000 to $50,000 per person per year.3 Without sufficient levels of available and appropriate permanent housing options, the ecosystem of homelessness services will continue to be overwhelmed with need and have reduced efficacy in helping individuals and families exit homelessness. By developing housing, the capacity of service offerings can increase as the need for homelessness services declines.

For decades, the City has invested in affordable and inclusionary housing through a variety of regulations and incentives, including loans for affordable housing providers, inclusionary housing, rent control, and participation in federal and City-funded housing voucher programs. The City has also made several commitments to support the development of affordable housing within the community (which are subsequently implemented via partnerships with developers). However, there continue to be significant challenges to ensuring that there are adequate permanent housing options for people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Challenges and opportunities related to housing are detailed in Recommendations 11, 12, and 13. 3 United States Interagency Council on Homelessness – Ending Chronic Homelessness in 2017:
https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/Ending_Chronic_Homelessness_in_2017.pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 608 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 4

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
The City participates in many partnerships across the Los Angeles region in support of the fourth homelessness strategic pillar: Strengthening Regional Capacity to Address Homelessness. However, most regional coordination efforts are conducted by City staff (as opposed to City Council or executive management) and therefore sometimes garner less participation from other jurisdictions.

Because homelessness is a regional issue, comprehensively addressing the root causes and impacts will necessarily involve the other cities within the area. It is not realistic for the City to provide the majority of programming that prevents or responds to homelessness on the west side of Los Angeles.

The City lacks sufficient resources and authority to address a regional crisis alone; therefore, the City should cultivate stronger partnerships with other municipalities and the County of Los Angeles to infuse additional resources into the homelessness system. Ultimately, intergovernmental collaboration reduces duplication and provides opportunities to enhance and expand programming at a lower cost.
4 Collaboration across jurisdictions therefore enables all participating agencies to increase their impact.

To continue building on successes and overcome barriers to regional partnerships, City Council should participate in more robust regional partnership efforts with other jurisdictions to advance policy goals, address community needs, and encourage appropriate allocation of resources locally. City Council is well-positioned to advocate for the community at a regional level as local leaders in the community and representatives of residents.

Challenges and opportunities related to regional collaboration are detailed in Recommendations 3, 4, 14, 18, and 19.

Over the last several years, the City has experienced turnover in several leadership positions that have a significant impact on its homelessness response, including both staff and City Councilmembers. This can present shifting expectations, priorities, and philosophies in the City’s homelessness strategies, which in turn may undermine the efficacy of existing programs and services on an ongoing basis. Inconsistencies in approach, philosophy, and direction are further exacerbated by the cross-functional nature of homelessness response. This can create additional challenges in defining clear roles, responsibilities, authority, and accountability to a unified City approach to responding to homelessness.

Although the City established the Four Pillars, this framework does not provide specific objectives, comprehensive policy direction, or performance indicators, which are all commonly found in a strategic plan. Many policy questions, including the City’s regional proportional responsibility related to homelessness, approach to partnerships, role of enforcement, allocation of downstream versus upstream resources, and outcome targets, have not yet been answered. Developing an enterprisewide homelessness strategic plan can increase alignment and provide management and Council with 4 Homelessness Task Force Report: Partnering for Greater Impact: https://www.ca-ilg.org/sites/main/files/fileattachments/partnering_for_greater_impact.pdf?1519780169

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 609 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 5

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
mid- to long-term focus in a local government environment that has inherent turnover in elected policy-setting roles.

Strategic plan implementation will require concerted coordination and collaboration across various City departments; therefore, it is critical that the City establish or identify a position with broad authority to oversee this work. In addition to ensuring progress toward newly developed goals, this position can also track and monitor results, have clear decision-making authority, clarify roles and responsibilities on cross-functional initiatives, and support enhanced communication across departments.

Challenges and opportunities related to internal alignment are detailed in Recommendations 1, 2, 6, 8, and 17.

The work to effectively prevent and respond to homelessness is politically charged, extremely complex, and emotionally taxing. The purpose of this section is to highlight the challenging work and continued efforts of City staff to enhance homelessness prevention and response in the community.

While the focus of the engagement was to evaluate the City’s response to homelessness within the community, it is critical to recognize the individuals who provided overwhelming support for this study, both within the City and among its partners. Throughout this engagement, staff and stakeholders were highly engaged, insightful, and contributed their deep knowledge and passion for ending homelessness. The following areas of strength are the foundation that will continue to amplify the City’s future initiatives:
• Resilient and dedicated staff: This study took place during a particularly busy time for the City, yet employees made time to participate in interviews and respond to questions and requests for information in a timely and thorough manner. City staff remained productive and collaborative for the duration of the engagement, across functions and levels within the City. Community partners were also quick to note the level of engagement and dedication of City staff with whom they collaborate.
• There were several instances where community partners remarked on the intentional efforts of the City to continuously improve its homelessness response, remain responsive to resident needs, and cultivate strategic partnerships.
• Diversified program portfolio: In alignment with best practices, the City provides a diversified approach to addressing homelessness offering programs, services, and funding that address:
○ Outreach
○ Housing
○ Employment
○ Emergency Response
○ Mental and Physical Health
○ Coordination or Case Management
○ Data and Analysis
○ Legal Aid
− Supportive Services
− Reunification
• Organizations that offer services locally—yet have a national presence and therefore interface with a variety of municipalities—commonly noted that the City is a leader in the diversity of its service offerings when compared to similarly situated cities. As cataloged in the ecosystem

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 610 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 6

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
inventory in Appendix A: Service Ecosystem Inventory, the City operates 26 programs and has leveraged a broad network of services providers at the local, county, and state level.

Furthermore, the City is known for its implementation of innovative programming. • Evidence-based homelessness services programs: The City has a history of implementing innovative homelessness services that align with evidence-based best practices. For example, the City was an early adopter of Housing First and one of the first communities on the West Coast to implement a by-name Service Registry and prioritization framework by vulnerability rather that a first come, first served approach. Another approach to addressing homelessness in Santa Monica is the City’s Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Team (HMST) program. A 2019 RAND study evaluated the HMST program’s success in achieving its goals5 and found that the HMST program had a positive impact on the clients it served and was viewed within the community as a valuable resource. The study estimated that the investment in the HMST yielded savings to the City that offset between 17% and 43% of the investment. Because it takes time to establish a relationship with persons experiencing homelessness (PEH), it also takes time to observe the impact of an intervention like the HMST program. The study found evidence that clients had significantly fewer encounters with the police department in the year following the first engagement with the HMST. After another six-month period of engagement, the decrease in police department encounters is even larger, and there is also evidence of a decrease in emergency room visits. This is one example of the City’s innovative, evidence-based programing; as noted previously, many other programs are also supported by evidence-based practices. • Reduction in the total number of people experiencing homelessness over the last 5 years:

According to annual point-in-time counts, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the City of Santa Monica declined by 11% (a reduction of 150 people). By contrast, the number of people experiencing homelessness between 2018 and 2022 in the County of Los Angeles increased by 38.4%. This suggests that the City’s approach to preventing and addressing homelessness is likely more effective than other regional efforts. • Strong front-line relationships: The City makes significant investments in establishing, building, and maintaining strong relationships with the network of front-line service providers operating in the area. The City uses a multi-pronged approach that consists of active program partnership in direct services, such as street outreach teams, funding of additional front-line services, and coordination and collaboration with providers inviting feedback to continuously adapt its approach. Additionally, the City convenes regular care coordination meetings, including weekly meetings between the Community Services Department, the City Attorney’s Office, and the Santa Monica Police Department’s Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) team, bi-weekly HLP team meetings with community partners, monthly Chronic Homeless Project case conferencing meetings, and monthly Senior Housing Task Force meetings to prevent vulnerable seniors from eviction and subsequent homelessness. The City also uses innovative technology solutions such as Akido Connect to facilitate information sharing across first responders and nonprofit service providers. The City’s ability to build strong and lasting relationships significantly improves outcomes.

We would like to express our deepest thanks to the City, its service providers, and its residents for their willingness to assist us throughout this study. These commendations, coupled with the 5 Evaluation of the Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Team for the City of Santa Monica; https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2848.html

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 611 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 7

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
observations and recommendations, can help the City improve operations and—in turn—reach its goals of ending homelessness.

A summary of observations and recommendations are provided in the table below and are grouped into four focus areas: Strategy and Planning; Communication and Community Engagement; Organization Structure and Staffing; and Homelessness Prevention and Response Program Analysis.

Further detail for each observation and recommendation can be found in Section V.

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

1. Observation
The City has adopted the Four Pillars framework to guide its homelessness response. However, the framework does not provide guidance around critical policy questions, define actionable objectives, or detail current City initiatives. In the absence of a comprehensive strategy, the City’s initiatives have been disrupted by differing philosophies related to roles and responsibilities, enforcement, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders Recommendation
Develop a comprehensive homelessness strategic plan that builds on the Four Pillars framework to set clear policy direction, promote alignment across City stakeholders, and support regional efforts.

In the short-term, if resources to create a full strategic plan are not available, develop specific objectives for each of the Four Pillars and align City workplans.

2. Observation
The City does not have a performance measurement framework to consistently track, compare, and communicate the impact of the City’s homelessness response efforts. As a result, the City is not yet able to comparatively assess program effectiveness or convey the outcomes of its work to internal and external stakeholders.

Recommendation
Develop community-level performance measures to track major outcomes and keep leadership, staff, and stakeholders informed of progress.

Continue efforts to develop consistent program-level performance measures to enable comparative monitoring and continuous improvement.

Take steps to ensure that program participant feedback is consistently collected, analyzed, and used to inform operational and strategic decisions.

Implement consistent monitoring and oversight processes over all City contracts for programs that directly serve people experiencing homelessness to enable consistent performance measurement and validation practices.

Develop a plan to restore key staff positions to support data collection, coordination, analysis, and reporting.

3. Observation
The City’s systems to collect data storage across City-funded programs and services are siloed. This limits the City’s ability to accurately assess performance in a timely and meaningful manner.

Recommendation In the short term, pursue options to integrate data from first responders and the Homelessness Management information System (HMIS) to enable

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 612 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 8

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
improved reporting and/or pursue mechanisms that support accuracy and expand communication across teams.

In the long term, evaluate the appropriate mechanism to integrate first responder data into the HMIS to enhance data accuracy, completeness, and performance reporting.

4. Observation
Most City partnership efforts are driven by staff participation in regional coordination activities. This suggests there are opportunities for City Council to expand and enhance collaboration with regional partners and governmental agencies.

Recommendation
City Council should enhance regional and intergovernmental partnerships by actively engaging other regional agencies to support coordination and access to services in that support people experiencing homelessness.

COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

5. Observation
Although the City’s municipal code requires an annual review of homelessness services by City Council, the City has not recently been able to provide reports on a consistent annual basis due to a variety of factors including COVID-19 emergencies. Instead, staff often respond to ongoing ad hoc requests for information.

Recommendation
Reinstitute a consistent timeline for the annual review of homelessness services and re-evaluate its format to articulate community-level and program-level data.

In alignment with the municipal code, adopt a methodology to track citywide costs related to homelessness for inclusion in the annual report.

Following the development of a Homelessness Strategic Plan, review the existing municipal code for consistency and necessity.

6. Observation Stakeholders expressed frustration in their ability to easily access current and historical homelessness-specific information.

Recommendation
Continue to develop the homelessness webpage to provide a centralized repository for community resources, key reports, and relevant articles.

To better communicate the outcomes of the City’s homelessness services, develop a dashboard to regularly report community-level performance measures.

7. Observation
Although residents overwhelmingly identify homelessness as a priority concern in the City, their ability to meaningfully support homelessness prevention and intervention is frequently stymied due to the complex local and regional system of agencies and services.

Recommendation
Continue to develop and strategically distribute community resources related to homelessness to enhance understanding of desired behaviors, opportunities to contribute, and appropriate referrals for needed services.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 613 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 9

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE AND STAFFING

8. Observation
The City has not selected a leader to oversee and coordinate the City’s homelessness response. In this environment, staff report significant challenges maintaining interdepartmental alignment, resolving conflicting needs or directions, and holistically tracking and communicating progress across the full spectrum of cross-functional homelessness initiatives.

Recommendation
Designate an executive sponsor of homelessness prevention and response with the requisite cross-departmental authority to drive programs forward, monitor success, lead collaboration efforts, and support enhanced communication.

9. Observation
City staff report that employee morale is low due to workload demands resulting from high expectations for responsiveness, program implementation, and administration of homelessness-related services as well as a perceived lack of support from City leadership.

Recommendation
Take meaningful steps to improve employee morale by:

Supporting employees through clear leadership direction, delegation of authority, and the ability to hold teams accountable to decisions.

Setting division-wide goals and celebrating successes in team meetings and community settings to provide meaningful employee recognition.

Appropriately matching staff capacity and resources with community expectations related to homelessness prevention and response.

10. Observation The Public Works Department maintenance, custodial, and groundskeeping staff do not have sufficient resources to perform higher-risk cleanup activities.

Recommendation Continue to explore staffing options that ensure City employees are provided appropriate resources and training to safely complete required work.

HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND RESPONSE PROGRAM ANALYSIS

11. Observation
Although the City has historically prioritized affordable housing development and retention within its community, the need for affordable housing continues to rise, as indicated by the 431% increase in the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation for 2021–2029.

Recommendation
To increase housing stock in the City and support achievement of the City’s Regional Housing Needs allocation over the next eight years, the City should continue implementing the Housing Element and evaluate potential obstacles to housing development.

12. Observation
Based on the January 2022 point-in-time (PIT) count, demand for temporary housing exceeds the current capacity of emergency and transitional beds in Santa Monica.

Recommendation
In partnership with other community organizations and service providers across the west side of Los Angeles, evaluate benefits/costs and identify potential shortterm solutions for emergency and transitional housing needs.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 614 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 10

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

13. Observation
The shortage of permanent supportive housing creates significant barriers in exiting people from homelessness and hinders the effectiveness of the homelessness response system.

Recommendation
Continue to prioritize the development of permanent housing, including permanent supportive housing, to enable service providers to institute rapid rehousing and provide appropriate supports, thereby increasing the costeffectiveness of services and the rate at which individuals can exit homelessness.

14. Observation
To focus its resources, City policy prioritizes supporting people experiencing homelessness who live or work in the City prior to other factors such as vulnerability, which appears to be a unique practice.

Recommendation
Evaluate the City’s Program Participant definition to ensure ongoing alignment with the homelessness strategic plan, best practices, and capacity of local programming.

15. Observation
Homelessness programs operating hours are generally limited to Monday through Friday during business hours, which may not reflect when services are needed most or align with community expectations.

Recommendation
In support of providing enhanced service hours to people experiencing homelessness, implement the City’s proposal to expand access to SAMOSHEL and expand the Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) team.

Using available data, evaluate trends in the demand for homelessnessrelated service requests and determine whether there is a need for expanded program operating hours. If data indicate that there is a need for expanded program operating hours, collaborate with service agencies to identify needs and resources to support this expansion.

16. Observation
Big Blue Bus historically collaborated with service agencies to provide people experiencing homelessness with access to public transportation. However, the existing program creates risks and inconveniences for users which results in low participation rates.

Recommendation
Continue efforts to adjust the Big Blue Bus’s free fare program to better support the transportation needs of people who are at risk of, experiencing, or exiting homelessness.

Communicate the County’s Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) program as an interim solution to free fares for those who require access to public transportation but cannot afford it.

17. Observation
Due to recent turnover among City leadership, the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) lacks clear direction on where to focus resources and activities and how to approach enforcement.

Recommendation
As part of the City’s efforts to develop a homelessness strategic plan, the City and SMPD should clearly define SMPD’s role and the approach to enforcement that should be used when interacting with people experiencing homelessness. These efforts should be done in collaboration with the community.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 615 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 11

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
After the strategic plan has been developed, SMPD should evaluate its policies, programs, and services to ensure alignment with the strategic plan.

18. Observation
The City provides a diverse portfolio of services, yet stakeholders note opportunities to expand resources. Critical gaps and limitations include psychiatric beds, sobering center, and multidisciplinary outreach teams.

Recommendation
Continue efforts to evaluate benefits/costs and identify solutions for assessed resource gaps, including investing in infrastructure at the local level, advocacy with regional partners, public-private partnerships, and other opportunities.

19. Observation
The City has a strong referral network with its local homelessness service providers, yet stakeholders note challenges around sharing and gathering comprehensive and up-to-date information that results in an overreliance on personal service provider connections for coordination.

Recommendation
Continue pursuing technology solutions that provide up-to-date, comprehensive, consolidated, and integrated information with push and pull functionalities to enable the City and other service providers to receive notifications and enter data to optimize coordination and referrals.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 616 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 12

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
This report presents recommendations across a wide range of areas related to the City’s homelessness prevention and response efforts. To provide the City with guidance for selecting which recommendations to execute and prioritizing this work relative to other City efforts, we have prepared a high-level implementation plan below. This implementation plan should be viewed as a living document that leadership will discuss, organize, and adjust to create an actionable path forward to strengthen its response to homelessness. Recommendations are grouped by priority level (critical, high, medium, low). Within the priority level, recommendations are listed in numeric order. The Responsible Party identifies who is responsible for driving the work forward and coordinating work among stakeholder departments. Cost considerations have been identified to assist the City in developing estimates for the associated work. We have also included staff estimates for the general magnitude of potential expenditures associated with each recommendation. These are meant to be high-level indicators—specific costs associated with each recommendation will need to be researched and validated as part of the City’s standard budgeting process. • $ = Less than $100,000 or can be done with existing resources • $$ = $100,000-$500,000
• $$$ = $500,000-$1,000,000
• $$$$ = Over $1,000,000
Given that many of these recommendations will require significant investment of financial resources and staff time to accomplish (and some require extensive support or coordination from external parties), we anticipate that the City’s ability to implement many recommendations may be limited without significant trade-offs or additional staff. To be successful, the City will need to secure additional funding mechanisms to support adequate City resources (e.g., staffing, systems) to implement the recommendations and provide additional program funding. As such, we recommend that the City focuses on the critical and high-priority areas in the short-term.

REC
#

OBSERVATION

CATEGORY RECOMMENDATION PRIORITY RESPONSIBLE PARTY COST CONSIDERATIONS 1 Unifying
Strategic Plan
Develop a comprehensive homelessness strategic plan that builds on the Four Pillars framework to set clear policy direction, promote alignment across City stakeholders, and support regional efforts In the short-term, if resources to create a full strategic plan are not available, develop specific objectives for each of the Four Pillars and align City workplans.

Critical
City Manager’s Office (CMO),
Homelessness Executive Sponsor, All
Stakeholder Departments, City Council
Current staff time; potential to outsource facilitation/development of the plan; costs for system integration and/or system implementation (system cost, staffing or outsourcing costs for implementation) $-$$
4 Regional and
Policy-Level
Advocacy
City Council should enhance regional and intergovernmental partnerships by actively engaging other regional agencies to support coordination and access to services that support people experiencing homelessness.

Critical
City Council Current council and staff time
$
8 Authority and
Decision-Making
Designate an executive sponsor of homelessness prevention and response with the requisite crossdepartmental authority to drive programs forward, monitor success, lead collaboration efforts, and support enhanced communication.

Critical
CMO Increase in staffing costs
$
11 Affordable
Housing
To increase housing stock in the City and support achievement of the City’s Regional Housing Needs allocation over the next eight years, the City should continue implementing the Housing Element and evaluate potential obstacles to housing development.

Critical
Community Services Department – Health
and Human Services (CSD), Community
Development Department (CDD)
Current staff time; potential to outsource facilitation/development of the plan
$-$$
13 Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Continue to prioritize the development of permanent housing, including permanent supportive housing, to enable service providers to institute rapid re-housing and provide appropriate supports, thereby increasing the cost-effectiveness of services and the rate at which individuals can exit homelessness.

Critical
CSD, CDD Current staff time
$-$$$$
2 Performance
Measurement
Framework
Develop community-level performance measures to track major outcomes and keep leadership, staff, and stakeholders informed of progress.

Continue efforts to develop consistent program-level performance measures to enable comparative monitoring and continuous improvement.

Take steps to ensure that program participant feedback is consistently collected, analyzed, and used to inform operational and strategic decisions.

