City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: July 29, 2025
Agenda Item: 11.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Oliver Chi, City Manager, City Manager's Office
Subject: Approval of Citywide Equity Plan
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Receive and approve the Citywide Equity Plan;
2. Authorize budget amendment as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report (requires 5 votes).
Summary
Santa Monica is committed to addressing past harms, breaking down systemic barriers, and advancing equity for all our community members. The City has taken important steps over the past five years to create internal programs and advance community initiatives focused on racial equity. Staff engaged in a year-long community engagement effort focused on gathering information about residents’ equity priorities and challenges, including large community listening sessions hosted by the DEI team—held both in person and virtually—as well as more than 60 smaller, community-led meetings.
Following this process, staff reviewed community input, identified key issues, and collaborated with relevant departments to collate existing programs and policies addressing these challenges, leading to the creation of the Citywide Equity Plan (Attachment A). The plan reflects commitments from all departments and establishes clear goals, strategies, and accountability measures to advance equity across the organization, and advance the work across five key strategies:
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• Building a Deeper Understanding of Equity
• Transforming City Operations for Equity
• Expanding Community Engagement and Access
• Opening Doors to Opportunity
• Restorative Justice and Repairing Historical Harms
It is both a roadmap and a living document—designed to evolve as community needs shift and new insights emerge. Rooted in the voices of residents and the expertise of staff, the plan aims to ensure that all community members, regardless of race, gender, ability, or background, have equitable access to opportunities, resources, and city services.
Background
City’s Involvement in the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) Much of the City’s recent equity work over the past decade stems from the City’s involvement in the Government Alliance for Race and Equity (GARE), a national network of agencies working to advance racial equity in government. Between 2017- 2019, dozens of City staff from nearly every department participated in a yearlong GARE learning cohort, including all of the members of the current DEI team. In these cohorts, staff learned foundational information about embedding equity into government, such as the difference between equity and equality, and the importance of intentionally doing our work through a racial equity lens if we ever hope to correct the disparities created by intentional discrimination. GARE also offered many practical tools that the DEI team uses today, making a lasting impact on Santa Monica’s equity work. Read more about the GARE cohorts’ work in the GARE Operational Plan (Attachment H).
Black Lives Matter Movement Spurs Local Action
As millions of people around the world joined the Black Lives Matter movement to call for an end to systemic racism and violence, the City of Santa Monica began looking inward to assess how it could change for the better. In June 2020, the City Council advanced three tracks of equity work to generate meaningful and lasting change in 3 of 14
Santa Monica: Development of a Black Agenda for Santa Monica, Public Safety Reform, and Equity and Inclusion Work in the City Organization. Additionally, in September 2020, the City Council further affirmed its commitment to racial equity by authorizing the formation of the Racial Equity Committee, adopting the racial equity statement drafted by the GARE cohorts, authorizing the implementation of public safety reform, and approving the development of a mechanism to provide seed funding to advance the formation of a non-profit organization to promote the wellbeing of the Black community in Santa Monica.
City Creates the DEI Team
Since 2020, two staff members have worked full-time to advance citywide equity initiatives, including public safety reform and leading the Racial Equity Committee to implement equity within the City organization. In July 2022, the DEI team, composed of these two positions plus a manager, was officially created in the City Manager’s Office.
Since 2022, the DEI team has continued advancing citywide equity initiatives, including the outreach for and creation of the Citywide Equity Plan.
Past Council Actions
Meeting / Info Item
Date
Description
02/11/25
(Attachment B)
Council direction on the City’s Reparations and Landback Program
07/18/23
(Attachment C)
Council review of the FY 2023-24 equity plan
Discussion
The City of Santa Monica has long been recognized as a leader in municipal governance, from our five-star rated library system to our pioneering environmental sustainability work. However, one area in which the City has yet to play a leading role is in racial equity, as evidenced by our outcomes in this area. According to various sources including Race Counts and Healthy City, Santa Monica community members who identify as Black, Latinx, and Native American fare worse than white Santa Monicans across nearly every quality-of-life indicator, and many of these inequalities 4 of 14
have worsened since 2020. Although the City has made some efforts at inclusion, particularly around affordable housing, the Pico Wellbeing Project and the Black Agenda, the City has yet to take cohesive, citywide action aimed at moving the needle on racial equity. Santa Monica’s Communities of Color have expressed concern about projects and approaches that favor specific groups over their own, viewing current equity efforts as “special projects” that have limited reach. Historically, this has had the impact of turning groups that should be allies into adversaries, who believe they must compete with each other for scarce resources.
While the City organization currently faces budgetary challenges and has lacked robust structures to advance equity in the ways that many other cities have, Santa Monica has continued to make progress due to its best resource: its residents and City staff. During the yearlong community engagement process for this Citywide Equity Plan, the DEI team was intentional about engaging residents and staff of various backgrounds and identity groups since equity (giving everyone what they need to thrive, based on an understanding that different people start in different places due to historical and current injustices) will look different for each group. The City’s equity planning process has elevated both community-specific needs and cross-cutting priorities that guide the path toward a more inclusive future. The Citywide Equity Plan is the City's stride toward a cohesive, comprehensive roadmap that reflects the diverse perspectives, needs and priorities of City residents and staff.