High
CMO, Homelessness Executive Sponsor,
All Stakeholder Departments
Current staff time; potential to outsource facilitation/development of the plan; costs for system integration and/or system implementation (system cost, staffing or outsourcing costs for implementation); increase in staffing costs
$-$$$

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 617 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 13

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
REC
#

OBSERVATION

CATEGORY RECOMMENDATION PRIORITY RESPONSIBLE PARTY COST CONSIDERATIONS Implement consistent monitoring and oversight processes over all City contracts for programs that directly serve people experiencing homelessness to enable consistent performance measurement and validation practices.

Develop a plan to restore key staff positions to support data collection, coordination, analysis, and reporting.
9 Employee Morale Take meaningful steps to improve employee morale by:

Supporting employees through clear leadership direction, delegation of authority, and the ability to hold teams accountable to decisions.

Setting division-wide goals and celebrating successes in team meetings and community settings to provide meaningful employee recognition.

Appropriately matching staff capacity and resources with community expectations related to homelessness prevention and response.

High
City Council, CMO, and Department
Directors
Current staff time; increase in staffing costs
$-$$$$
18 Service Gaps
and Limitations
Continue efforts to evaluate benefits/costs and identify solutions for assessed resource gaps (psychiatric beds, sobering center, and multidisciplinary outreach teams), including investing in infrastructure at the local level, advocacy with regional partners, public-private partnerships, and other opportunities. High City Management Increase in direct program funding to support expanded service offerings; other costs pending city decision on how to address the issue
$$-$$$$
14 Program
Participant
Definition
Evaluate the City’s Program Participant definition to ensure ongoing alignment with the homelessness strategic plan, best practices, and capacity of local programming. High City Council, CSD Current staff time
$
15 Program
Operating Hours
In support of providing enhanced service hours to people experiencing homelessness, implement the City’s proposal to expand access to SAMOSHEL and expand the Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) team.

Using available data, evaluate trends in the demand for homelessness-related service requests and determine whether there is a need for expanded program operating hours. If data indicate that there is a need for expanded program operating hours, collaborate with service agencies to identify needs and resources to support this expansion.

High
CSD, Santa Monica Police Department
(SMPD), Santa Monica Fire Department
(SMFD), City Attorney’s Office (CAO)
Current staff time; potential for increased staffing costs and/or program funding
$$$-$$$$
10 Public Works Continue to explore staffing options that ensure City employees are provided appropriate resources and training to safely complete required work. High
Public Works Current staff time; potential to increase or decrease staff costs pending decision on service model
$$-$$$$
19 External
Coordination
Continue pursuing technology solutions that provide up-to-date, comprehensive, consolidated, and integrated information with push and pull functionalities to enable the City and other service providers to receive notifications and enter data to optimize coordination and referrals. High Homelessness Executive Sponsor, CSD,
SMPD, SMFD, CAO, Information Service
Department (ISD)
Costs for system integration and/or system implementation (system cost, staffing our outsourced cost for implementation)
$$-$$$$
3 Data-Collection
and Access
In the short term, pursue options to integrate data from first responders and the Homelessness Management information System (HMIS) to enable improved reporting and/or pursue mechanisms that support accuracy and expand communication across teams.

In the long term, evaluate the appropriate mechanism to integrate first responder data into the HMIS to enhance data accuracy, completeness, and performance reporting.

Medium
Homelessness Executive Sponsor, CSD,

SMPD, SMFD, CAO, ISD
Costs for system integration and/or system implementation (system cost, staffing our outsourced cost for implementation)
$$-$$$$
5 City Council
Annual Review
Reinstitute a consistent timeline for the annual review of homelessness services and re-evaluate its format to articulate community-level and program-level data.

In alignment with the municipal code, adopt a methodology to track citywide costs related to homelessness for inclusion in the annual report.

Medium
Homelessness Executive Sponsor, CSD,

SMPD, SMFD, CAO
Current staff time
$

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 618 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 14

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
REC
#

OBSERVATION

CATEGORY RECOMMENDATION PRIORITY RESPONSIBLE PARTY COST CONSIDERATIONS Following the development of a Homelessness Strategic Plan, review the existing municipal code for consistency and necessity.
6 Community
Reporting
Continue to develop the homelessness webpage to provide a centralized repository for community resources, key reports, and relevant articles.

To better communicate the outcomes of the City’s homelessness services, develop a dashboard to regularly report community-level performance measures.

Medium
Communications, CSD Current staff time
$$-$$$
7 Community
Resources
Continue to develop and strategically distribute community resources related to homelessness to enhance understanding of desired behaviors, opportunities to contribute, and appropriate referrals for needed services.

Medium
Communications, CSD Current staff time
$-$$
12 Temporary
Housing
In partnership with other community organizations and service providers across the west side of Los Angeles, evaluate benefits/costs and identify potential short-term solutions for emergency and transitional housing needs. Medium
CSD Current staff time; there may be additional subsequent costs depending on which (if any) short-term housing solutions are selected for implementation
$-$$$$
16 Transportation Continue efforts to adjust the Big Blue Bus’s free fare program to better support the transportation needs of people who are at risk of, experiencing, or exiting homelessness.

Communicate the County’s Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) program as an interim solution to free fares for those who require access to public transportation but cannot afford it.

Medium
Transportation, Communications Current staff time
$-$$
17 Public Safety As part of the City’s efforts to develop a homelessness strategic plan, the City and the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) should clearly define SMPD’s role and the approach to enforcement that should be used when interacting with people experiencing homelessness. These efforts should be done in collaboration with the community.

After the strategic plan has been developed, SMPD should evaluate its policies, programs, and services to ensure alignment with the strategic plan.

Medium
Homelessness Executive Sponsor, SMPD Current staff time $-$$

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 619 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 15

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

INTRODUCTION
Preventing and responding to homelessness is a persistent social challenge that has widespread impacts on individuals, communities, and governments across the country. Nationwide, the most recent point in time (PIT) count of unhoused individuals marked the fourth consecutive year of unhoused population growth.
6 Within the City of Santa Monica (the City, Santa Monica), staff and stakeholders report that the homelessness crisis appears to be more visible and widespread in recent times. The COVID-19 pandemic had significant impacts on homelessness prevention and response, as shelters reduced capacity, indoor public spaces were closed, and access to services was reduced to protect against community transmission. While the City and its partners have invested significant resources into this area and the total population of unsheltered individuals within the City has decreased almost 16% between 2018 and 2022, over 90% of Santa Monicans surveyed in Spring 2022 reported homelessness as a very urgent issue for the City to address.7 The City of Santa Monica’s response to homelessness is guided by a Four Pillar strategy, which was adopted by City Council in March 2019:
8 • Prevent housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increase affordable housing opportunities.
• Address the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents. • Maintain equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces. • Strengthen regional capacity to address homelessness.

In FY2020-21, the City is estimated to have spent a total of $42.5 million on direct and indirect services related to homelessness.

The City’s ability to respond to homelessness within the community was reduced during the pandemic, not only due to service closures and limitations from public health guidance, but also due to the City’s financial position. In May 2020, the City underwent a restructure and eliminated 421.1 FTEs, around 20% of its total FTE, to address budget shortfalls. This reduction affected all City departments and subsequently impacted their ability to continue providing the same level of service with significantly reduced resources. Additionally, during the restructuring, three former departments (Housing and Economic Development, Planning and Community Development, and Community and Cultural Services) were combined into two new departments (Community Development and 6 National Alliance to End Homelessness – State of Homelessness: 2021 Edition: https://endhomelessness.org/homelessnessin-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2021/ 7 City of Santa Monica Community Survey, May 2022.
8 Santa Monica’s Strategy to Address Homelessness: https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-s-strategy-to-addresshomelessness

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 620 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 16

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Community Services). This reorganization brought housing and human services together into one department, which presented opportunities for enhanced synergies and collaboration.

Within this context, the City engaged Moss Adams to conduct a comprehensive study of its homelessness response and prevention efforts.

The purpose of this study is to provide observations and actionable recommendations that identify opportunities to optimize the City’s homelessness service delivery model. The recommendations in this assessment are intentionally developed to fall within the City’s influence and ability to prevent and respond to homelessness-related issues in its community. This study focused 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. • Planning, Reporting, and Communication Analysis
○ Evaluate the planning and strategy of the City’s homelessness efforts ○ Assess available data sources, performance reporting, and outcomes ○ Review communications with City Council and the community ○ Compare City practices to leading practices
• Ecosystem Analysis
○ Identify the role and service offerings of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, City of Santa Monica, and community organizations within the City ○ Document the current environment, including inventorying service offerings from each agency ○ Evaluate gaps and duplications within the service ecosystem • City Interventions and Resource Utilization Analysis
○ Evaluate the City’s organizational structure for delivering homelessness services ○ Document City interventions to homelessness, including expenditures, service descriptions, successes, and challenges for organizations that receive grant funding from the City, direct activities through the Community Services, Police, and Fire Departments, as well as indirect activities through other City departments (including the City Attorney’s Office and Public Works)
The fieldwork and analysis of this study was informed by staff and local homelessness service provider interviews, focus groups, document reviews, and research on industry best practices and peer City data. The assessment was conducted between April and October 2022, and consisted of four major phases:
• Project Initiation and Management: This phase concentrated on comprehensive project planning and project management including scoping, identifying staff and stakeholders to interview, identifying documents to review, and developing a project plan. • Fact Finding: This phase included staff interviews, focus groups, document review, and research into industry standards. We worked with City staff to obtain the most currently available information and insights.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 621 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 17

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
○ Interviews and Focus Groups: We conducted interviews and focus groups with 56 individuals, including City staff, community partners, Councilmembers, Audit Subcommittee Members, and peer city representatives.
○ Document Review: We reviewed documents including historical reports on homelessness responses in the City, quarterly and annual County and joint powers authority reports, in addition to public reports provided by local homelessness service providers, performance reports, communications between City Council and the community, documented policies, and grant agreements for the Human Services Grant Program.
○ Community Group Forum: Community groups were invited to participate in a virtual forum to provide feedback on current City services and communication practices, as well as ideas for service changes or expansions. Invited community groups included Santa Monica neighborhood associations, business associations, medical providers, and direct service providers, as well as other Los Angeles County homelessness partners. Themes from the community group forum conversations are included in Appendix B: Community Group Forum Themes.
○ Industry Standards and Best Practice Research: Based on the opportunities for improvement identified, we conducted research to ascertain industry standards and best practices. Best practice research included a review of information provided by the following organizations, amongst others:
− RAND
− National Alliance to End Homelessness
− United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) − Homeless and Housing Strategies for California
− California Policy Lab
− Research has focused on identifying evidence-based solutions to homelessness to provide a framework for evaluating the existing service ecosystem. ○ Peer Benchmarking: In addition to general research on best practices nationwide, we compared Santa Monica’s practices to the practices of other cities in California including Berkeley, Pasadena, Palo Alto, West Hollywood, and Richmond by conducting interviews with nine individuals across these cities. We also invited Culver City, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and Laguna Beach to participate in benchmarking, but were unable to reach them. Peer cities were selected in coordination with City staff and based on a variety of factors, including similar unhoused demographics and regulatory environments. Peer benchmarking information is included in Appendix C: Peer Research Summary. ○ Program Participant Feedback: It is best practice to incorporate feedback from people experiencing homelessness as part of determining the success of a given homelessnessrelated initiative or intervention. While direct outreach to unsheltered individuals was outside the scope for this engagement, we reviewed how the City and its Human Services Grant Program partners solicit input from program participants and made related recommendations to ensure that the City can use feedback from unsheltered people to guide programmatic and strategic decisions.
• Analysis: This phase served as the assessment portion of the project. Based on the information gathered, we evaluated the importance, impact, and scope of our observations to develop actionable recommendations to optimize the City’s response to homelessness.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 622 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 18

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Reporting: This phase concluded the project. We reviewed draft observations and recommendations with the City and Department leadership to validate facts and confirm the practicality of recommendations.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 623 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 19

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

ENVIRONMENT
Since 2018, both the State of California and Los Angeles County have seen a steady increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness. Although homelessness has been a consistent challenge in southern California for decades, the crisis has become more visible and widespread in recent years. Communities across the region sit at the crux between a desire to assist people experiencing homelessness and impatience and disappointment with the government’s ability to effectively respond to the crisis.9
Over the last five years, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Service Planning Area 5: West10 (SPA 5) and Los Angeles County increased by 4.6% and 38.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica has decreased by 15.7% over the last five years and 11% since the prior homeless count completed in 2020. At the last homeless count in 2022, 807 people experiencing homelessness were counted in Santa Monica, 608 of whom were unsheltered.

CITY OF SANTA MONICA PIT COUNT 2019-202211
9 L.A. voters angry, frustrated over homeless crisis, demand faster action, poll finds: https://www.latimes.com/homelesshousing/story/2021-12-01/la-voters-are-frustrated-impatient-over-persistent-homelessness-crisis 10 The County distributes public funding for homelessness services across eight geographic Service Planning Areas (SPAs).

These distinct regions allow the County to develop and provide more relevant services targeted to the specific needs of the residents in these different areas. The City of Santa Monica is located within SPA 5: West. 11 City of Santa Monica Staff Report “Update on Local Efforts Addressing the Regional Homelessness Crisis,” presented May 11, 2022.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 624 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 20

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
TOTAL COUNT OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS12
YEAR

CITY OF SANTA
MONICA

SERVICE

PLANNING
AREA 5

LOS ANGELES
COUNTY
2018 957 4,401 49,955
2019 985 5,262 56,257
2020 907 6,009 66,436
2021 - - -
2022 807 4,604 69,144
Percent change between 2020 and
2022
-11% -23.4% 4.1%
Percent change between 2018 and
2022
-15.7% 4.6% 38.4%
City service providers collect information regarding the demographics and last place of residence of people experiencing homelessness within the community during the client intake process. However, the City’s capacity to validate and assess this information was diminished when the Data Science Administrator position was eliminated following the Spring 2020 restructuring. Therefore, reliable data on this information is not currently available. However, service providers and City staff anecdotally report that the population of unsheltered individuals in the community is largely transient and fluctuates significantly over time. Frequent turnover in the population of people experiencing homelessness can create challenges for the City and other local service providers to effectively secure housing for individuals, since this process can be time-consuming and often requires multiple contacts.

Most studies of the last three decades suggest that about a third of people experiencing homelessness also experience problems related to drugs and alcohol, and up to two-thirds have a history of an alcohol or drug disorder. A substance use disorder can often develop as a result of the stress from experiencing homelessness and having a substance use disorder greatly increases the risk for homelessness. In 2022, the rate of people experiencing homelessness who were also experiencing a substance use disorder in SPA 5 (West) was 30%, an increase from 13% in 2021 (data that did not include unsheltered people experiencing homelessness) and 25% in 2020. 13 12 LA County Homelessness Count 2022 Data Summary: https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=6515-lacounty-hc22-datasummary, SPA 5 Homelessness Count 2022 Data Summary: https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=6510-spa-5-hc2022-datasummary 13 2021 Shelter Point-In-Time Count, SPA 5: https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=5498-2021-hic-and-shelter-count-spa-5

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 625 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 21

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
The City conducted a representative survey of residents in May 2022, 14 and 93% of survey
respondents noted that responding to homelessness was an urgent or very urgent problem for the City to address.

Anecdotally, many City staff and leadership reported that resident and business stakeholder concerns related to homelessness response and prevention have significantly increased over the past few years. COVID-19 exacerbated issues as shelters reduced capacity, indoor public spaces closed, and access to services was reduced to protect against community transmission. Council members also noted the perception that those experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica in recent years seem to be experiencing more serious mental health and addiction issues and that violence has increased. In the community survey, 80% of respondents identified Enhancing Public Safety as very important or somewhat important for the City to consider when prioritizing new policies or programs.

Regulations set by case law, the State of California, and Los Angeles County provide a framework to guide the way the City responds to homelessness. The City is obligated to operate within the existing regulatory system and framework, which can impact its ability to respond to homelessness within the community. Some of the key regulations are summarized below. • Martin vs. Boise: This case challenged the City of Boise’s enforcement of its Camping and Disorderly Conduct Ordinances against people experiencing homelessness who needed to sleep in public due to inadequate housing or shelter available. This ruling found that prosecuting individuals for sleeping outside when there is no available shelter violates the Eight Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on December 16, 2019. Within the City, this has resulted in limitations on its ability to prosecute 14 City of Santa Monica Resident Survey Results – May 24, 2022 Budget Study Session:
https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=4&ID=12875

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 626 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 22

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
quality-of-life crimes to those that meet certain criteria (e.g., an additional crime beyond sleeping in a park when it is closed).
○ Unlike some other states such as New York, California laws do not specifically include a legal right to shelter, which indicates that the government is not required to provide a place to sleep for every individual who needs one.
○ John Logan v. City of Grants Pass (filed September 28, 2022) extended the reach of Martin v.

Boise by explaining that the definition of sleeping includes “sleeping with rudimentary forms of protection from the elements (e.g., a blanket, a pillow, or a cardboard box for protection from the elements)” and that Martin v. Boise applies to civil citations where criminal punishments result from violation of civil enforcement measures. • In re Humphrey: In 2021, the California Supreme Court ruled that trial courts must consider a defendant’s ability to pay when determining whether to set bail. Therefore, courts must find clear and convincing evidence that no restriction except detention will suffice to maintain community safety in order to set bail for a defendant. This has resulted in limitations in the City’s ability to keep violent or repeat offenders in custody while their case is pending as the law directs courts to emphasize the consideration of the defendant’s ability to pay bail rather than prior criminal history.
• Lanterman-Petris-Short Act: This Act provides guidelines for handling involuntary civil commitment of individuals in mental health institutions across the state of California. The intent of this legislation was to end the inappropriate, indefinite, and involuntary commitment of persons with mental health disorders, developmental disabilities, and chronic alcoholism. This guidance sets the standards for modern mental health commitment processes, including requirements that an individual needs to be a Danger to Self, Danger to Others, and/or Gravely Disabled due to a mental health disorder to be subject to involuntary detention in a mental health facility.

Municipalities across the State of California therefore must ensure individuals that appear to be experiencing a mental health crisis meet the regulatory criteria to place them in an involuntary three-day hold in a mental health facility.
○ Effective date: July 1, 1972
• Proposition 47 (“The Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act”): Proposition 47 implemented three broad changes to felony sentencing laws by reclassifying certain theft and drug possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. This included drug possession for the personal use of controlled substances. Since its implementation, municipalities have reported that people experiencing homelessness are less likely to seek or accept drug abuse treatment as it reduced the charges for drug-related crimes. Additionally, to take enforcement action, misdemeanors must be committed in the presence of a sworn officer, whereas felonies can be investigated using victim and witness reports.
○ Effective date: November 5, 2014
• Assembly Bill 210: AB 210 created section 18999.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. This bill permits multi-disciplinary personnel teams (MDTs) of Participating Agencies to share and exchange information made confidential by California State law to facilitate the expedited identification, assessment, and linkage of homeless adults and families to housing and supportive services within Los Angeles County. The City of Santa Monica was among the first municipalities to authorize multi-disciplinary access to sensitive information to help coordinate care for people experiencing homelessness.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 627 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 23

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
○ Effective date: January 1, 2019
• Assembly Bill 1950: AB 1950 created statutory caps on the length of probation periods for qualifying misdemeanors at one year (formerly three years) and qualifying felonies at two years (formerly five years).
○ Effective date: January 1, 2021
• Senate Bill 317: SB 317 amended Penal Code section 1370.01, resulting in the dismissal of misdemeanor cases against defendants who were not competent to stand trial. While the intent behind this revision was to reduce the time defendants spent in custody and increase the time spent in treatment, the law has instead released individuals from custody without the provision of consistent or comprehensive treatment.
○ Effective date: January 1, 2022
• Senate Bill 679: SB 679, also referred to as “the Los Angeles County Regional Housing Finance Act,” establishes the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency, whose purpose is to increase the supply of affordable housing in the County by providing significantly enhanced funding and technical assistance at a regional level for renter protections, affordable housing preservation, and new affordable housing production. The bill requires the agency to be governed by a board of 21 voting members and one nonvoting member from the County; an oversight committee composed of 11 members and one nonvoting member will assist in the development of funding guidelines, implementation of agency programs, and approval of an expenditure plan.

The provisions proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal issue and therefore apply to all cities within Los Angeles County, including charter cities.
○ Effective date: January 1, 2023
• Emergency Bail Schedule: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County took an emergency action to modify the bail schedule to be set at zero dollars for all infractions, misdemeanor, and felony offenses with the exception of some offenses (e.g., domestic violence, carrying a concealed firearm, human trafficking, sexual assault).15 City staff report that this significantly impacted their ability to hold people accountable for violations, including people experiencing homelessness, which has also decreased participation in alternative justice programs such as Homeless Community Court, which would compel individuals to participate in services in lieu of prosecution. The Sherriff’s Department continues to exercise this authority to release those in custody early due to overcrowding or public health concerns without clearance from the court or the prosecution.
○ Effective date: March 20, 2020 through June 30, 2022
The complex issue of homelessness has precipitated multi-layered responses at the federal, state, county, and local levels. Jurisdictions across all levels are working to evaluate the issue of 15 Between April 10, 2020, and June 10, 2020, the State of California also enacted a similar emergency bail schedule for all counties to implement.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 628 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 24

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
homelessness and develop funding, programs, and strategies to prevent and end the experience of homelessness. Interagency collaborations strive to align housing, health, education, and human services, and establish a set of strategies that facilitate partnerships across industries (including the private sector, philanthropy, and state and local governments) to employ cost-effective and comprehensive solutions. The following graphic provides an overview of the roles each agency plays in addressing homelessness.

An historical assessment of where each agency has dedicated its resources to respond to homelessness is detailed in the subsequent section. As the complexity of homelessness response continues to grow, agency, roles, funding, and programs are subject to shift over time. A full list of homelessness-related organizations, programs, and services is provided in Appendix A: Service Ecosystem Inventory.

There are three primary federal agencies that establish policy and regulations, financially support, and coordinate homelessness response efforts.
• US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH): The USICH coordinates the Federal response to homelessness by partnering with 19 federal agencies, state and local governments, advocates, service providers, and people experiencing homelessness. USICH drafts and implements the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.

Federal
State
County
City
Local
Federal programs and departments
provide funding, federal legislation,
national statistics, national standards,
and coordinate national initiatives that
respond to homelessness
State programs and departments also
provide funding, set state-wide policy,
track and monitor state trends, and
coordinate state-level programs
Counties often lead and organize
coalitions of community partners,
administer individual programs, and build
strategic initiatives that deploy
complementary interventions for
homelessness
Cities set local policy, administer funds,
provide enforcement, and offer a variety
of direct services that respond to
homelessness
Local agencies are providers of a range
of supportive services and networks of
support needed to tackle the many social
and economic drivers of homelessness

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 629 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 25

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): The DHHS is the federal government’s principal agency supporting the social and economic well-being of Americans, including those who experience homelessness. DHHS provides funding to state, local, and non-profit entities for health care for people experiencing homelessness, as well as for substance use disorder, mental health, and nutrition.
• Housing and Urban Development (HUD): In general, the federal government supports low-income people in affording housing through the HUD Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program and provides Homeless Assistance Grants, including grants for the Continuum of Care (CoC) program, and entitlement programs such as Community Development Block Grants and Emergency Services Grants, to communities that administer housing and homelessness services.

HUD funding is prevalent and is often used as leverage for other regional and local funding, therefore HUD definitions and regulations can often constrain programs, even if they are only partially funded by HUD. Most, but not all, of the City’s housing vouchers are funded through these federal programs.

Multiple state-run entities administer homeless services programs to provide housing, housing-related supports, outreach, and advocacy services. Lead agencies include the:
• Department of Housing and Community Development
• California Department of Social Services
• California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Rather than providing direct services to individuals, these agencies typically provide funding to organizations that offer housing subsidies and other homelessness interventions.

In 2016, California passed a law requiring all City and County housing programs to adopt a Housing First model, which was adopted as one of the guiding principles by Santa Monica City Council in 2008. Housing First is an evidence-based service approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness as quickly as possible without being subject to restrictions, such as sobriety. This law also required the creation of the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, which oversees implementation of the Housing First model and identifies resources, benefits, and services to better support homelessness throughout the state of California.

In 2021, Assembly Bill 1220 transitioned the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council to the State’s Interagency Council on Homelessness. The mission of this organization is to develop policies and identify resources, benefits, and services to prevent and work toward ending homelessness in California.

Typically, county governments provide the majority of direct services in support of homelessness prevention and response through their human service agencies. Los Angeles County’s Departments of Health Services, Public Health, and Mental Health play a key regional role in tracking, monitoring, and responding to the health and behavioral health needs of the community, including people experiencing homelessness.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 630 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 26

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
In 2015, Los Angeles County developed the Homeless Initiative, which serves as the central coordinating body for its ongoing efforts to enhance services for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The initiative is primarily funded through Measure H, a 1/4 cent sales tax that was approved by voters in May 2017 and is expected to raise over $355 million annually over 10 years.

The Homeless Initiative developed 51 strategies to end homelessness in the County and is currently in the process of re-evaluating strategies as Measure H approaches its mid-way point. The following County Departments are also involved in homelessness response:
• Department of Health Services
• Department of Mental Health
• Department of Public Health
• Department of Public Social Services
• Department of Children and Family Services
• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
• Workforce Development, Aging, and Community Services
• Los Angeles County Superior Court
• Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office
• Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
The County distributes public funding for homelessness services across eight geographic Service Planning Areas (SPAs). These distinct regions allow the County to develop and provide more relevant services targeted to the specific needs of the residents in these different areas. The City of Santa Monica is located within SPA 5: West; which contains 9.4% of the County’s total unsheltered population according to the 2020 homeless count. By contrast, SPA 4: Metro has nearly three times as many people experiencing homelessness and therefore has a higher concentration of Countyfunded homelessness services. The Homeless Initiative allocates Measure H funding regionally to each SPA according to their percentage of the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count wherever possible. Some Measure H funding, including funding for permanent supportive housing and interim/bridge housing, is utilized countywide rather than by SPA; therefore, a breakdown of Measure H funding by City is not available.

Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority
In December of 1993, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles mayor and City Council created the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) as an independent, joint powers authority. LAHSA is the Lead Agency in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (CoC), which is the regional planning body that coordinates housing and services for homeless families and individuals in Los Angeles County—which includes the City of Santa Monica (and excludes the cities of Glendale, Pasadena, and Long Beach which operate their own CoCs).

CoCs are federal designations that are required to receive federal funding (primarily from HUD) for homelessness prevention and response. LAHSA coordinates and manages over $800 million annually in federal, state, county, and City of Los Angeles funds for programs that provide shelter, housing, and services to people experiencing homelessness. LAHSA also operates the majority of

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 631 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 27

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
outreach teams in addition to the County’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Coordinated Entry System (CES), which is the centralized waitlist for housing, and the annual homeless PIT count.

The City of Santa Monica works in tandem with Los Angeles County to coordinate their response to homelessness. Specifically, the City partners with LAHSA to provide Los Angeles’s CoC and conduct the annual PIT count. The City and LAHSA also both operate street outreach teams; however, where the City’s street outreach teams operate exclusively in Santa Monica, outreach teams managed by LAHSA operate in Santa Monica, but are further deployed throughout Los Angeles County. The City and LAHSA overlap in their provision of an HMIS system. While LAHSA operates the County’s HMIS, the City operates and independent HMIS discussed further in Observation 3: Data Collection and Access.

In the coordination of federal, state, county, city, and local homelessness response programming, there is often confusion regarding the funding, authority, and role of LAHSA as a joint powers authority. Funding and role details are also at the center of conversations around concepts such as fair share of services at the city level. The below graphics provide high-level insight into the composition of LAHSA’s budget and entities that influence the direction of LAHSA programming.

LAHSA BUDGET OVERVIEW16
In 2015, Los Angeles County voters approved Measure H, which is a quarter-cent tax increase to address homelessness. Measure H funds support both LAHSA and the City. The City couples Measure H resources with its own to form the foundation for providing a wide range of care, from basic outreach to specialized health treatments administered directly to people experiencing 16 LAHSA Budget Resources: https://www.lahsa.org/budget

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 632 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 28

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
homelessness in Santa Monica. Both LAHSA and the City operate grant programs that distribute funds to local service providers who work to respond to homelessness in Santa Monica. Additionally, LAHSA funding for SPA 5 is channeled through the Westside Cities Council of Governments.

WHO OVERSEES LAHSA?17
LAHSA has a dedicated SPA 5 community relations coordinator who attends coordination meetings hosted by the Westside Cities Council of Governments, homelessness resource group, and Westside Coalition to engage Santa Monica community and government stakeholders in outreach and engagement activities.

The City of Santa Monica has a long history of enacting policies, programs, and services to prevent and respond to homelessness, many of which are noted throughout this report. The following is a list of City departments involved in this work, a summary of the services and programs they lead, and expenditures in FY2020-21. Expenditures are listed as either primary costs (e.g., cost of providing specific programs directly or through a service agency) or secondary costs (e.g., costs of general City services such as public safety and infrastructure maintenance that are attributed to the homeless population in the City).
17 What is LAHSA and How Does the Homeless System Really Work? https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/neighborhoodpolitics-hidden/24390-what-is-lahsa-and-how-does-the-homeless-system-really-work

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 633 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 29

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

DEPARTMENT/

DIVISION SERVICE DESCRIPTION
CITY

EXPENDITURES IN
FY2020-21
Community
Services
Department -
Housing and
Human Services
Division
Human Services manages a broad portfolio of resources and services (both directly and City-funded grants) to vulnerable populations within the City of Santa Monica, including people experiencing homelessness, seniors, and families. This team also administers the Human Services Grant Program (HSGP), which provides approximately $8 million in annual funding for services offered by nonprofit organizations that respond to community needs. HSGP provides grants that support the
wellbeing and quality of life for a variety of underserved populations in the City, including people experiencing
homelessness.

Housing Services supports efforts to create new housing opportunities, preserve existing affordable housing, and assist residents in maintaining existing housing through regulatory enforcement, appropriate service provider referrals, and direct service offerings (e.g., City-funded Preserving Our Diversity basic income program). In addition, Housing Services staffs the operations of the Santa Monica Housing Authority, which provides direct rental assistance to vulnerable residents and families with the goal of enhancing their quality of life, in addition to preventing potential homelessness due to adverse events. Assistance includes rental subsidies for people who previously experienced homelessness.
$10,078,340 in
primary costs
(including HSGP)
City Attorney’s
Office
The Criminal Division of the City Attorney’s office supports homelessness programs, such as the Homeless Liaison
Program in the Police Department and the Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) Program, to encourage diversion from the criminal justice system into appropriate support services and adherence to regulations that govern quality of life in the City.

The Criminal Division also encourages landlords to comply with regulations that preserve the quality and availability of housing opportunities in Santa Monica.

Additionally, the Consumer Protection Division of the City Attorney’s Office enforces tenant rights and protections within the City, which helps support homelessness prevention efforts. $168,213 in primary
costs
Fire Department The newly formed (September 2021) Community Response Unit (CRU) is a dedicated team that responds to calls for service from vulnerable community members. The CRU team works collaboratively with other City departments, regional agencies, and non-profits to help connect individuals with applicable services. The CRU engages with a variety of
populations within the community, including seniors that struggle with accessibility within their homes or people in need of medical services. The Los Angeles County Emergency
Medical Services Agency provided the CRU with approval to transport individuals to psychiatric urgent care centers when $8,035,017 in total
costs
$588,975 in primary
costs
$7,446,042 in
secondary costs*

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 634 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 30

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

DEPARTMENT/

DIVISION SERVICE DESCRIPTION
CITY

EXPENDITURES IN
FY2020-21
applicable. The CRU is a pilot project that is currently only budgeted through June 30, 2023.

In addition to the programmatic work, the Fire Department also provides emergency response services in relation to 911 calls.

Library The Library provides Library Services Officers who help maintain equitable access to open public library spaces by consistently monitoring behaviors and serving as a connection to outreach workers for people experiencing homelessness. $275,602 in primary
costs
Police Department The Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) includes dedicated police officers and an embedded Department of Mental Health (DMH) clinician who connect with individuals experiencing homelessness throughout the City to build relationships and provide service referrals. The intent of HLP is to provide proactive outreach, enforcement, and connection to needed services.

In addition to the programmatic work, the Police Department also provides emergency response services in relation to 911 calls.
$19,791,110 in total
costs
$1,830,399 in
primary costs
$17,960,711 in
secondary costs
Public Works
Department
The Public Works Department operates a component of the Clean and Safe Program, which is an initiative to support maintenance of public spaces throughout the City, including the beach, parks, and downtown area. People experiencing homelessness tend to be present in these spaces and avail themselves of key amenities, such as public restrooms and showers, which is another touchpoint for the City with this vulnerable population.
$4,156,838 in
primary costs
* Note: These costs are pulled from the 2021-22 fiscal year estimates but are included here in lieu of 2020-2021 expenditures to present a more comprehensive cost total (as 2020-2021 costs did not span a full fiscal year).

Appendix D: City Homelessness Programs in Fiscal Year 2021 contains a full description of City provided and City-funded programs.

The City's efforts are informed by input from community members, service providers, regional partners, and various Council-appointed boards and commissions like the Housing Commission and the Human Services Commission.

Local community and nonprofit organizations hold a pivotal role in the landscape of homelessness response. They are often well positioned to take the leading role in human service networks because they tend to be focused locally and are likely to have established legitimacy and trust with the target population and other community organizations and municipalities. They are significant players in implementing policies and take a leadership role by coordinating local homelessness response

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 635 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 31

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
efforts. Santa Monica has a highly developed local network of homelessness service providers. This study reviewed 20 nonprofits operating in Santa Monica who collectively provide 77 unique programs that span 12 service categories. This list of community partners was developed in collaboration with City staff and partners. For the list of nonprofits, we have included the primary organizations that provide direct services or coordination of direct services to people experiencing homelessness within Santa Monica.

SANTA MONICA HOMELESSNESS SERVICES ECOSYSTEM18
18 See Appendix A: Service Ecosystem Inventory.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 636 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 32

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
In FY2020-21, the City spent a total of $42.5 million on homelessness-related services. For this analysis, costs were identified as either primary or secondary costs:
• Primary costs: Direct expenditures on homelessness services and programs, including HSGP and City-operated programs (e.g., HLP team, Project Homecoming, Community Response Unit, Homeless Community Court, Library Service Officers)
• Secondary costs: Expenditures of general City services (e.g., Police, Fire, park and infrastructure maintenance) that are attributed to the population of people experiencing homelessness in the City based on workload data.

FY 2020-21 CITY HOMELESSNESS COSTS
The City spent $12,941,529 on primary costs (direct homelessness services and programs), the majority of which ($9.1 million) was funded through the general fund (see Appendix D: City Homelessness Programs in Fiscal Year 2021 for complete details).

In addition to these costs which are directly attributable to homelessness-related programs, the City also had costs related to homelessness within its operating departments such as Police, Fire, and Public Works; these costs are referred to as Secondary Costs. Public Works estimates that $4,156,838 of its operating costs (3% of total operating costs of $135,671,794 in FY2020-21) are attributable to homelessness through cleaning, custodial, trash pick-up, and other maintenance of City facilities and infrastructure. This represents a general approximation of staff time completed in service of the City’s unhoused populations to maintain public open space, facilities, and other city infrastructure and assets. The allocation of public safety departmental operating costs in FY2020-21 equate to $25,406,767 as reflected in the table below.
$12.9 million
$29.6 million
Primary Costs Secondary Costs

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 637 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 33

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

DEPARTMENT

OPERATING DATA EXPENDITURE DATA
Total
calls
for
service
# of calls for
service
attributed to
homelessness
% of calls
attributed to
homelessness
Department
expenditures
Expenditures
attributed to
homelessness
Police 93,847 17,831 19% $96,360,084 $17,960,711*
Fire 15,073 2,495 16.6% $45,572,620 $7,446,042**
*Costs attributed to homelessness do not include direct services (e.g., HLP Team, Alternatives to Incarceration Program, POP program, and a portion of the Project Homecoming costs) in its calculation. **Costs attributed to homelessness do not include direct services (e.g., expenditures for the West Coast Care contract and CRU) in its calculation.

There are also three local tax measures on the November 8, 2022 General Election ballot that could impact funding available for homelessness prevention and services to address homelessness. If voters approve Measure CS, an increase in the City’s transient occupancy tax, City Council has noted that the anticipated $4 million in additional annual revenues would be used to expand the hours of the HLP team, expand the City’s homeless multidisciplinary street teams’ work beyond the downtown and beach area, redesign the Samoshel interim housing program to accommodate 24/7 intakes, and expand the Police Department’s Downtown Services Unit and the Public Services Officer program. Two competing documentary transfer tax measures are also on the ballot: Measure GS, a citizen’s initiative, would impose an additional tax $56 per $1,000 of value for property transfers over $8 million, and specifically dedicate the estimated $50 million per year of incremental revenues to homelessness prevention, affordable housing, and schools. The competing Measure DT would impose an incremental tax of $25 per $1,000 of the value in excess of $8 million for property sales over $8 million, providing $12 to $25 million annually; this is an advisory measure that prioritizes the incremental revenues for homelessness services, behavioral health services, public safety and emergency response teams for City streets and parks, reopening public libraries, after school programs and crossing guards, and 30% of the revenue annually would be used for housing assistance.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 638 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 34

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the input gathered from interviews, document review, focus groups, and the community group forum as well as comparisons to peer and best practices, we prepared a comprehensive set of observations and recommendations, which are presented in four categories: 1) Strategy and Planning; 2) Communication and Community Engagement; 3) Organization Structure and Staffing; and 4) Homelessness Prevention and Response Program Analysis. The observations and recommendations for each category are detailed below.

Recommendations A. Develop a comprehensive homelessness strategic plan that builds on the Four Pillars framework to set clear policy direction, promote alignment across City stakeholders, and support regional efforts.

B. In the short-term, if resources to create a full strategic plan are not available, develop specific objectives for each of the Four Pillars and align City workplans.

Four Pillars Foundation
Following the homeless count in 2019, Santa Monica’s City Council identified Addressing Homelessness as a priority for its bi-annual budget process. In response to this direction, the Homeless Action Team, a cross-functional team of City staff, developed a Four Pillar approach to balance short and long-term strategies and guide the organization’s homelessness efforts for two years.

At the March 26, 2019, City Council meeting, the Council adopted the Four Pillars, which include:
• Prevent housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increase affordable housing opportunities.
• Address the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents • Maintain equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces • Strengthen regional capacity to address homelessness.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 639 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 35

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
For each of the Four Pillars, the City recently developed supplemental workplans that describe the programmatic work taking place in each area and set tactical activity measures. However, staff report that the workplans do not account for all current City activity in this area.

Overall, the Four Pillars structure generally align with approaches to addressing homelessness that are leveraged by other cities nationally and establish a constructive framework that can help the City direct initiatives, allocate resources, and measure performance. However, the Four Pillars framework does not provide specific objectives, measurable goals, or performance indicators which are commonly found in a strategic plan. These elements can increase alignment and provide management and Council mid- to long-term focus in a local government environment that has inherent turnover in elected, policy-setting roles.

In particular, the Four Pillars do not yet provide guidance around critical policy questions. Here is a sample of questions raised by interviewees:
• What is the City’s regional proportional responsibility around the issue of homelessness? How will the City define what level of services or resources are appropriate to provide? • What is the City’s advocacy strategy to ensure that other partners (including surrounding cities) are also contributing to resolve this issue?
• What is the appropriate role of enforcement? What is the City’s intended strategy for integrating the efforts to support people experiencing homelessness with the efforts to enforce city ordinances (e.g., restrictions on sleeping in a park that is closed)? • What is the City’s strategy around balancing resource allocation between upstream prevention efforts and immediate response efforts?
• Are the Four Pillars meant to incorporate efforts that focused on transitioning unsheltered people into temporary or permanent housing? While the City has many services in this area, these activities are not directly mentioned within the Four Pillars. • What are the City’s actual targets or measurable goals related to each of the Four Pillars? How does the City define success or failure for this type of regional issue? In the absence of a comprehensive strategy, the City’s initiatives are disrupted by differing philosophies related to roles and responsibilities, enforcement, and coordination within and outside of the organization. This is exacerbated by turnover in City leadership and management.

Strategic Plan Impact
Developing a cohesive homelessness-specific strategic plan is a common practice for municipalities and a best practice according to many industry leaders including the League of California Cities and California State Association of Counties’ Joint Homelessness Task Force. 19 According to the United
19 Homelessness Task Force Report – Tools and Resources for Cities and Counties: https://www.calcities.org/docs/defaultsource/advocacy/homelessness-task-force-report---tools-and-resources-for-cities-and-counties.pdf?sfvrsn=fe1cf8d0_3

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 640 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 36

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
States Interagency Council on Homelessness, strategic planning has been shown to result in decreases in homelessness when the plans are well-crafted and implemented.20 Two of the five interviewed peer cities have homelessness strategic plans in place (Berkeley and West Hollywood) and two others (Pasadena and Richmond) reported they are in the process of developing strategic plans. Both cities with strategic plans in place reported benefits, including clearer direction overall, more informed decision-making, improved communication with stakeholders, and better coordination (peer data is provided in Appendix C: Peer Research Summary).

Establishing a comprehensive strategic plan to address homelessness could result in several Cityspecific benefits to overcome existing challenges including:
• Clarified direction and improved alignment among City leaders over time: Over the last two years, the City has experienced turnover in several leadership positions that have a significant impact on its homelessness response, including the City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, Community and Cultural Services Department (now Community Services Department), Police Department, and Fire Department. Additionally, City councilmembers are elected to staggered four-year terms which often results in turnover at each election cycle and shifting expectations, priorities, and philosophies in the City’s homelessness response. In the absence of an overarching mission, vision, and defined strategies to address homelessness within the community, stakeholders report challenges in perpetuating initiatives across these leadership changes. The City’s ability to steadfastly execute its efforts is also contingent upon formally defining authority over homelessness services and compelling stakeholder departments to support these efforts (see Recommendation 8: Authority and Decision-Making for more details).

Peer cities that clearly define philosophies and strategies for serving people experiencing 20 United States Interagency Council on Homelessness: Developing and Implementing Strategic Plans to End Homelessness:
https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/CommunityStrategicPlanning_February_2011.pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 641 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 37

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
homelessness report they have created greater alignment amongst City departments and their initiatives, improved stability of services during periods of change, and overall elevated coordination and collaboration (peer data is available in Appendix C: Peer Research Summary). • Improved coordination with external stakeholders responding to homelessness in the community: Coordination with external stakeholders is a common challenge for cities responding to homelessness (see Recommendation 19: External Coordination). The City must coordinate with many stakeholders to effectively respond to homelessness, including service providers, law enforcement, judicial systems, officials across various levels of government, Continuum of Care (CoC) leads, and others. Establishing a strategic plan is an opportunity to bring together the numerous stakeholders responding to homelessness in the community to conceptualize priorities and needs.
• Aligned philosophy on the role of enforcement: Cities often struggle to balance enforcement of quality-of-life ordinances (e.g., restrictions on sleeping or sitting in public areas) with the desire to support people experiencing homelessness within the community. The City’s historical use of enforcement has fluctuated in connection with leadership changes in the Police Department over the past several years. Developing a consistent, unified philosophy that balances compassion and enforcement is a critical component to the City’s success in supporting the reduction of homelessness in the community. Stakeholders internal and external to the City noted that this balance does not appear to be agreed upon, which can contribute to an inconsistent response to community requests for service over time.
• Optimized use of limited City resources: Addressing homelessness is a clear priority for Santa Monica residents and the City. However, the City must also balance this initiative with its other core services to fulfill its obligations to residents. In fiscal year 2020, the City experienced significant financial impacts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is still working to recover revenue, primarily generated through tourism, parking, and business license taxes, that historically supported its budget. This has resulted in a resource-constrained environment and subsequent competition over limited resources to provide services to people experiencing homelessness and mitigate the impact of homelessness on the community. A comprehensive strategy defines unified goals and accompanying measures that can be used to strategically guide year-over-year resource allocations and planning in its absence, budget requests are sometimes driven by anecdotal information or capacity constraints within existing programs, rather than by performance data that is linked back to strategic goals (see Recommendation 2:

Performance Measurement).
• Improved communication with the public: Many community members report being unaware of the City’s initiatives related to its homelessness response and do not have clarity on the progress or effectiveness of these initiatives (see Recommendation 6: Community Reporting and Recommendation 7: Community Resources). A strategic plan that includes, or is accompanied by, a detailed communication plan that defines objectives and performance measures can be a highly effective tool for communicating the City’s direction, efforts, and outcomes with the public, especially when regular reporting on the plan’s progress is done. West Hollywood uses their strategic plan as a tool when conducting regular outreach and aims to ensure residents and the business community are aware of and regularly updated on the plan and its progress. West Hollywood staff reported this approach has helped them to significantly improve awareness of their efforts in the community.
• Opportunity to solicit meaningful input: Homelessness is a complex issue and there are often conflicting ideas around the best initiatives to launch within a community that will drive meaningful results. Developing a strategic plan would give the City the opportunity to involve the housed and

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 642 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 38

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
unhoused members of the community in their solution-building and planning efforts. In particular, unhoused community members have valuable and critically important input to contribute. • Defined indicators of success: Without clear and specific objectives, it is challenging to select appropriate performance indicators to track progress over time (for more details on performance indicators see Recommendation 2: Performance Measurement). • Clarified roles and responsibilities: Where collaboration between various City partners is required, defined roles and responsibilities can provide much needed clarity and expectation setting. The following table represents an example delineation of roles and responsibilities between the City Council, City Council Committees, and City staff.

CITY COUNCIL

COMMITTEE OR ADVISORY

BOARDS CITY STAFF
Govern, Guide, and Direct
Examine, Review,
Recommend Administer and Operate
● Decide what to implement
● Request information
● Consider issues
● Create, review, and adopt
strategic policy
● Monitor progress
● Represent public interests
● Operate ethically and with
integrity
● Advise on what to implement
● Assess information
● Investigate issues
● Examine and advise
strategic policy
● Evaluate progress
● Represent public interest
● Operate ethically and with
integrity
● Decide how to implement
● Seek and provide
information
● Develop recommendations
● Recommend and implement
policy
● Report on progress
● Act in public interest
● Operate ethically and with
integrity
The role of Council is NOT to:

The role of a Committee or
Advisory Board is NOT to:

The role of City staff is NOT
to:
● Carry out or decide how to
implement policies
● Set administrative policies
and procedures
● Direct any staff other than
the City Manager and
chartered officers
● Abdicate Council
responsibility
● Take binding action on
behalf of the City
● Set administrative policies
and procedures
● Direct any staff
● Set strategic policies
● Direct the Council
● Assume Council
responsibilities
● Circumvent City or Council
policies
Strategic Plan Development
The City should transform the Four Pillars framework into a comprehensive homelessness strategic plan—with clearly defined strategies and measurable indicators of success—to advance and improve homelessness efforts moving forward. The plan should be developed as a collaborative effort between City management and City Council.

The City has already developed many of the elements commonly found in strategic plans—including the Four Pillars, homelessness workplan, staff reports, and a new website which provides information

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 643 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 39

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
on the programs, performance measures, stakeholders, and efforts already underway within the City.

These elements can be used as a springboard to launch future efforts. An example of how the City’s current information can be integrated into a strategic plan framework is provided in Appendix E:

Strategic Plan and City Resources Crosswalk. The final plan should span three to five years and be adopted by City Council to provide stability on the direction of these efforts for the designated time period. Ideally, this plan would be aligned with regional efforts.

In the short-term, if resources to create a full strategic plan are not available, the City would greatly benefit from at least developing specific objectives for each of the Four Pillars. As part of the development process, the City would have an opportunity to review and potentially address some of the outstanding policy questions mentioned above.

Phase I: City Leadership and Council
Phase II: City Management
Phase III: City Staff

VISION,

MISSION,
& VALUES

STRATEGIC GOALS

ORGANIZATION-WIDE

OBJECTIVES/ACTIONS

ORGANIZATION-WIDE

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

DEPARTMENT/DIVISION

ANNUAL OPERATING
PLANS

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 644 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 40

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

2. Observation The City does not have a performance measurement framework to consistently track, compare, and communicate the impact of the City’s homelessness response efforts. As a result, the City is not yet able to comparatively assess program effectiveness or convey the outcomes of its work to internal and external stakeholders.

Recommendations A. Develop community-level performance measures to track major outcomes and keep leadership, staff, and stakeholders informed of progress.

B. Continue efforts to develop consistent program-level performance measures to enable comparative monitoring and continuous improvement.

C. Take steps to ensure that program participant feedback is consistently collected, analyzed, and used to inform operational and strategic decisions.

D. Implement consistent monitoring and oversight processes over all City contracts for programs that directly serve people experiencing homelessness to enable consistent performance measurement and validation practices.

E. Develop a plan to restore key staff positions to support data collection, coordination, analysis, and reporting.

Performance measurement is a critical element of how the City can track the effectiveness and costbenefit of its homelessness programs and services. In alignment with best practice, the City should develop a comprehensive performance measurement framework to provide a more complete understanding of progress towards the City’s homelessness-related goals. Because homelessness indicates that a person is in need of assistance, this framework should incorporate metrics that focus on outcomes and effectiveness.

Current State
Although the City has attempted to develop enterprise-wide performance measures in the past, these efforts were largely unsuccessful. The City has also documented numerous performance measures related to specific homelessness programs over the past several years. However, these efforts have not culminated into a comprehensive reporting framework that can provide useful, comparable, yearover-year trend data to be able to track program impact and inform operational and strategic decision making.
• Limited Value: Due to the City’s lack of clearly defined objectives (see Recommendation 1:

Unifying Strategic Plan), management designed measures to reflect the important work being performed by their respective teams without clarity on the purpose and use of this information.

Within this context, collecting, analyzing, and reporting performance measures represented additional work with minimal value.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 645 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 41

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Irregular Data Collection Methods: Irregularities to the City’s measurement methodology—such as shifts in selected metrics, inconsistent time frames for reporting, and reliance on communicating through narrative staff reports to City Council—has presented challenges in relaying performance information to governing bodies and the community (see Recommendation 5: City Council Annual Review and Recommendation 6: Community Reporting for more details). • Data Attribution Limitations: Effectively responding to homelessness relies on a highly networked approach to providing services that address the unique, and varied, needs of the individual. As a result, it can be difficult to definitively attribute success to one program compared to another. For example, the City and County deploy a multi-pronged approach to engaging several outreach teams and case workers that often work together to build relationships with individuals experiencing homelessness and provide referrals to needed services as available.

Outreach teams may succeed in connecting with one unsheltered individual who, after several contacts by each team, may opt to participate in a mental health treatment program. The individual’s decision to participate in the program may be the result of interactions with one, two, or several outreach teams, or an event that occurred outside of service provider interactions. In this example, which program or service should count this towards their performance measure? If each program counts this engagement towards their performance measure, how is the data adapted to accurately reflect the impact to one individual? This type of collective effort is common in homelessness interventions and presents inherent challenges and unique considerations when using data to evaluate a program’s success and impact.
• Lack of Comparable Data: While all HSGP programs report data related to their programming, the performance measures across HSGP providers and direct City services to people experiencing homelessness have not been standardized (current performance indicators are included in Appendix F: Sample Performance Measurement Framework). As a result, it is difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons or create summarized data. • Time Consuming: The City has begun the practice of posting grantee monitoring reports on the City’s website to provide program-specific data on active HSGP grantees. However, this posting requires significant time to redact sensitive client information and may not provide the type of information that is relevant to interested community members.

Community-Level Indicators
In alignment with a comprehensive homelessness strategic plan (see Recommendation 1: Unifying Strategic Plan) and relevant regional partner goals, the City should develop a small set of key performance measures that document top-line homelessness related outcomes. These metrics should be designed to show the impact of the complete service environment within the City.

Appendix F: Sample Performance Measurement Framework provides an example performance measurement framework for one of the City’s Four Pillars (Pillar 1). Commonly reported outcome indicators related to housing and homelessness include:
• Number of people experiencing homelessness (PIT count) • Number of households entering homelessness
• Number of households exiting homelessness into temporary or permanent housing • Number of households returning to homelessness
• Housing affordability

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 646 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 42

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Number of available housing units by type (e.g., affordable housing, permanent supportive housing)
• Number of people prevented from becoming homeless or number of prevented evictions • Utilization rates of emergency and transitional housing • Racial and gender demographics of people experiencing homelessness and/or receiving services Ideally, performance indicators should be aligned with the Four Pillars and reported to the community using a dashboard (see Recommendation 6: Community Reporting for more details). These top-line indicators represent the information that is most important to community members—who are typically much less focused on the City’s specific activities and much more interested in the ultimate impact on homelessness.

Program-Level Indicators
The City should continue its efforts to establish a standardized set of comparable performance measures that can be used for each type of homelessness-related program or service provided or funded by the City.

The City is currently in the process of making changes to the HSGP reporting framework. As part of developing the request for proposals for the 2023-2027 HSGP cycle, the City is revising its expectations for grantees. For each program, the City intends to incorporate an output measure (aka an indicator related to the activities of a program, like the number of events held) and outcome measures (aka an indicator related to the ultimate impact of a service, like the number of individuals placed into permanent housing) for each program. This combination of output and outcome reporting for HSGP grantees aligns with best practice and should be expanded to all City-operated homelessness programs and services (e.g., CRU, HLP, Homeless Court).

As the City established program-level indicators, several considerations should be kept top of mind:
• Data should be comparable across similar types of programs or services. • Capabilities of technology systems and capacity of front-line workers to track data • The City should be thoughtful about making changes to data collection methodologies, as each change limits the ability to consistently track year-over-year data and accurately identify trends. • Programs should measure both outputs and outcomes.
• Program participant feedback should be considered and incorporated as part of this process. • To understand the complete picture of homelessness services in the community, it is imperative that both City-funded and City-operated programs follow the same data collection and reporting processes.

Once City leadership has comparable, year-over-year performance data, it will be much better situated to use this information to make programmatic, budgetary, and strategic decisions. Sample

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 647 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 43

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
performance measures by program adapted from the Homelessness Research Institute21 are included in Appendix F: Sample Performance Measurement Framework.

Program Participant Feedback
It is best practice to incorporate feedback from program participants as part of determining the success of a given initiative or intervention.

Within that context, each of the HSGP partners has been given leeway to determine the best way to collect feedback from program participants. The table below includes a summary of how each of the HSGP programs provided in fiscal year 2020-21 collected feedback from program participants about their experience receiving services and/or level of satisfaction with services.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK MECHANISMS22

GRIEVANCE

FORMS MEETINGS

SCHEDULED

CHECK-INS/
VISITS

SUGGESTION

BOX SURVEYS OTHER
Legal Aid of
Los Angeles X
St. Joseph
Center X X
Step Up on
Second X
The People
Concern X X X X X
Venice Family
Clinic X X X X
The City should take steps to ensure that program participant feedback is consistently collected, analyzed, and used to inform operational and strategic decisions. While it may not be practical to require standardized program feedback mechanisms (as different programs serve different unsheltered populations with various needs and interest in providing input), at minimum the City should be analyzing program participant input as part of determining the efficacy of individual programs and services.

Contract Administration
Expectations around performance measurement and monitoring for City-funded programs are incorporated into the contracts that are created between the City and the various service providers. 21 What Gets Measured, Gets Done – A Toolkit on Performance Measurement for Ending Homelessness:
https://endhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/what-gets-measured-what-gets-done.pdf 22 This information was reported by HSGP partners.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 648 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 44

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
HSGP is the primary administrator of homelessness-related vendor contracts for the City; however, the City also operates two homelessness-related contracts through other departments. During the FY2020-21 cycle reviewed, the Right to Counsel program (administered by the City Attorney’s Office) and West Coast Care (administered by the Fire Department) were both operating outside of the HSGP, even though these programs provide homelessness-related services.

Under the HSGP, grantees are subject to robust ongoing monitoring activities including financial and performance reporting every six months, annual site visits and desk audits on a sample of expenditures and case files, and an evaluation of key contract requirements such as facilities and grievances. However, the contracts operating outside of this program have different contract terms.

For example, the HMST and C3 teams are administered outside of HSGP but those contracts include monthly activity reporting requirements and annual program and fiscal reports. Because of the partnerships involved with these two projects, they are subject to ongoing monitoring and oversight.

However, there are two contracts—West Coast Care and the Right to Counsel program—that lack rigorous monitoring and oversight practices. Staff report concerns regarding the accuracy of data and overall program performance reporting contracts operating outside of HSGP given that they are not subject to the same level of ongoing monitoring practices and self-report data without validation by the City.

To promote accountability and parity with City contracts related to homelessness services, the City should require all homelessness-related contracts to be subject to consistent monitoring and oversight practices regardless of which Department oversees the contract. This will prove critical to ensuring that the information reported by grantees is accurate for performance reporting and evaluation purposes in addition to supporting consistent accountability expectations across service providers.

Data and Analysis Staffing Support
With the elimination of the data analyst positions and the City’s focus on local economic recovery, the capacity and ability for the HHSD to respond to the homelessness crisis was reduced. Staff report that they often decide between actively completing service-oriented work or reporting/analytics on service work, which can limit the ability to effectively record, monitor, and report progress. Typically, data analysis and reporting are performed by analysts, ten of which were eliminated from this newly formed department (see Recommendation 9: Employee Morale and Capacity section for more details on restored positions). Additionally, the Department eliminated its Data Science Administrator position which was intended to support a more robust performance management framework.

The Department currently relies on outside contractors, rather than the City’s Information Services Department, for software support due to the technical and sensitive nature of the HMIS. The HMIS includes significant person-level information and has some reporting capabilities that could be strengthened to support the City’s performance reporting needs. To adequately address these reporting needs, the City should consider restoring the following positions, which are listed in priority order:
• Data Science Administrator
• Senior Administrative Analyst – Human Services/Fiscal

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 649 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 45

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
These positions are critical to supporting work on the City’s homelessness priority by enabling existing staff to focus on completing the necessary service work while these roles focus on performance management and data.

Access to strong performance information will not independently result in reduced homelessness within the Santa Monica community. However, this information is imperative to understanding the reach and efficacy of programs to facilitate discussion around evolving needs, continuous improvement, and resource distribution.

3. Observation The City’s systems to collect data storage across City-funded programs and services are siloed. This limits the City’s ability to accurately assess performance in a timely and meaningful manner.

Recommendation A. In the short term, pursue options to integrate data from first responders and the Homelessness Management information System (HMIS) to enable improved reporting and/or pursue mechanisms that support accuracy and expand communication across teams.

B. In the long term, evaluate the appropriate mechanism to integrate first responder data into the HMIS to enhance data accuracy, completeness, and performance reporting.

Across the Los Angeles County region, there are several different systems used to track, monitor, and report on homelessness. As the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Administrator, the County operates a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) called Clarity. Additionally, the City operates its own HMIS called Wellsky Community Services. The purpose of a HMIS is to log interactions with and service referrals to people experiencing homelessness within a community.

Assembly Bill 210, which was passed in 2017, authorized counties to “establish homeless adult and family multidisciplinary personnel teams to facilitate identification, assessment, and linkage of homeless individuals to housing and supporting services as well as allow provider agencies to share confidential information for the purpose of coordinating housing and supporting services to ensure continuity of care.” The law specifically identifies police officers, probation officers, and other law enforcement agents as potential members of the multidisciplinary team that could have access to confidential information, provided that access to that information is appropriately safeguarded.

However, in 2020, Los Angeles County reported concerns with first responders having access to the level of personal information included in an HMIS, since the database includes sensitive health information. Therefore, the City is unable to implement sharing of information to first responders without also considering the level of information shared with law enforcement and gaining County approval.

The City requires all HSGP grantee service providers to enter client information into their HMIS, Wellsky Community Services, including detailed case file records and notes. The HMIS then creates a centralized location to track interactions by person, show program-level data for Santa Monica Program Participants, calculate HUD cash match for service transitions, and update the service

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 650 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 46

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
registry that identifies highly vulnerable individuals. Because agencies are often busy with clients, staff report that information is typically updated in the system at least weekly. In addition to capacity constraints, stakeholders reported additional barriers to reporting information consistently and accurately, including:
• The need to record information regarding the same individual into multiple systems (e.g., agency recordkeeping system, Clarity, and Wellsky Community Services). • Receipt of incomplete information from an individual, which can result in duplicate entries for the same person or case file notes on the incorrect individual for those with common names. • Individuals that do not want to provide information, resulting in missing data.

To mitigate these concerns, the HHSD has incorporated missing data reports and a process to spotcheck paper and electronic files for accuracy and completeness. Overall, the HMIS appears to be an effective tracking and reporting tool for City-funded service providers that can be easily leveraged to support community-level and program-specific performance measures.

Despite the proliferation of this tool, all City departments that conduct outreach activities do not have access to or use Wellsky Community Services. Departments that contact people experiencing homelessness record these interactions within their own individual systems, or not at all. Both SMPD and SMFD report data from their systems to an analyst in HHSD on a monthly basis, but in practice, these two first responder agencies also lack access to one another’s data. As a result, the ability for the CRU, HLP team, and other service providers to collaborate, and the City’s ability to accurately report on metrics by person or program is limited.

In 2019, the City helped develop an application in collaboration with Akido Labs called Santa MonicaConnect that connects with data from the SMPD, and SMFD and triggers a message to the case management team assigned through the app if police or fire interacted with one of the preidentified high-users of first responder services. Currently, approximately 100 people experiencing homelessness are in the system, which presents opportunities to expand its use to other individuals in the community.

In the absence of a strong data management structure and due to the need to leverage multiple independent databases, there are significant challenges for the City to access and report on information from multiple departments on a regular basis. Additionally, because there is no integration of data across Wellsky Community Services, Police, and Fire, the data that can be reported is likely to be duplicated, which in turn impacts the accuracy of performance reporting and monitoring. This results in difficulty capturing interactions, service referrals, acceptance of services, service availability, and the progress of an individual through the system up to securing permanent housing.

To support enhanced data access and integrity, the City should consider the following short- and long-term options.

In the short term, the City should evaluate whether the clinicians accompanying the HLP team can or would like to be granted permissions-restricted access to the HMIS. As medical professionals that are not a sworn officer, these individuals should be able to have access to the information contained within the HMIS and to log interactions for the HLP team to support continuity of care. This information sharing will be particularly important as the City hopes to expand the HLP team and add a

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 651 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 47

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Department of Mental Health therapeutic van program in FY 2023; otherwise, the integrity of the existing data will further diminish and impact the reported performance of a new pilot program.

Additionally, the City should evaluate opportunities to funnel CRU and HMIS data into a repository for reporting and analysis purposes. To be effective, SMFD would need to increase the frequency of information sharing from monthly to weekly and ensure accurate reporting on which CRU calls are related to homelessness versus other individuals needing additional support (e.g., elderly or disabled residents). While this information would still not be integrated into the HMIS for two-way access, it could reduce the number of duplicated records reported. Finally, the City should consider expanding the use of Santa Monica Connect by increasing the number of people experiencing homelessness in the application to support information transfer to case workers, to enhance their visibility to significant events and movements of clients.

In the long term, the City should work to either a) evaluate potential impacts of granting access to sensitive personal data to law enforcement and, depending on the findings, potentially secure approval from the County or establish supportive regulatory safeguards to provide HMIS access to all members of multidisciplinary teams, or b) work with a software consultant to manage information access to enable input of information without access to sensitive information for first responders. Both of these options would enhance the accuracy and completeness of the data stored across HMIS systems and present significant opportunities for improved data analytics to assess programs over time. Both initiatives are likely to require significant time, resources, and collaboration to achieve.

4. Observation Most City partnership efforts are driven by staff participation in regional coordination activities. This suggests there are opportunities for City Council to expand and enhance collaboration with regional partners and governmental agencies.

Recommendation City Council should enhance regional and intergovernmental partnerships by actively engaging other regional agencies to support coordination and access to services that support people experiencing homelessness.

The City participates in many partnerships across the Los Angeles region in support of Pillar 4:

Strengthening Regional Capacity to Address Homelessness. These regional efforts include, but are not limited to, partnerships with the following organizations:
• HUD
• Los Angeles County
• LAHSA
• Local service providers, such as Step Up on Second, TPC, and Providence St. John’s • State of California

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 652 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 48

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Supervisorial District 3
• U.S. Congress
• United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Western Region • Veteran’s Administration of West Los Angeles
• Westside Cities Council of Government
Despite success in many of these efforts—such as securing funding for the development of a behavioral health strategy in Santa Monica—ongoing efforts to strengthen regional partnerships and advocate for additional resources remain. The majority of regional coordination efforts are conducted by City staff who are on the front lines of homelessness services and therefore have relationships with local service providers. However, staff noted that other governmental agencies such as the Westside Cities Council of Government and LAHSA have inconsistently participated in developing and sustaining regional partnerships. Ultimately, intergovernmental collaboration reduces duplication and provides opportunities to enhance and expand programming in a lower-cost way. 23 Collaboration
across jurisdictions therefore enables all participating agencies to increase their impact.

According to the National League of Cities, one of the roles of Council is to represent their community to other levels of government, including the County, State, and Federal agencies. 24 Given the
regional nature of homelessness and ongoing concerns that the City provides services beyond its proportional regional share, City Council should be actively involved with other agencies in the area to advocate for additional resources and support coordination efforts. For example, because LAHSA distributes Measure H funding based on the proportion of people experiencing homelessness within each SPA and there is significant need throughout the County, there is a perception that SPA 5 (Westside of Los Angeles, including Santa Monica) receives inadequate resources to address concerns in this geographic region. City staff host regular meetings with local service providers and the SPA 5 LAHSA representative; however, its regional coordination efforts would likely be more powerful with enhanced leadership and political support.

Best practices indicate that effective government bodies recognize that they must coordinate with local community entities as well as county, state, and federal entities. 25 Community relations includes
interactions with constituencies and other jurisdictions/agencies to build partnerships that can better serve the local area. City Council has not yet been integrated into robust partnership efforts related to homelessness and should use its influence to actively engage powerful community groups in support 23 Homelessness Task Force Report: Partnering for Greater Impact: https://www.ca-ilg.org/sites/main/files/fileattachments/partnering_for_greater_impact.pdf?1519780169 24 National League of Cities – City Councils: https://www.nlc.org/city-councils/ 25 10 Habits of Highly Effective Councils: https://mrsc.org/getmedia/5df44c35-56f5-4790-8eaf1ab8ea927120/cc10habitshegb.aspx

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 653 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 49

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
of Santa Monica’s needs. Homelessness is a complex regional issue and therefore the response by the City, from staff to City Council, should reflect the importance of partnerships with other governmental agencies.

5. Observation Although the City’s municipal code requires an annual review of homelessness services by City Council, the City has not recently been able to provide reports on a consistent annual basis due to a variety of factors including COVID-19 emergencies. Instead, staff often respond to ongoing ad hoc requests for information.

Recommendation A. Reinstitute a consistent timeline for the annual review of homeless services and re-evaluate its format to articulate community-level and program-level data.

B. In alignment with the municipal code, adopt a uniform methodology to track citywide costs related to homelessness for inclusion in the annual report.

C. Following the development of a Homelessness Strategic Plan, review the existing municipal code for consistency and necessity.

City municipal code Chapter 2.69 requires City Council to adopt a plan for the coordination of services provided to the homeless by the City and by social service organizations receiving City funding. Section 2.69.020 states that “At least once during every twelve-month period after adoption of the coordinated plan … the City Council shall assess the effectiveness of the plan in accomplishing its primary goal and various objectives, and shall evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and cost of services to the homeless provided by the City and each social service agency receiving City funding.” Based on a review of historical staff reports related to homelessness, the City has experienced disruptions in providing City Council with regularly scheduled annual reports on local homelessness efforts. Most recently, the 2020 Annual Report was interrupted by COVID-19 and the subsequent City reorganization, staffing reductions, and emergent efforts to respond to the pandemic. In both 2021 and 2022, staff presented updates on homelessness strategies and services twice during each year due to its status as a community priority. However, the timing of these reports is not consistent, which can contribute to confusion around the data reported and ability to identify trends.

Multiple cities or regions throughout the US conduct annual reports on homelessness services (see table below), such as King County Regional Homeless Authority’s annual evaluation (KCRHA) or New York City’s Department of Homeless Services annual Financial Plan overview. These reports are commonly conducted by an internal audit, performance and evaluation units, or the controller’s office. It is important to note that these annual reviews are either a combination of cost studies, program services evaluation, or each focus individually. These annual reviews often cover effectiveness of existing programs, new needs, and programmatic changes.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 654 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 50

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

CITY/REGION ANNUAL REPORTING STRUCTURE
New York New York City’s DHS conducts an annual Management and Fiscal Plan, highlighting budgets by program area, costs, and program effectiveness.

Los Angeles County The Los Angeles Department of Auditor-Controller conducts an annual audit of Measure H, in addition to annual performance reports on Measure HHH King County, WA King County’s Performance Measurement and Evaluation Unit prepares an annual evaluation for KCRHA, evaluating program services for its Coordinated Entry for All Program. KCRHA also conducts annual research reports and a live dashboard for performance evaluation.

Seattle The City of Seattle occasionally conducts an analysis of the City’s investment into homelessness services. The focus of the report varies year to year based on city leadership.

San Francisco The City of San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive conducts occasional homelessness system reviews, and is part of San Francisco City/County’s Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) The City currently lacks a methodology to calculate and report on citywide costs related to homelessness, including direct cost of service and other city service costs (e.g., park and beach clean-up, first responder calls). Appendix D: City Homelessness Programs in Fiscal Year 2021 includes an analysis of City costs related to homelessness in FY 2020–21, which amounts to $42.5M.

To remain consistent in providing cost information, the City should document a methodology for calculating homelessness related costs and ensure departments apply this methodology to incorporate total costs into the annual homelessness report. This methodology may emulate the expenditure analysis conducted for this engagement and should consider both direct costs (e.g., provision of services, use of dedicated teams) and other city service costs. Other city service costs should be estimated based on tracking what proportion of a team or department’s resources are spent responding to homelessness in the community. Within the calculation performed for this engagement, departments either provided estimates or workload data (e.g., number of service calls that responded to a homelessness-related concern) which were then used to estimate the total cost of other city services based on actual department costs.

To be most impactful, the City should reinstate annual reporting that occurs at approximately the same time each year, potentially by setting a deadline of March 31 (which would align with the January PIT count) or September 30 to align with the budgeting process or fiscal year end, respectively. By providing the report at approximately the same time each year, the City is better able to evaluate year-over-year progress and understand trends in service demands and offerings. The City should also consider adjusting its annual review format to incorporate an appendix complete with community and program-level performance measures, including a comparison over time. Where applicable, the appendix should also include City expenditures relating to homelessness services by program or function, as required in the municipal code. The narrative accompanying the annual report can then focus on key data metrics and communicate the evolving environment as it relates to homelessness locally, regionally, and nationally.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 655 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 51

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
After the City has developed a Homelessness Strategic Plan, it should evaluate the existing municipal code and make changes as needed. The current code incorporates policy decision elements, such as defining the purpose and goals of the Homeless Coordination Plan. Over time, these factors may not align with the City’s practices and should be removed from the code to enable greater flexibility within strategic and operating plans in alignment with best practices.

6. Observation Stakeholders expressed frustration in their ability to easily access current and historical homelessness-specific information.

Recommendation A. Continue to develop the homelessness webpage to provide a centralized repository for community resources, key reports, and relevant articles.

B. To better communicate the outcomes of the City’s homelessness services, develop a dashboard to regularly report community-level performance measures.

The City communicates its efforts related to homelessness in a variety of different formats, including staff reports, publishing grantee monitoring reports, public meetings (including the social services and homeless services commissions), press releases, blog posts, and community newsletters such as Seascape and SaMoNews. Stakeholders reported challenges in learning more about how the City responds to this critical community concern. In particular, some stakeholders noted that they review the information that is available but may have lingering questions or difficulty navigating the available materials to learn more about a specific topic. Given the volume of City, regional, state, and national initiatives that support homelessness prevention and intervention, it can be challenging to fully grasp the extent of City services, as well as their costs and impact, in a complex environment.

To support enhanced understanding and better leverage historical and new reports related to homelessness, the City recently developed a singular landing page that is dedicated to homelessness (www.santamonica.gov/topic-explainers/homelessness). This webpage includes resources such as housing resources, homelessness toolkits, options to connect with services, articles on recent events, and results from the 2022 point in time count.

To further enhance this webpage, the following materials should be displayed or linked:
• Community resources, including appropriate phone numbers to call • Homelessness strategic plan
• Annual reports on homelessness
• Community-level performance measure dashboard
• Quarterly program-level key performance indicator reports • Links to historical staff reports
• Links to recent press releases, blog posts, and community newsletter articles

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 656 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 52

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Links to other relevant webpages, such as LAHSA and community partners By continuing to develop a centralized location for all homelessness reports and communications, the City can support an improved understanding of its many programs and partnerships in this space.

In addition to centralizing communication resources, the City should consider leveraging a performance measurement dashboard that is updated on a regular basis. The dashboard should be able to automatically pull relevant data from a repository (see Recommendation 3: Data Collection and Access) to reduce staff time dedicated to these routine updates. The dashboard should be placed on the homelessness-related City webpage for members of governing bodies and the public to easily access at any given time.

The following dashboard is one example of how to visualize this data.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY HOMELESS INITIATIVE DASHBOARD26
26 Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative Dashboard: https://homeless.lacounty.gov/impact-dashboard/

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 657 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 53

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
In addition to presenting regularly updated point in time data, the City can use dashboards to show data trends over time, which is a practice some cities are moving toward. For example, King County in Washington state has developed a homeless response system dashboard27 presents a variety of metrics and trends as a way to measure results, monitor performance, increase transparency, and build accountability.

Although clear reporting of performance measures will not directly address homelessness, consistent and transparent data reporting can help inform stakeholders about the efficacy of existing services, identify opportunities to support continuous improvement, and track progress over time.

7. Observation Although residents overwhelmingly identify homelessness as a priority concern in the City, their ability to meaningfully support homelessness prevention and intervention is frequently stymied due to the complex local and regional system of agencies and services.

Recommendation Continue to develop and strategically distribute community resources related to homelessness to enhance understanding of desired behaviors, opportunities to contribute, and appropriate referrals for needed services.

The Santa Monica community has expressed considerable interest in homelessness. Within the latest representative survey of City of Santa Monica residents that was conducted in May 2022, over 93% of survey respondents selected homelessness as an urgent or very urgent priority. Based on a review of community meetings, Councilmember feedback, and feedback gathered through the community group forum, the most commonly cited concern for service providers and community members responding to homelessness is the lack of understanding of where and how to access help. This presents opportunities for the City to strengthen solution-oriented community resources.

The City has developed several toolkits, postcards, webpages, blog posts, social media posts, and reports designed to share information on resources, progress, and planning. As documented in the FY21/22 Q4 report, the City has launched the following communication and outreach efforts:
• A postcard sent to 60,000 Santa Monica addresses to continue to inform the community about local efforts to address homelessness
• The santamonica.gov Homelessness webpage is regularly updated to provide timely information and access to resources. Additional web content is being developed and will be added this fall. • Media Mentions since May 2022 include:
○ Homeless Count Results
○ Council Actions
○ Behavioral Health
27 King County’s Homeless Response System dashboard: https://kcrha.org/regional-homelessness-data/

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 658 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 54

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Weekly social media posts on City channels highlight timely updates, including homeless count results, the work that local non-profits are doing to aid those experiencing homelessness in our community, and who to contact
Although the City has developed several toolkits and information pieces, this information can reportedly be difficult to find and keep updated. There are frequent requests for clear, concise, and streamlined information regarding:
• Appropriate contact information: Community members frequently experience the need to call for assistance to either aid a person experiencing homelessness or receive help interacting with an unsheltered person in order to go about their day-to-day business. However, community members report difficulties understanding the appropriate agency to contact to remediate the situation. For example, a store employee who arrives to open a local business may encounter an unsheltered individual sleeping on their doorstep or a community member may witness a person having a potential mental health crisis in a park. Both of these situations require attention, but neither qualify for traditional 911 calls. Community members also expressed reluctance to leverage County contacts due to a perception of non-responsiveness and a reluctance to use 911 for behavior that is not clearly a health emergency or posing physical danger due to concerns about police response.

In the May 2022 staff report, the City included the following list of contact information:

CONTACT REASON TO REACH OUT
911 If someone is experiencing a medical emergency or if there’s an immediate threat to someone’s life or safety
211 or LA-HOP.org Submit a request for homelessness outreach assistance using the LA Homeless Outreach Portal
(800) 854-7771 Contact the Department of Mental Health number if someone is experiencing a psychiatric/mental health crisis
(310) 458-8491 For non-emergency police response in Santa Monica 311 or [email protected] Submit a Santa Monica-specific request for service like trash pickup Additionally, the City has developed and provided brochures and business cards to local businesses that detail contact information for other local providers (e.g., the Salvation Army, The People Concern, Venice Family Clinic), which is common practice. However, these materials do not indicate the anticipated response time for each potential provider, which can also contribute to confusion and frustration about the appropriate referral. Community members have also reported that individual staff members who support these various lines do not appear to be coordinated with each other and are sometimes unaware of other contact numbers or response groups (for additional information on community feedback, please refer to Appendix B: Community Group Forum Themes).
• Preferred behaviors: As community members and groups desire to assist people experiencing homelessness with meeting basic needs, they may provide food, water, money, blankets, clothing, and other goods. These contributions have sometimes resulted in pushback from other facets of the community and may be perceived to deter people from accessing services. To help promote alignment across the community, the City should work with service providers to develop

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 659 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 55

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
materials that outline helpful and unhelpful behaviors to support people experiencing homelessness.
• Homelessness toolkits: Prior to the pandemic, the City developed homelessness toolkits that were translated into both English and Spanish. The toolkits provided general information, contact information for services for people at risk of losing housing, and volunteer opportunities.

Additionally, the City developed and distributed posters for businesses on what to do or not do to de-escalate the situation and provide safe support when a customer displayed antisocial behavior. These tools were useful reference guides that extended beyond City-specific services and incorporated information for local partner agencies to serve as a comprehensive guide. • Ways to contribute: There are numerous ways that interested community members can help support local efforts to prevent and address homelessness. To help channel this momentum and energy, the City should work with partner agencies to identify needs (e.g., charitable donations of cash or goods, volunteer opportunities) and advertise them. This information could include links to partner agencies on the City’s homelessness webpage to reduce reliance on continuous updates.

Many of the materials noted here have been developed over the last 3 to 5 years and were actively distributed out to community members. However, due to competing priorities and elevated workloads with reduced staffing, materials may not be up-to-date and have not yet been added to the City’s new homeless-specific website. To proactively address community member questions and harness interest in helping support people experiencing homelessness, these materials should be updated, distributed to the community, and stored in an easily accessible location for future access.

8. Observation The City has not selected a leader to oversee and coordinate the City’s homelessness response. In this environment, staff report significant challenges maintaining interdepartmental alignment, resolving conflicting needs or directions, and holistically tracking and communicating progress across the full spectrum of cross-functional homelessness initiatives.

Recommendation Designate an executive sponsor of homelessness prevention and response with the requisite cross-departmental authority to drive programs forward, monitor success, lead collaboration efforts, and support enhanced communication.

By its nature homelessness is a cross-functional concern, both in terms of what contributes to increasing houselessness in a community as a well as the appropriate response(s) to support individuals experiencing homelessness. This creates challenges in defining roles and responsibilities across agencies, departments, and workgroups. Currently, the City currently lacks clear, centralized authority for decision-making on homelessness prevention and response services—which has been exacerbated by a lack of a comprehensive strategic plan (see Recommendation 1: Unifying Strategic Plan). Between 2018 and 2020, the City had a Senior Advisor to the City Manager on Homelessness

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 660 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 56

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
within the City Manager’s Office. According to staff, this position was not effective due to a lack of authority and leadership support to appropriately manage homelessness prevention and intervention efforts. Since this position was eliminated in 2020, the City has not formally identified a key leader over this community priority, and interdepartmental coordination has suffered as a result. Informally, HHSD is perceived to be the primary responsible party over homelessness initiatives; however, this division lacks the authority and direction to be effective in leading a complex, multifaceted suite of cross-functional initiatives. For example, HHSD does not have the ability to direct services in other departments, including Police, Fire, Public Works, Library, or the City Attorney’s Office.

While this report was being developed, the City implemented quarterly Quality of Life meetings for department and CMO leadership to increase coordination around homelessness prevention and response activities.

In the absence of a defined leader with adequate support and authority, City staff report several challenges, including:
• Lack of cross-functional authority to request information and direct tasks • Limited alignment and responsibility for goals, programs, and data sharing • Lack of coordinated and comparable data tracking and monitoring • Insufficient decision-making and accountability
• Unclear roles and responsibilities in drafting citywide communications materials, including articles and comprehensive staff reports
• Employee morale concerns
Given its cross-functional nature, it is a common practice nationwide for cities to have a point person or department for homelessness initiatives. For example, Houston, Seattle, and San Francisco all have departments specifically responsible for homelessness. Additionally, three peer cities, Berkeley, Pasadena, and West Hollywood, all have departments/department directors who have been identified as the point person for homelessness (research information provided in Appendix C: Peer Research Summary). The table below details how homelessness authority is structured in a sampling of other cities. This list is not exhaustive but includes possibilities the City could consider in establishing their authority and decision-making.

CITY STRUCTURAL AUTHORITY FOR HOMELESSNESS
Berkeley The Neighborhood Services Team within the City Manager’s Office is assigned responsibility for homelessness. Being in the City Manager’s Office gives the team the ability and authority to direct activities that involve other City departments.

Pasadena The Housing Department is assigned to lead homelessness initiatives in the City.

The City reports that due to camaraderie between the departments, this structure is effective.

West Hollywood The Strategic Initiatives Division is responsible for homelessness initiatives, as well as other key City priorities like poverty and aging. The team started in the City Manager’s Office but grew into its own division.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 661 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 57

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

CITY STRUCTURAL AUTHORITY FOR HOMELESSNESS
Houston The Mayor’s Office for Homeless Initiatives manages the City of Houston’s response to homelessness by coordinating the efforts of various City agencies.

Seattle The Homeless Strategy and Investment Division within the Human Services Department is responsible for homelessness initiatives and focuses on prevention, emergency response, and housing.

San Francisco The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing combines key homeless serving programs and contracts from the various departments in San Francisco serving people experiencing homelessness (PEH).

The City should assign an executive-level champion with cross-departmental authority to support effective leadership on homelessness. Options for this role include 1) selecting and elevating a current department director; 2) creating a new position within the CMO; or 3) establishing a new department (and thus department director) with a sole focus on homelessness response and prevention. The City could consider developing a similar approach to its recent economic recovery efforts, during which it assigned a clear project sponsor, leadership team, and budget that was allocated to this work but flexible enough to be able to respond as needs evolved. This model was reported to be successful for the City.

Regardless of which structural model is chosen, the most critical key for the City is to establish a position with broad authority to coordinate the various departments involved in preventing and reducing homelessness. For this role to be successful, they will also need the full support of the CMO. The primary purpose of the position is to support the expansion and continued implementation of the City’s Four Pillars strategy. In this capacity, the position would conduct the following activities:
• Oversee the implementation and monitoring of the expanded homelessness strategic plan • Champion cross-functional initiatives and communications • Identify and advocate for appropriate resource needs to achieve strategic plan goals • Lead interdepartmental meetings to discuss performance measures, resources, successes, and ongoing or emerging challenges
• Enforce accountability with the mission, vision, and values of the strategic plan across all City departments
• Assign roles and responsibilities as appropriate to departments and other stakeholders • Support external reporting and communications
By establishing centralized authority and oversight of homelessness services across the City under the guidance of a homelessness strategic plan, the City can more effectively leverage its myriad of services and community resources to address homelessness.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 662 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 58

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

9. Observation City staff report that employee morale is low due to workload demands resulting from high expectations for responsiveness, program implementation, and administration of homelessness-related services as well as a perceived lack of support from City leadership.

Recommendation Take meaningful steps to improve employee morale by:

A. Supporting employees through clear leadership direction, delegation of authority, and the ability to hold teams accountable to decisions.

B. Setting division-wide goals and celebrating successes in team meetings and community settings to provide meaningful employee recognition.

C. Appropriately matching staff capacity and resources with community expectations related to homelessness prevention and response.

During the past two years, City employees' work environment exhibited negativity due to a variety of contributing factors, including the City’s restructuring, personnel cuts, leadership turnover, public perception, and increasing demands with fewer resources. During this time, the perception of the homelessness crisis in the community continued to rise as shelters reduced capacity, indoor public spaces closed, and access to services was reduced to protect against community transmission of COVID-19. Additionally, there was a significant influx of homelessness prevention needs and available resources through federal and state programs, this resulted in additional attention and demands on the team by residents, businesses, and governing bodies. Concurrently, leadership turnover occurred that also impacted the direction and demands placed on frontline staff. As a result, employees that actively work on the frontlines of homelessness prevention and response—including those in HHSD, Police, Fire, and Public Works—report low employee morale and sense of a lack of support among City leadership including governing bodies.

During the May 2020 restructuring, CSD was formed from two prior departments and eliminated 10 FTE in positions that specifically worked on housing and human services initiatives. Although several positions have been restored, including a Senior Administrative Analyst for Homeless Services, CSD continues to lack adequate staffing support. The table below reflects the eliminated and restored positions related to analysis in the Division of Housing and Human Services.

POSITION TITLE FTE ELIMINATED FTE RESTORED
Administrative Analyst-Homeless Services 1 -
Data Science Administrator 1 -
Senior Administrative Analyst-Human Services/Fiscal 1 - Senior Human Services Analyst 1 2

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 663 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 59

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

POSITION TITLE FTE ELIMINATED FTE RESTORED
Housing Authority Administrator 1 -
Housing Manager 1 -
Housing Specialist 1 1
Policy and Performance Analyst 1 1
Senior Development Analyst 2 1
Total 10 5
Workers in the homeless-serving sector face many challenges relating to their work environment, such as facing complex and challenging issues, continually working with traumatized individuals or within traumatic situations, and frequently lacking sufficient resources or compensation. These challenges can result in high levels of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, staff turnover, and difficulty recruiting new employees. Due to the demanding nature of the work and potential for early burn out, human services positions are often difficult to recruit and retain, which was a phenomenon that persisted across public sector organizations prior to the Great Resignation and negatively impacts morale among existing employees.

To support employee morale, and thereby boost recruitment and retention efforts among employees who actively work in the homelessness space, the City should consider the following strategies:
• Clarify leadership and direction: Employees have felt the impact of leadership changes at the City through variations in priority activities, working relationships with other teams, and expectations for the application of City services. By developing a homelessness strategic plan that aligns the City’s philosophy and goals, staff will be better able to understand how their work fits into the City’s strategy and creates impact. Additionally, the ability to funnel information, questions, and concerns through one executive-level employee with the ability to help solve problems through budget authority or direction to other departments will help them complete their work more efficiently and effectively. To be successful, City leadership at all levels should use the strategic plan as a decision-making framework as evolving ideas and challenges emerge. • Set goals and celebrate successes: As part of the City’s performance measure reporting, department partners should convene on a quarterly basis to review the results of the communitylevel and program-specific performance reports. This should serve as an opportunity to celebrate successes and recognize the individual and collective efforts to assisting people experiencing homelessness. Executive support and recognition can make these events particularly meaningful to employees.
• Designate adequate resources to achieve expected results: As noted previously, employees across the City have experienced increased workloads following the May 2020 restructuring. Due to its designation as a community priority, the City should support homelessness prevention and services with adequate resources to achieve strategic plan goals. Existing staff lack capacity to take on additional work and are often asked to pivot priorities due to urgent requests from the community. To reduce burnout among the team, the City must ensure adequate resources are applied to homelessness initiatives, including prevention through housing. Given that many of the

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 664 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 60

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
recommendations included in this report will require significant investment of financial resources and staff time to accomplish (and some require extensive support or coordination from external parties), we anticipate that the City’s ability to implement all recommendations may be limited without significant trade-offs or additional staff.

There are many free and low-cost ways to boost morale. Sharing positive feedback from community members and elected officials, taking time in staff meetings to recognize employees for great work, and empowering employees to take responsibility for their accomplishments are all steps that the City can take to improve working conditions.

10. Observation The Public Works Department maintenance, custodial, and groundskeeping staff do not have sufficient resources to perform higherrisk cleanup activities.

Recommendation Continue to explore staffing options that ensure City employees are provided appropriate resources and training to safely complete required work.

The Public Works Department operates a component of the Clean and Safe Program, which is an initiative to support maintenance of public spaces throughout the City, including the beach, parks, and downtown area. People experiencing homelessness tend to be present in these spaces and use key amenities, such as public restrooms and showers. Public Works estimates that $4.2 million of its operating costs (3.1% of total departmental operating costs in FY2020-21) are attributable to homelessness response through cleaning, custodial, trash pick-up, and other maintenance of City facilities.

The Public Works Department utilizes a variety of positions across its operational divisions (including Beach Maintenance, Custodial, Public Landscape Groundskeepers, Resource Recovery and Recycling, and Promenade Maintenance) to maintain clean outdoor spaces and public amenities, including:
• Beach Maintenance Crew Leader
• Beach/Pier Maintenance Supervisor
• Collections Staff
• Custodian
• Groundskeepers
• Labor Trainee
• Maintenance Assistant
• Maintenance Workers
• Park Maintenance Crew Leader
• Park Maintenance Supervisor

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 665 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 61

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Staff report that this work includes daily removal of debris and waste generated by people experiencing homelessness—which can include hazardous materials. Given the time intensive nature of this type of cleaning, staff note that these situations often require standby pay, call back pay, or overtime pay.

Depending on the specific role, interviewees noted that City staff do not necessarily have the training, background, or protective gear to safely handle certain types of biohazardous waste and/or dangerous items like weapons or narcotics. In addition, this staff group is routinely in contact with unsheltered people despite limited training about how best to work with this vulnerable population.

Interviewees reported that this has created a challenging work environment for staff.

The City’s Risk Management Division issued a Job Safety Hazard/Standard Operating Procedures report in September 2022, that limits Public Works’ ability to perform cleanup work in certain higherrisk situations, such as the removal of a tent in a public space or the removal of certain types of items from public spaces and facilities. The primary concern is staff exposure to chemicals, drugs, or disease.

As a result, Public Works is in the process of identifying short- and long-term solutions for addressing these higher-risk situations. Options include outsourcing this function, developing a specialized inhouse team that will be provided with appropriate training and resources, or implementing a hybrid model. There are a variety of considerations that the City should consider when determining the most appropriate staffing structure for this function, as seen in the following table.

INSOURCING OUTSOURCING
Pros ● High degree of control over team training
and performance (for example, if the City
would like to ensure that all relevant staff
receive trauma-informed training, that may
only be guaranteed within an insourced
setting)
● Potential for strong coordination between
City Departments and alignment around
priorities
● Staffing and recruitment handled externally
● Shifts safety liability to an external party
● Potential for cost savings
Cons ● Staffing and recruitment activities may be
time consuming or costly if positions are
difficult to fill
● Potentially more expensive to hire and train
an internal team
● Retains safety liability with the City
● Less control over team training and
performance
● Potential for weak coordination with City
Departments and lack of alignment around
priorities
● Creates staff work to administer and
coordinate contract for outsourced work
Currently, the Public Works leadership team is considering the following short- and long-term options:
• Immediate Time Frame: Public Works will identify a contractor to provide direct response to cleanups of unhoused encampments, debris fields larger than 5 feet by 5 feet, and any suspicious conditions in which drug paraphernalia or disease may be present. Budget for an environmental contractor will be identified to support this action.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 666 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 62

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Long-Term Time Frame: If data supports that these conditions are at a scale to merit an in-house homeless clean up team with advanced training and equipment, the City may take the following actions:
○ Evaluate and create new job specifications that include the appropriate duties necessary to safely clean homeless encampments, debris fields, and other conditions larger than 5 feet by 5 feet where human waste, drug paraphernalia, and potential airborne or contact-transmitted disease may be present.
○ Identify the composition of the in-house team and number of personnel necessary to service these conditions within Santa Monica’s parks, beach, and public space areas. ○ Identify budget for training, new FTE, and equipment and supplies.

These options are aligned with common industry practice. In addition to the actions described above, we recommend that the City also explores a hybrid method where external contractors are used for complex cleanup projects and in complement to a specialized internal team, which is an approach commonly used by other cities (as shown in the following table).

EXAMPLES OF HYBRID APPROACHES TO CLEANUP SERVICES
Santa Cruz Santa Cruz City Council recently approved creating a homelessness response field division in Public Works, which will include field workers responsible for homelessness-related cleanup and refuse management. Additionally, Council approved funding for contractors to assist staff with encampment and abandoned vehicle cleanup.

Austin The City of Austin recently launched a Homeless Encampment Management Team responsible for working together on homelessness encampments throughout the City, including cleanup activities. The City contracts out the majority of these cleanup activities, with some staff support.

Seattle The City of Seattle historically has contracted with multiple private organizations to assist staff in cleanup of biohazards and general debris removal from homeless encampments.

Long Beach Long Beach’s Parks, Recreation, and Marine Department recently issued a request for proposal, seeking contractors to assist staff in cleanup of homeless encampments on public property.

There are myriad causes of homelessness including the lack of affordable housing, poverty, unemployment, lack of support network, relationship breakdowns, mental or physical health problems, or substance misuse or other addictive behaviors. Consequently, there is no singular approach that will guarantee success when responding to homelessness. Addressing the symptoms of homelessness can be beneficial, however, it cannot always resolve the root cause of an individual’s circumstance. For example, someone without a supportive network may find themselves repeatedly homeless if laid off from work, returning from military service, or recently separated from their partner. Furthermore, where this may be a leading cause of homelessness in one community, it

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 667 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 63

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
may not be a top cause in another. This makes it extremely difficult for communities to replicate programs and achieve consistent levels of success nationally.

No single entity, or actor could reasonably be responsible for ending homelessness in a community.

Agencies across all jurisdictions, federal, state, county, and local hold a piece of the solution. The following section describes the City’s efforts at responding to homelessness.

Affordable Housing

11. Observation Although the City has historically prioritized affordable housing development and retention within its community, the need for affordable housing continues to rise, as indicated by the 431% increase in the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation for 2021–2029.

Recommendation To increase housing stock in the City and support achievement of the City’s Regional Housing Needs allocation over the next eight years, the City should continue implementing the Housing Element and evaluate potential obstacles to housing development.

One of the primary ways to prevent homelessness is through the production of affordable housing, particularly as the cost of housing in the Los Angeles region escalates. Affordable housing is defined by HUD as housing which the occupant pays no more than 30% of their gross income for housing costs, including utilities.
28 The link between housing affordability, renters, and homelessness is welldocumented. In 2020, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that for every $100 increase in median rent, there is an associated 9% increase in the estimated homelessness rate.29 As documented in the May 2022 Santa Monica resident representative survey, 54% of survey respondents were renters and 73% of respondents cited “Affordability” as a very important or somewhat important priority for the City’s policies and programs. 28 US Department of Housing and Urban Development – Glossary of Terms to Affordable Housing:
https://archives.hud.gov/local/nv/goodstories/2006-04-06glos.cfm 29 U.S. Government Accountability Office – Better HUD Oversight of Data Collection Could Improve Estimates of Homeless Population: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-433.pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 668 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 64

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
For decades, the City has invested in affordable and inclusionary housing within its community through a variety of regulations and incentives. While not an exhaustive list, the City has three primary methods of supporting affordable housing opportunities within its limits:
• Loans for affordable housing providers: Through its Housing Trust Funds, the City provides loans to housing providers to develop, own, and operate affordable housing in the community.

Housing Trust Funds derive primarily from one-time Redevelopment Loan repayments and ongoing revenue provided by Measure GSH/GS, which was approved by Santa Monica voters in 2016. These funds provide financial assistance to support housing providers with acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction of properties to preserve and increase affordable rental housing opportunities through deferred loan payments and/or grants to help bridge financial gaps that may otherwise prevent affordable housing development. • Inclusionary Housing: In 1990, Santa Monica voters approved Proposition R, which created the Affordable Housing Production Program (AHPP). Proposition R required that at least 30% of newly constructed multifamily housing be affordable to low- and moderate-income households for at least 55 years. This program has been codified in Chapter 9.64 of the City’s municipal code, which is enforced and monitored by HHSD. According to the May 2022 staff report to City Council, 134 new affordable residences opened between January and May 2022 and approximately 191 additional units are in development.
• Rent Control: In 1979, Santa Monica voters adopted a Rental Control Law that covered all rental units in existence at that time and established a Rent Control Board to implement the law. At that time, the Board required property owners to register the 1978 rent levels and amenities for all controlled rental units (27,429 total rent-controlled units). Each year, the Board has authorized a

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 669 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 65

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
general rent increase for controlled units to ensure that rents remain reasonable and to guarantee owners receive a fair return.
○ In 1995, the State legislature passed the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act that allowed owners to implement up to two 15% rent increases upon vacancies between October 1995 and December 1988. As of January 1999, landlords have been able to increase initial rents to market rates upon new tenancies. Annual rent increases during the term of the tenancy are controlled by the Rent Control Board’s annual general adjustment. Rent-controlled rates to market rates after a vacancy; therefore, the number of rent-controlled units in the City are declining. Approximately 7,493 rent-controlled units remain occupied by tenants who moved in before 1999 (37.6% of the original total).
30 All 27,249 units remain subject to rent control
and annual rent increases as determined by the Rent Control Board. • Housing vouchers: Through the Santa Monica Housing Authority, the City helps facilitate the provision of rental housing vouchers. The Santa Monica Housing Authority administers Housing Choice Vouchers to assist low-income and very low-income households by subsidizing their rent with a federally funded voucher paid directly to the property owner; tenants are responsible for paying at least 30% of their adjusted income for rent. The SMHA also administers project-based vouchers, such as the Continuum of Care (CoC) program, HOME voucher program, and POD program. As the cost of rents in the Los Angeles region continue to rise, staff report that voucher recipients often struggle to find an affordable unit since they are responsible for paying the difference between the voucher amount and market rent if an affordable unit is not available.

The City currently has 4,578 affordable housing units,
approximately 2,600 of which receive referrals from the Citymanaged Below Market Housing (BMH) program. This represents 8.9% of the City’s housing stock (52,269 housing units).
31 The City’s policy provides the following priority
levels for referrals from the BMH program.
32 • First Priority (1A): Persons who have been permanently displaced or face permanent displacement from their
housing residences in Santa Monica as a result of any
of the following:
○ Ellis Act, owner-occupancy, or removal permit
eviction
○ Earthquake, fire, flood, or other natural disaster
○ Funding reductions in Santa Monica housing
voucher assistance programs
○ Governmental Action, such as Code enforcement
○ Closure of a mobile home park
30 Housing Needs Assessment, 2022
31 City of Santa Monica 2019-2029 Housing Element:
https://santamonica.gov/media/Document%20Library/Project/6th%20Cycle%20Housing%20Element%20(2021- 2029)/September%202022%20HE%20Final%20Draft.pdf
32 Affordable Housing Production Program Administrative Guidelines City of Santa Monica:
https://santamonica.gov/media/HED/Housing/AHPP_Administrative_Guidelines_2022.pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 670 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 66

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• First Priority (1B): Emergency Housing Voucher participants • First Priority (1C): Right to Return/Historically Displaced approved applicants • Second Priority: Persons who are residents of Santa Monica or working in Santa Monica at least 25 hours per week
• Third Priority: All other applicants
As of June 30, 2022, the City had 8,931 active applications for affordable housing. The table below shows the total number of applications by priority and time spent on the affordable housing waitlist.

Overall, Priority 1 and Priority 2 applicants tend to spend approximately 180 days on the waitlist, while other priority levels are subject to longer wait times based on the availability of affordable housing units.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING APPLICATIONS AS OF 6/30/2022

APPLICATIONS

APPLICANT

HOUSEHOLD

TYPE TIME ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING LIST
Status
# of
Applications Individual Family
0-180
Days
181-360
Days
361-540
Days
541-720
Days
721-790
Days
Priority 1A 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
Priority 1B 29 15 14 27 2 0 0 0
Priority 1C* 7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Priority 2 2,232 1,097 1,135 152 306 324 391 1059
Priority 3 6,122 3,029 3,093 1,147 1,538 973 1,019 1,445 Total 8,931 4,141 4,243 1,327 1,846 1,297 1,410 2,504
*One hundred thirty-four Historically Displaced applications received. Review in progress with seven approved so far.

Maximum of 100 allowed.

According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the state must add 180,000 units of housing annually through 2025 to keep up with housing demand, which amounts to more than 70,000 units of affordable housing needed annually. 33 Additionally, the Southern California
Association of Governments adopted its RHNA Allocation Plan in July 2021, which included the need for 812,060 housing units in Los Angeles County; 340,295 of these units must be for low or very-low income residents.34 The following table illustrates how Santa Monica’s current affordable housing stock compares to the affordable housing stock of peer cities. 33 California State Auditor Report 2020-108: https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2020-108/summary.html 34 Southern California Association of Government RHAN Allocation for the 6th Cycle Housing Element:
https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/6th_cycle_final_rhna_allocation_plan_070121.pdf?1646938785

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 671 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 67

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN PEER CITIES
CITY
# OF AFFORDABLE

HOUSING UNITS
# OF ALL

HOUSING UNITS
% OF HOUSING STOCK

THAT ARE AFFORDABLE

HOUSING UNITS
Santa Monica 4,578 52,269 8.9%
Berkeley 1,450 52,300 2.8%
Pasadena 3,700 62,753 5.9%
Palo Alto 2,300 28,904 8.0%
West Hollywood 1,776 23,538 7.5%
Richmond 4,590 40,375 11.4%
There is a particular need for affordable housing for families. According to the most recent Assessment of Fair Housing, approved by Council in April 2020, there are 10,225 households in Santa Monica experiencing severe housing cost burden (defined as a household paying more than 50% of income on rent), 2,930 of which are households with families. However, there are only 436 multi-bedroom units capable of housing families with children. The following table shows the City’s affordable housing stock and indicates the need for variety in unit types to accommodate households of different sizes.
2020 AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK UNIT TYPES35
UNIT TYPE # OF HOMES % OF TOTAL
Studio 1,203 26%
1 Bedroom 1,716 37%
2 Bedroom 1,069 23%
3+ Bedroom 590 14%
Total 4,578 100%
According to the State of California’s Department of Housing and Community Development, the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is 8,895 units for the 6th Cycle Housing Element planning period of 2021-2029, with 69% of units allocated for households earning less than 120% of Area Median Income (AMI). This allocation is over 400% higher than the previous RHNA allocation during 2013–2021. The table below shows this comparison by income category and percent change. 35 City of Santa Monica 2020 Assessment of Fair Housing: https://lawyerscommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SantaMonica-Final-AFH-w.o-Appendix-A.pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 672 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 68

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
COMPARISON OF CURRENT AND HISTORICAL RHNA ALLOCATIONS BY INCOME CATEGORY36 INCOME CATEGORY 2014-2021 RHNA 2021-2019 RHNA % CHANGE
Very Low Income 428 2,786 550.9%
Low Income 263 1,668 534.2%
Moderate Income 283 1,698 500%
Above Moderate 700 2,721 288.7
Total 1,674 8,895 431.3%
In response to this significant increase, the City is committed to implementing programs in the certified Housing Element to both preserve existing housing and occupants in addition to exploring programs to incentivize the production of housing opportunities for each income level. Some of these include:
• Amend the zoning ordinance and other City plans to enable greater development of affordable housing and develop policies to implement streamlined review processes for eligible projects • Expedite design review processes to reduce timelines and increase certainty for housing providers
• Adopt standards that incentivize housing production on surface parking lots • Reduce parking minimum requirements for all housing projects • Incentivize the development of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) through an ADU Accelerator Program
• Incentivize the adaptive reuse of existing commercial buildings for permanent residential use • Update the City’s Affordable Housing Production Program to increase the number of affordable housing units at all income levels
• Commit to the production of affordable housing on City-owned or publicly-owned land • Implement new affordable housing finance programs to enable continued provision of technical and financial assistance for housing production
Although the City has historically contributed significantly to affordable housing above and beyond State standards, the City will need to strategically prioritize its efforts to incentivize housing production. The 2021-2029 Housing Element was adopted in October 2022 and provides policy guidance, goals, and commitments through Housing Element programs for staff to leverage as part of this implementation process. Pursuant to State Housing Element law, the City is required to implement the programs in the Housing Element in accordance with the adopted timelines. 36 City of Santa Monica 2019-2029 Housing Element:
https://santamonica.gov/media/Document%20Library/Project/6th%20Cycle%20Housing%20Element%20(2021- 2029)/September%202022%20HE%20Final%20Draft.pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 673 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 69

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
To support the efficiency and effectiveness of the Housing Element, the City is required to implement the programs in the Housing Element in accordance with the stated timelines. The efforts of the City in this space should be to serve as a key partner with housing providers, whether private or nonprofit, in support of housing development. Given the limited availability of land that can be developed, the City will need to be strategic in evaluating its potential housing options and has already completed a constraints analysis in the Housing Element.

Temporary Housing

12. Observation Based on the January 2022 Point-In-Time (PIT) count, demand for temporary housing exceeds the current capacity of emergency and transitional beds in Santa Monica.

Recommendation In partnership with other community organizations and service providers across the west side of Los Angeles, evaluate benefits/costs and identify potential short-term solutions for emergency and transitional housing needs.

In the 2022 PIT Homeless Count, the City and volunteers counted 197 people experiencing homelessness in shelters and emergency motels, whereas 473 people were homeless on the street without a car or makeshift shelter. According to the City’s 2021-2029 Housing Element, there are only 95 emergency beds and 321 transitional beds within city limits, as shown in the table below. In accordance with County of Los Angeles orders, shelters were operating at reduced capacity, which may have contributed to the relatively low count of people experiencing homelessness in shelters versus on the street. In addition, some service providers reported that when people are turned away for a shelter bed, their return rate when a bed becomes available can be very low which can also contribute to increases in street counts and lower shelter counts.

Temporary housing available in the City primarily includes:
• Emergency Housing: Residence for a few months, where people experiencing an economic shock are first placed to access a range of services. SAMOSHEL, the City-owned shelter, provides this type of emergency housing as capacity allows. • Transitional Housing: Residence of up to 24 months which includes wrap-around services to help support stability. For example, the Salvation Army Adult Recovery Center includes 55 transitional beds that are dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness with addiction disorders.

The number of beds and housing units are shown in the table below.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 674 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 70

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
CURRENT EMERGENCY, TRANSITIONAL, AND PERMANENT HOUSING UNITS IN SANTA MONICA37

SHELTER, REHABILITATION, AND

TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMS

EMERGENCY
BEDS

TRANSITIONAL
BEDS

PERMANENT

HOUSING
UNITS
The People Concern (SAMOSHEL, Turning
Pointe, Cloverfield-Daybreak and Safe Haven,
Sojourn)
95 85 -
CLARE/Matrix - 116 -
Upward Bound House - 65 -
Salvation Army Adult Recovery Center - 55 -
Step Up on 2nd (Step Up on 2nd, Step Up on
5th, and Daniel’s Village) YWCA
- - 134
Santa Monica Housing Authority Vouchers
(shelter + care, HOME, Serial Inebriate
Program, RDA)
- - 324
Total 95 321 458
In order to effectively provide support services to people experiencing homelessness, it is imperative that these individuals have a safe location to go immediately, during recovery (if applicable), and on a long-term basis. Based on the information above, there are 416 total beds in the City that provide temporary shelter of some kind, which is insufficient to meet the community’s current level of demand based on the most recent homeless count.

In 2016, LAHSA determined the optimal distribution of unit types necessary to combat homelessness in Los Angeles.
38 The following table shows the optimal distribution compared to the distribution in Santa Monica.

OPTIMAL AND CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSING UNITS

TYPE OF HOUSING
OPTIMAL % OF ALL UNITS
(LAHSA RECOMMENDATION)
CURRENT % OF ALL UNITS
(SANTA MONICA)
Emergency Shelter and
Prevention
19% 11%
Transitional and Rapid Re-housing 24% 37%
37 City of Santa Monica 2021-2029 Housing Element: Appendix B:
https://santamonica.gov/media/Document%20Library/Project/6th%20Cycle%20Housing%20Element%20(2021- 2029)/September%202022%20HE%20Final%20Draft.pdf
38 LAHSA Report on Homeless Housing Gaps in the County of Los Angeles: https://homeless.lacounty.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2019/02/Report-on-Homeless-Housing-Gaps-in-the-County-of-Los-Angeles-1-2016-1....pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 675 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 71

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

TYPE OF HOUSING
OPTIMAL % OF ALL UNITS
(LAHSA RECOMMENDATION)
CURRENT % OF ALL UNITS
(SANTA MONICA)
Permanent Supportive Housing 57% 52%
To meet the current demand for temporary housing as outlined by LAHSA, the City will need to increase the number of emergency beds available. Adding 40 units of emergency housing not only addresses the current gap in housing, but it also would bring Santa Monica significantly closer to the optimal distribution of units.

Most temporary shelters are privately owned and operated, primarily by non-profit service agencies.

The City owns one homeless shelter structure, SAMOSHEL, which is leased to The People Concern (TPC) as the operator and includes 70 beds. This structure was constructed in 1994 when the City passed an ordinance to prohibit sleeping in public spaces and was never intended to be a permanent structure. Prior to the pandemic, TPC and the City were collaborating on community-informed efforts to reimagine SAMOSHEL to better serve the needs of the current homeless population. However, the City’s approach has since shifted to focus on providing behavioral health supports to residents; the City is actively seeking a consultant to support the community visioning for additional behavioral health support (potentially including one or more facilities) to serve the community.

With an increase in affordable housing within the City and the region, there may eventually be a reduced need for emergency shelter. The City, in partnership with TPC, should continue evaluate the evolving needs of people experiencing homelessness to better address them over time. The City should also collaborate with other community groups and service providers to identify other potential short-term solutions to house individuals living on the street on a temporary basis while additional housing is built.

Permanent Supportive Housing

13. Observation The shortage of permanent supportive housing creates significant barriers in exiting people from homelessness and hinders the effectiveness of the homelessness response system.

Recommendation Continue to prioritize the development of permanent housing, including permanent supportive housing, to enable service providers to institute rapid re-housing and provide appropriate supports, thereby increasing the cost-effectiveness of services and the rate at which individuals can exit homelessness.

Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is a key component to both homelessness prevention and resolution. PSH is a form of affordable housing in which housing assistance (e.g. rental assistance) and supportive services are provided to help households achieve housing stability. These units service individuals who experience chronic homelessness as well as community members with developmental disabilities. PSH offers safe and stable housing environments with voluntary and flexible supports and services to help people manage serious, chronic issues such as mental and substance use disorders. Research indicates that developing permanent supportive housing is highly

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 676 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 72

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
effective in reducing homelessness and will result in cost savings between an estimated $30,000 to $50,000 per person per year.39
In addition to the temporary housing shortage in the community, service providers report that stays in emergency and transitional housing have been extended due to shortages in permanent housing (affordable housing units and PSH units). When an individual cannot exit the system through permanent housing, it creates a backlog within the temporary housing options which reduces capacity for incoming participants. According to LAHSA, “a balanced homeless rehousing system has an average of five housing exit options for every shelter bed.”40 Exit options refer to a stable housing unit that is affordable and appropriately meets the individual or families’ need. Currently, the County’s ratio is close to 1:1, which results in people experiencing homelessness having very few options except the street or shelter beds. As detailed in Recommendation 12: Temporary Housing, The City’s ratio of emergency and interim housing to permanent housing (affordable housing and PSH) is 416:458, which is also nearly 1:1. However, to match the 1:5 ratio, the City needs to increase affordable housing resources by 841 units.

The shortage of permanent housing has multiple impacts on the homelessness service environment.

First, it creates the perception that there are insufficient emergency and transitional beds by restricting the ability for individuals to successfully exit chronic homelessness, creating longer stays in temporary housing and creating a backlog at the front end of services. Second, it creates a potentially competitive environment among people experiencing homelessness for limited units among a population that already faces significant trauma and barriers to access services. Third, being denied housing due to a shortage can perpetuate the distress experienced by people experiencing homelessness, which can result in relapses of substance use or mental health disorders over time.

The current situation is not only a disservice to the individuals within the community that require services and support to exit a dire situation, but also presents barriers to effectively understanding the success of homeless interventions. If someone is unable to readily transition into permanent housing after completing a program, securing financial assistance or employment, and/or benefitting from other medical services, staff and stakeholders report that they are more likely to return to the street.

Often, these outcomes reflect poorly on the program that served the individual rather than showing the insufficient capacity of permanent housing to help the individual regain independence.

Finally, PSH has generally been shown to increase the success rate of people exiting homelessness and reducing taxpayer costs associated with homelessness services. One meta-analysis, which assessed 72 studies of PSH, concluded that this service was effective in reducing homelessness and achieving housing stability while also resulting in cost offsets. 41 For example, TPC reports that 93% of
program participants supported in permanent housing never experience homelessness again—a very high success rate.
39 United States Interagency Council on Homelessness – Ending Chronic Homelessness in 2017:
https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/Ending_Chronic_Homelessness_in_2017.pdf 40 LAHSA Releases 2021 Housing Inventory Count and Shelter Count Results: https://www.lahsa.org/news?article=849-lahsareleases-2021-housing-inventory-count-and-shelter-count-results 41 Effectiveness of Permanent Supporting Housing and Income Assistance Interventions for Homeless Individuals in HighIncome Countries: A Systemic Review (The Lancet, 2020): https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2468- 2667%2820%2930055-4

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 677 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 73

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Homelessness is a regional concern in the Los Angeles area and the City cannot feasibly be responsible for developing housing for all individuals in need. However, in 2018, City Council approved a Housing Trust Fund Plan42 that indicates the City aims to provide permanent supportive housing for the number of persons on the Santa Monica Homeless Registry, which includes the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in the community. As of August 3, 2022, there were 471 individuals on the Santa Monica Homeless Registry; 306 of those individuals (64.9%) were placed in permanent supportive housing. This indicates the need for 165 additional permanent supportive housing units to achieve this goal, although it should be noted that the number of individuals on the Homeless Registry fluctuates as individuals move or new individuals qualify to be included.

To support cost-effective programs, enable accurate performance monitoring, and best support people experiencing homelessness in the community, the City should continue to prioritize the scouting for and development of permanent housing units (affordable housing and PSH) as part of the Housing Element implementation. As noted previously, the City has committed to releasing requests for proposals for developments on City-owned land to increase the number of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing units within the City; two PSH projects are currently in process.

As noted previously, the City itself does not build affordable housing or PSH; instead, it relies on partnerships with developers to bring these resources into the community. Therefore, the partnerships created between the City and housing providers is also critical to filling this need within the community.

Program Participant Definition

14. Observation To focus its resources, City policy prioritizes supporting people experiencing homelessness who live or work in the City prior to other factors such as vulnerability, which appears to be a unique practice.

Recommendation Evaluate the City’s Program Participant definition to ensure ongoing alignment with the homelessness strategic plan, best practices, and capacity of local programming.

City resources are not able to keep pace with the needs of every individual experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica. Therefore, City-funded services are directed to a subset of the population identified as Santa Monica Program Participants (SMPP), a definition which has been cultivated over approximately 20 years. According to the HSGP Policy, eligible SMPP meet any of the following criteria:
42 City of Santa Monica Housing Division Trust Fund Plan:
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/HED/Housing_and_Redevelopment/Housing/Housing_Trust_Funds/HTF% 20Plan%20-%20Final%202014-2021.pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 678 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 74

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
• Homeless households whose last permanent address is in Santa Monica; or • Individuals that have been documented as homeless in Santa Monica for five or more years; or • Vulnerable members of Santa Monica’s workforce (homeless individuals and families with a household member who has worked full-time within the City of Santa Monica); or • Homeless individuals on the Santa Monica Service Registry or identified by Human Services Division staff as high users of City resources and services; or • Formerly homeless individuals and families who are participating in supportive housing in Santa Monica.

Within this participant population, those who are identified as highly vulnerable based on the City’s universal assessment tool are placed on the City’s Service Registry. The list of the most vulnerable individuals among City program participants are prioritized for local housing and services and are the focus of monthly coordinated case conferencing meetings to ensure agencies are working together to house and support individuals. Prioritization of highly vulnerable individuals aligns with best practices and works to reduce additional City costs related to homelessness within the community by moderating the need for intervention by first responders.

Among peer cities and other localities tackling homelessness, there are generally varying requirements for individuals to qualify for assistance from government sources. Some cities require individuals to demonstrate their residency through a variety of documentation requirements; others accept all individuals without need for proof of residency. Oftentimes, cities end up with an in-between on the spectrum: not completely excluding non-residents by prioritizing service based on a combination of factors such as vulnerability index, residency status, and previous interactions with homeless services.

Additionally, there is often discussion related to who benefits from limited public resources at the local level—are programs and services going towards helping city residents experiencing homelessness, or are resources applied to homeless migrants from surrounding cities or localities? The table below shows samples of residency requirements for city-funded services and demonstrates the broad variation that exists across municipalities.

CITY RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR CITY-FUNDED SERVICES
Santa Monica Human Services Grant Program has criteria prioritizing service based on a combination of residency, vulnerability, and previous history with the city. Residency must be established.

Boulder Homeless Solutions for Boulder County required participants to have stayed in Boulder for at least six months before being able to access shelters; attempts to access before this period would result in blocked shelter referral and other services for at least two years. This residency requirement was recently reversed.

Washington DC Washington DC’s CoC prioritizes service towards applicants or families who can establish proof of residency.

San Francisco The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing does not require specific residency requirements but does prioritize populations through criteria such as

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 679 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 75

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY

CITY RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR CITY-FUNDED SERVICES
vulnerability and past history. For CoC funded programs, US lawful residence is required.

Within Santa Monica, service providers report that the local preference set forth in this policy is somewhat unique regionally—most agencies appear to prioritize program participations solely based on vulnerability factors rather than on residency. While the need to focus limited resources on members of its own community has historically been an accepted practice at the City, it may restrict the ability of service providers to provide support to the most vulnerable people living on the streets in Santa Monica if that individual is not yet on the City’s Service Registry.

Ultimately, determining how to distribute its limited resources is a policy decision for City leadership to make and each potential model includes pros and cons. For example, a benefit of focusing on providing services to Santa Monicans is that it may help the City better define it’s “fair share” of a regional issue. Alternatively, restricting services to Santa Monicans may not ultimately result in outcomes that are acceptable to City leadership or residents (for instance, the City could successfully house all Santa Monicans in need and still experience community issues and service costs associated with a large number of unsheltered people residing within the City). As the City develops a homelessness strategic plan, it should evaluate how the strategies, philosophies, and goals within the plan align with the SMPP definition. Ultimately, the prioritization framework for limited services is a policy determination that should be approved by City Council.

Program Operating Hours

15. Observation Homelessness programs operating hours are generally limited to Monday through Friday during business hours, which may not reflect when services are needed most or align with community expectations.

Recommendation A. In support of providing enhanced service hours to people experiencing homelessness, implement the City’s proposal to expand access to SAMOSHEL and expand the Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) team.

B. Using available data, evaluate trends in the demand for homelessness-related service requests and determine whether there is a need for expanded program operating hours. If data indicate that there is a need for expanded program operating hours, collaborate with service agencies to identify needs and resources to support this expansion.

As the City considers how to effectively deploy its available resources and influence the service environment within its community, it should consider assessing the operating hours of various programs. Throughout this assessment, it is important to understand the City’s limited ability to influence the operating environment of service agencies if those requests for additional services or operating hours are not supported by the offer of commensurate resources to enable these expansions.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 680 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 76

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Most City-operated programs, such as the CRU and the HLP team, operate Monday through Thursday during the day shift. Similarly, most intake centers for social service agencies operate Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. In Spring 2022, the City identified three priority investments;
43 one of which included 24/7 access to SAMOSHEL and an expansion of the HLP team to operate seven days a week; however, most social service agencies that operate in the City are not currently open on the weekends. Both of these proposed investments align with the need to expand the days and hours that services are accessible to people experiencing homelessness.

To better serve the community of people experiencing homelessness, the City should conduct an assessment to determine whether the hours of operation for additional City-operated and City-funded programs align with the time of need. Additionally, the assessment should evaluate the practicality of staggering operating hours between the City and local service providers to expand the overall operating hours. This would require a high level of coordination and significant improvements to the accessibility of each organization’s operating hours information. Because both Police and Fire track data on calls that relate to homelessness, this data could be a starting point for the assessment.

Local service providers, including the emergency room, may also have data that indicates when the need for interventions is elevated throughout the week and time of day.

The City should determine the most common day(s) and hour(s) for homelessness services to understand when the demand for services is highest. This should then be used to help inform the potential need for service offering expansions with service agencies. For example, there may be elevated needs on the weekends or between the hours of 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm during the week.

Extending operating hours would require additional financial investment to be feasible.

Transportation

16. Observation Big Blue Bus historically collaborated with service agencies to provide people experiencing homelessness with access to public transportation.

However, the existing program creates risks and inconveniences for users which results in low participation rates.

Recommendation A. Continue efforts to adjust the Big Blue Bus’s free fare program to better support the transportation needs of people who are at risk of, experiencing, or exiting homelessness.

B. Communicate the County’s Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) program as an interim solution to free fares for those who require access to public transportation but cannot afford it.

In staff and stakeholder interviews, a common theme related to the challenges of effectively housing individuals and encouraging program participation is when services are not offered in a convenient location. Homelessness services tend to be concentrated in downtown areas to reduce physical access restrictions. However, affordable housing units that become available may be located in an 43 City of Santa Monica – Summary of Possible FY2022-23 Budget Proposals:
https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=4&ID=12743

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 681 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 77

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
area that is farther away from downtown services and the community built by that individual. When coupled with challenges in securing safe access to affordable public transportation, location can present a barrier to effectively supporting people in interim or permanent housing. Access to public transportation can serve as a critical lynchpin of transitioning an individual from homelessness, as they need access to their home, service agencies, medical facilities, and the place of their employment to maintain stability.

The Big Blue Bus (BBB) previously had a program in which it provided tokens to social service agencies to administer to participants that needed access to public transportation. In 2017, with an update to the fareboxes on buses, BBB transitioned the program from tokens to paper tickets, including packs of three tickets. With this change, staff report that utilization of the program reduced significantly from approximately 100,000 tokens to 5,000 tickets annually. When BB reached out to social service providers to better understand this reduction, the primary reason given for changes in ticket demand was that the tickets contained a hard coded expiration date, which significantly hampered bulk purchase, distribution, and ease of use. Additionally, the expiration date was printed on the delivery box rather than the tickets, which further hampered efforts to have them fulfill their desired function. Anecdotally, program participants also reported safety concerns as the tickets were viewed as a valuable commodity that risked threat of theft. Tickets were also easily lost or damaged, rendering them less effective than the previous token method for free fares.

During the pandemic, this concern was alleviated since BBB was fare-free between March 2020 and February 2021. However, as fares were reinstituted, low participation rates in the ticket program did not resolve. BBB is currently working on a potential solution to develop a safe, secure, non-expiring transportation ticketing option for program participants that could be operational as soon as the beginning of next fiscal year (FY2023-2024).

In the interim, City staff should ensure service providers are aware of the County-run program called Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) to support access to transportation services among those who are experiencing or exiting homelessness. The Program offers heavily discounted fares and up to 20 rides per month at no cost to qualifying participants, which could support the transportation needs of low-income households that are at risk of, experiencing, or exiting homelessness.

Public Safety

17. Observation Due to recent leadership turnover, the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) lacks clear direction on where to focus resources and activities and how to approach enforcement.

Recommendation A. As part of the City’s efforts to develop a homelessness strategic plan, the City and SMPD should clearly define SMPD’s role and the approach to enforcement that should be used when interacting with people experiencing homelessness. These efforts should be done in collaboration with the community.

B. After the strategic plan has been developed, SMPD should evaluate its policies, programs, and services to ensure alignment with the strategic plan.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 682 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 78

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Due to their role in responding to 911 calls, police officers tend to frequently interact with unsheltered individuals and are often seen by local community members as responsible for responding to homelessness. In FY2020-21, 19% of police calls for service in the City were related to homelessness, though staff believe this number may be higher. While police officers often respond to homelessness concerns, they have historically had limited options in their response, such as issuing fines or taking people to jail.

As police departments across the country have realized enforcement options like citations or arrests are not effective responses to homelessness, it has become a best practice for law enforcement to partner with homelessness service providers to increase options when responding to people experiencing homelessness.44 These partnerships allow police departments to balance enforcement with compassion and service provision. The City and SMPD have moved in this direction with the development of programs such as the Homelessness Liaison Program (HLP), Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI), and People, Outreach, Providers (POP) Citation Clearing Events. These types of partnerships have created alternatives to enforcement for people experiencing homelessness, which is aligned with best practices and the direction of several cities nationwide.45 • HLP is a collaborative program between SMPD, the City Attorney’s Office (CAO), SMFD, the City’s Human Services Division (HSD), and the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health (DMH).

The program connects people experiencing homelessness with social service providers and support to ensure that alternatives to incarceration occur where appropriate. • ATI is a collaboration between SMPD, CAO, and the service provider Exodus. The program is intended to break cycles of incarceration by offering individuals who self-report experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, or mental health issues, the opportunity to have their criminal filings dismissed in exchange for committing to a treatment program. • POP events are collaborative events between SMPD, CAO, the Community Services Department (CSD), and local service providers. The events offer services to people who have received certain qualifying non-violent misdemeanor citations. In return for meaningful participation in services, the CAO agrees not to file charges.

While these programs are promising, the overall role of SMPD in responding to homelessness remains unclear. SMPD lacks clear direction from City management and Council on where to focus resources and activities and how to approach enforcement. Best practices state effective partnership approaches require law enforcement and others involved in the homelessness services system to clearly understand their shared goals, roles, and responsibilities.46 As noted in Recommendation 1:

Unifying Strategic Plan, the City needs to build on its Four Pillars framework and homelessness workplan to build a comprehensive vision and mission for its homelessness work and enable City departments to align their efforts with formalized City goals and objectives. As part of these efforts, 44 Police Executive Research Forum, The Police Response to Homelessness:
https://www.policeforum.org/assets/PoliceResponsetoHomelessness.pdf 45 U.S. Department of Justice, Best Practices for Effective Outreach and Care Connections, Examples of Outreach in Action:
https://bja.ojp.gov/program/pmhc/responding-homelessness#examples-of-outreach-in-action 46 U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Strengthening Partnerships Between Law Enforcement and Homelessness Services Systems: https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/Law-Enforcement-and-Homelessness-ServicePartnership-2019.pdf

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 683 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 79

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
the City and SMPD can clearly define SMPD’s role and the approach to enforcement that should be used when interacting with people experiencing homelessness.

Without clear alignment between SMPD goals and other City goals related to homelessness, enforcement activities may conflict with other City efforts to serve people experiencing homelessness.

Involvement in the justice system has been shown to increase negative outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, such as creating difficulty in securing housing.47 Additionally, local ordinances can inadvertently contribute to high rates of law enforcement contacts and arrests among people experiencing homelessness and may do little to connect people experiencing homelessness to meaningful services. The ongoing contacts with minimal ability to connect people with services was a driver for the development of the HLP team, which supports proactive approaches to both enforce quality of life ordinances and provide services. By establishing clear alignment between SMPD goals and other City goals related to homelessness, the City and SMPD can then evaluate SMPD practices to ensure they are supporting Citywide goals related to homelessness.

It’s important for these efforts to be done in partnership with the community. Community perceptions on the role of SMPD in responding to homelessness appear to be split, with some community members looking to the police to respond to homelessness and other community members wanting the police to be less involved. By involving the community in efforts to clarify SMPD’s role, the City and the police department can align approaches with community perspectives. Additionally, once the strategy is formalized, the City and SMPD will have something to point to if community members raise concerns about approaches used in the future.

Service Gaps, Duplications, and Limitations

18. Observation The City provides a diverse portfolio of services, yet stakeholders note opportunities to expand resources. Critical gaps and limitations include psychiatric beds, sobering center, and multidisciplinary outreach teams.

Recommendation Continue efforts to evaluate benefits/costs and identify solutions for assessed resource gaps, including investing in infrastructure at the local level, advocacy with regional partners, public-private partnerships, and other opportunities.

The US Interagency Council on Homelessness proposes eight core solutions to ending homelessness: housing, integrated healthcare, career pathways, education, crisis response, criminal reduction, partnerships, and prevention. Within Santa Monica, federal, state, local agencies offer several programs and services that connect with each of these eight core solutions. As noted previously, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to ending homelessness. The City’s task, and challenge, is to tune the volume of programs and services across these core areas to meet the unique needs of the community to make progress towards ending homelessness in Santa Monica. 47 U.S. Department of Justice, The Cycle of Homelessness and Justice Involvement:
https://bja.ojp.gov/program/pmhc/responding-homelessness#the-cycle-of-homelessness-and-justice-involvement

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 684 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 80

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
As mentioned, it is not realistic for the City to exclusively provide programming that responds to homelessness. Therefore, the following opportunities to address service gaps should be considered in collaboration with service providers across all jurisdictions operating within Santa Monica.

Throughout discussions with staff and stakeholders, a review of the Service Ecosystem Inventory (see Appendix A: Service Ecosystem Inventory), and analysis of best practice research, we identified the following opportunities to increase the volume or type of support to further the City’s response to homelessness. While this is not an exhaustive list, it does highlight some of the most critical community needs. These services, if added within the City, would help support long-term efforts to address homelessness in the community.
• Psychiatric Beds: According to LAHSA, 41% of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the County report substance use disorders and/or serious mental illness. Although behavioral health conditions may contribute to an individual becoming homeless, others may develop these conditions due to the trauma of being chronically homeless. According to a May 2021 study, the estimated cost savings for each chronically mentally ill person who has stable housing is approximately $21,000 per year due to a reduction in emergency room visits, police interactions, and incarceration.48 Currently, there are zero inpatient mental health beds within the City’s limits to address the behavioral health needs of residents (both housed and unhoused). Staff, service providers, and community group forum participants all expressed this as an urgent need— especially in the wake of Providence Saint John’s decision not to include any inpatient mental health beds in its upcoming remodel. In response to this need, the City secured funding to explore the development of a behavioral health strategy (which may include the development of one or more facilities in the local area) to serve all Santa Monicans in need. This visioning process began in September 2022. At the County level, Los Angeles County is reported to have a shortage of 5.2 subacute beds per 100,000 people and a shortage of 11.5 residential beds per 100,000 people.49
• Sobering Center: Sobering centers are facilities that provide a safe, supportive environment for intoxicated individuals, typically those who are homeless or marginally housed, to become sober.

They provide services for intoxicated individuals that may have secondary problems such as substance abuse/dependence, mental illness, and/or medical issues. The intent of a sobering center is to provide better care for intoxicated unsheltered persons and improve health outcomes, decrease the number of inappropriate ambulance trips to the emergency department, and create an alternative to booking individuals arrested for public intoxication. They typically operate seven days per week, and some operate 24 hours a day.50 Although there are substance abuse treatment centers within the City, there is not currently a sobering center that provides a safe space for unsheltered individuals who are intoxicated. This can limit the ability for outreach teams to respond to events and result in transportation to emergency rooms. • Expanded Multidisciplinary Outreach Teams: Multi-disciplinary outreach teams are distinct from other forms of outreach since they provide proactive medical and behavioral health services in the field, whereas other outreach programs typically provide referrals to service providers. 48 Housing is Health Care – The Impact of Supportive Housing on the Costs of Chronic Mental Illness:
https://morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/sites/default/files/housing_is_health_care_report_2021.pdf 49 RAND: Adult Psychiatric Bed Capacity, Need, and Shortage Estimates in California-2021:
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1824-1-v2.html 50 American College of Emergency Physicians – Sobering Centers: https://www.acep.org/by-medical-focus/mental-health-andsubstanc-use-disorders/sobering-centers/

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 685 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 81

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
Given the shortages in emergency, transitional, and permanent housing, multidisciplinary outreach teams provide people experiencing homelessness with medical care and resources where they are since other locations to seek assistance may be at capacity. The City currently funds three multidisciplinary outreach teams. The City’s FY2022-23 budget proposals proposed adding one multidisciplinary street team with capacity to delivery street-based behavioral health services to expand this service offering to unsheltered individuals, but it has not yet been funded.

This approach is both data-driven and provides an interim solution to the lack of other shelter availability.

To support service growth and amplify the impact of the City’s overall response to homelessness, the City should continue to explore creative solutions and partnerships. For example, the City is already developing a behavioral health strategy and would likely need to partner with other regional and service agencies to operate one or more related facilities. Similarly, the reimagining process related to SAMOSHEL could provide an opportunity to address one or both other service gaps noted above.

These partnerships are an opportunity for the City to combine, optimize, and build momentum in its response to homelessness.

City should continue to cultivate relationships with local service agencies to communicate needs and support the provision of services within the community. Recognizing that the solutions to homelessness cut across federal, state, and local jurisdictions, it will continue to be advantageous for the City to cultivate robust interagency, cross-sector approaches and partnerships to preventing and ending homelessness.

Service Duplications
In the City’s effort to optimize and streamline its services, Moss Adams was asked to assess the service ecosystem in Santa Monica to uncover areas where duplicate services exist. The Ecosystem Inventory shows that there are multiple programs and departments across jurisdictions providing the same or similar services in Santa Monica. Whether these duplicate programs are generating inefficiencies cannot be determined due to the following considerations:
• National research and best practices have determined the unfeasibility of a single-sourced solution to homelessness. Partnerships and networked programs are required to meet the needs of the community while also alleviating the resource burden for any one agency. • The City lacks a consistent evaluative framework to accurately assess program efficacy. As explored in Recommendation 2: Performance Measurement, until the City develops a unifying set of performance measures and consistent methodology for tracking performance, it cannot definitively determine which program duplications are ineffective.

Once the City can consistently track and measure program metrics and connect them to the impact the City has on homelessness, it will be able to make data-driven decisions to further curate its approach, refine its service environment, and maximize impact.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 686 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 82

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
External Coordination

19. Observation The City has a strong referral network with its local homelessness service providers, yet stakeholders note challenges around sharing and gathering comprehensive and up-to-date information that results in an overreliance on personal service provider connections for coordination.

Recommendation Continue pursuing technology solutions that provide up-to-date, comprehensive, consolidated, and integrated information with push and pull functionalities to enable the City and other service providers to receive notifications and enter data to optimize coordination and referrals.

Over the past decades, care coordination models have emerged as important tools for organizations working to better serve the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Historically, homeless care services have been siloed, meaning that a person seeking support related to housing, health, food, hygiene, legal aid, or employment would have to go to different organizations at different sites to meet their needs. This service acquisition process is daunting for anyone, but it is compounded for people experiencing homelessness.

There are over 30 organizations across all levels (federal, state, county, city, and local community) operating 144 unique programs that span 12 service areas. The full inventory of programs captured for this study is provided in Appendix A: Service Ecosystem Inventory.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 687 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 83

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
SANTA MONICA HOMELESSNESS SERVICES PARTNERSHIPS51
People who are experiencing homelessness—particularly those with trauma history, mental illnesses, and co-occurring substance use disorders—have substantially greater difficulty navigating complex service systems. Poor prior experiences building trust with a mix of multiple care providers—who may or may not be able to meet a person’s needs—often inhibits persons from seeking care. Additionally, the impact of psychosocial factors on the body is even greater for people experiencing poverty.

Populations of low-income people are less likely than the general public to accept a mental health definition of their problem.52 If they do accept a referral for services, they often encounter much greater difficulty negotiating travel and scheduling due to socioeconomic factors.

In response to these difficulties, a referral network of care coordination has emerged as a method for increasing access to comprehensive services, particularly for vulnerable populations such as people without homes. As represented in the tables above, there is a comprehensive foundation of referral services available in the City. However, stakeholders noted challenges around sharing and gathering 51 See Appendix A: Service Ecosystem Inventory.
52 Improving Mental Health Access for Low-Income Children and Families in the Primary Care Setting:
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1175

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 688 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 84

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
comprehensive and up-to-date information, which results in an overreliance on personal service provider connections for coordination.

For example, when the City provides outreach services to a homeless individual and then needs to refer that individual to a partner organization for housing, there is no comprehensive centralized source of information that can indicate the housing type, capacity, bed availability, location, and contact information to make a warm transition. When the City is able to make a referral or coordinate services with a partner organization, the City may enter the individual’s information into the City’s HMIS. This then requires the partner organization to know where that individual’s updated information is stored, which will not include any information about that same individual that was entered into the County’s HMIS. Additionally, the City and homelessness service providers utilize the Coordinated Entry System (CES) to assist homeless individuals with the service acquisition process. CES serves as a mechanism by which people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness can access the crisis response system quickly to connect with appropriate, tailored resources that fit their needs.

Standardized assessment tools and practices are used to identify the best options to address the individual or family’s unique needs. The CES entry to referral flow is depicted below.

The intent of CES is to transform a CoC into a fully integrated crisis response system by leveraging data that can be used for system and project planning as well as resource allocation. This system is yet another important data gathering and information tool that the City and service providers must navigate in order to coordinate services for one individual. However, as mentioned this is one database of several HMIS systems active in Santa Monica that are used for the collection of data to catalog and coordinate care. Furthermore, as depicted above there is no defined referral path per organization or service. Therefore, case managers or coordinators must reach out to each organization to determine the availability of services. This does not capture the potential services that may be available just outside of Santa Monica which could potentially be taken advantage of.

To overcome the initial barrier of knowing what’s available and from whom, service providers may often call several organizations and individuals to make one referral, which is a highly inefficient and often frustrating exercise.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 689 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 85

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
As noted throughout this report, the City is known for its philosophy of innovation when assessing and testing technology solutions to address homelessness. Therefore, we recommend the City continue pursuing technology solutions that provide up-to-date, comprehensive, consolidated, and integrated information with push and pull functionalities to enable the City and other service providers to receive notifications and enter data to optimize coordination and referrals. For example, although the City funds and operates a variety of outreach teams, each of these teams could incorporate a standardized assessment into street outreach activities to ensure their information is input into the HMIS or CES for identification of needs and subsequent service referrals integrating Los Angeles County’s CES concepts into City-funded and City-operated programs.

11.A.f
Packet Pg. 690 Attachment: Attachment F - Moss Adams Homelessness Study 11-30-22 (6095 : Homelessness Strategic Plan and Renters' Protections) Homelessness Study | 86

FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ONLY
APPENDIX A: SERVICE ECOSYSTEM INVENTORY
The ecosystem inventory catalogs the active programs, administering organization, collaborating agency, and service category within Santa Monica. This list is representative of programs occurring in Santa Monica, or serving Santa Monica residents, and includes both programs funded by the City and programs not funded by the City. Due to the nature of homelessness, it is possible that there are agencies outside of Santa Monica who provide services to Santa Monicans. For example, The Salvation Army is a national agency with locations across California. If the Salvation Army in Santa Monica receives a request to place an individual or family in emergency or temporary housing, they will not restrict their search for a bed to Santa Monica and may reach out to nearby locations to house that individual. The challenge of homelessness is that it is often unbounded by location. For the purposes of this study, agencies contacted for input and validation of information in the table were asked to restrict, to the best of their ability, the programs listed below to those actively operating in Santa Monica.

Organizations and programs are listed along in the left column of the table and the service category is provided across the top. Definitions of each service area are also included below. • Case Management: Services, organizations, or roles that offer multi-visit, relationship building, long-term and more in-depth effort than coordination. • Coordination: Services, organizations, or roles that offer referral services to connect homeless individuals with various services. This is not case management; these are individuals or programs that are primarily informational and do not extend past referral or coordination.
• Data and Analysis: Services, programs, or technology for the collection, storage, and use of data related to homelessness. • Emergency Response: Includes first responders, or emergency room staff. • Employment: Services related to employment acquisition, retention, skill building or training, or support such as job search or temporary services. • Food: Food or meal support related services.
• Generalist Outreach: Multidisciplinary street-based services typified by outreach teams to engage homeless individuals where they are. • Housing: Services related to housing retention, placement, rental or mortgage assistance, or voucher programs. • Legal Aid: Services related to legal support including alternate incarceration, landlord and tenant legal services, or legal assistance related to employment. • Mental and Physical Health: Services related to behavioral, mental, or physical health including addiction treatment. • Reunification: Services related to supporting reuniting homeless individuals with family/friends who provide stable housing. • Supportive Services: Services, programs, or organizations that interface with a significant percent of the homeless population (for example, showers and washing machines, or homeless stores for clothing or hygiene items).

Santa Monica City CouncilMarch 11, 2025

Santa Monica City Council
March 11, 2025