The Path to the Citywide Equity Plan
In recent years, the City taken many steps to ensure that Santa Monica is a more equitable place, all culminating in our first Citywide Equity Plan. Those actions are documented in the reports below:
• 2022 Status Update on Citywide Racial Equity Work
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion Update for FY 2022-23
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Update for FY 2023-24 Priorities Shared by Residents and City Staff
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While specific groups identified unique needs, certain concerns resonated across the entire community. The desire for a more inclusive and representative government was a common theme, with residents and staff calling for increased diversity in City leadership and expanded cultural competence training for public employees. Ensuring that all residents can meaningfully participate in civic life was another priority, with calls for an equity accountability system and expanded engagement opportunities.
Economic development was highlighted as a key driver of equity, with residents supporting policies that promote minority- and queer-owned businesses, local hiring, and financial literacy programs. Housing affordability was another urgent issue, with strong support for tenant protections, anti-gentrification efforts, and expanded homeownership opportunities.
In the realm of public safety, residents want law enforcement to be more reflective of the community it serves. Proposals include increasing diversity within the police department, expanding DEI training, and establishing stronger support systems for victims of hate crimes.
In regard to the equity priorities of City staff, we heard from staff surveys and equity workshops that there is a need for more equity and anti-bias training, particularly amongst management. Other issues include a need for greater transparency and fairness around the City’s hiring rules and recruitment process, increased pathways for upward mobility within the organization—especially for staff from marginalized communities, and improved communications and opportunities for staff whose roles are not centered around use of a computer.
Taken together, these resident and staff priorities form the foundation of Santa Monica’s equity plan. They reflect a shared vision for a more just and inclusive city—one that acknowledges past inequities while taking concrete steps to build a more equitable future.
Responses to Community Equity Priorities
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Below is an itemized list of all of the equity priorities identified by the community, along with whether or not we were able to address them in our equity plan.
Area Addressed If No, Why?
City Operations and Inclusivity
Residents feel underrepresented in City
leadership and do not see their diverse
intersections reflected.
Yes
Inadequate protections and
accommodations for people with
disabilities.
Yes
Limited engagement and weak
collaborations with community members,
particularly those of color.
Yes
Cultural incompetence and unrecognized
biases in City methodologies.
Yes
Failure to recognize and respond to
antisemitism within the community.
Yes
Community Engagement and Resources:
A lack of community-specific resources for
effective engagement with the City.
No Improved information
sharing strategies have
been developed,
inadequate resources for
separate resources for
each community group
Insufficient training for community members
on leveraging City services.
Yes
Limited channels for community feedback
and infrequent opportunities for City
listening sessions.
Yes
Questions about the City leadership’s
commitment to equity.
Yes
Absence of a racial equity report card. Yes
No intersectional commission to address
concerns of marginalized identities.
Partial A formal commission is
not being proposed,
community connector
affinity groups are.
Lack of discussions regarding City's Yes
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initiatives for indigenous communities.
Inadequate language and cultural sensitivity
that impedes trust-building.
Yes
City staff lacking multilingual capabilities,
notably in Spanish and Amharic.
Yes
Economic Development
Insufficient economic and workforce
development initiatives for marginalized
communities.
Yes
Lack of incentives for minority and queerowned businesses. No Will consider in future planning cycles
Insufficient hiring of local residents from
communities of color.
No Will consider in future
planning cycles
Ineffective enforcement against hiring
discrimination.
Yes https://www.santamonica
.gov/media/Attorney/CA
O%20EEO%20Policy%2
0090622.pdf
Limited availability of financial literacy
education.
Yes
Absence of culturally relevant farmers
markets.
No Will consider in future
planning cycles
Scarce financial support for entrepreneurs
of color.
Partially Newly developed
Economic Development
task Force along with
procurement and
business license reform
Inadequate internship programs for youth
workplace experience.
No Will consider in future
planning cycles
Few partnerships that promote commerce
in communities of color.
Partially
Limited development encouragement in
areas like Belmar.
No The Belmar Triangle has
been re-developed
Job fairs not catered to individuals with
criminal records.
No City does not host job
fairs currently
Housing
Insufficient affordable housing with
specialized services for seniors,
communities of color, students, and people
Partially City is addressing
affordable housing
according to pre-set
Housing Element. No
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with disabilities. additional equity
considerations in this
plan.
Limited homeownership for Black residents
and other residents of color.
No The City is not resourced
to create homeownership
programs at this time
Inadequate rent control and affordable
housing measures.
No State level legislation
prevents Rent Control
Expansions, especially
given failure of
Proposition 33
Restrictive proof of eligibility for the Right to
Return program.
No The Right to Return
eligibility documents are
matched to the broader
affordable housing
program as this program
places priority on the
affordable housing
waitlist. Separate
standards cannot be
developed.
Escalating gentrification and rent costs
displacing Black, Latino, and other
residents of color.
Partially Affordable housing
construction is continuing
in accordance with the
Housing Element, but no
specific efforts aimed at
these communities.
Inadequate Section 8 housing
opportunities.
No Will consider in future
planning cycles
Limited construction of public housing. Yes
Public Safety
Need for increased DEI training and cultural
competency within the SMPD.
Yes
Low representation of police officers from
diverse communities.
Yes Santa Monica Police
Department is the
second most ethnically
diverse department in the
City, gender diversity is
increasing
Inadequate response plans for antisemitic
incidents and hate crimes.
Yes
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Increased incidents of hate crimes,
including antisemitism, in Santa Monica.
Yes
Insufficient police and fire staff training for
assisting queer individuals and protecting
seniors.
Yes
Lack of support for victims of hate incidents. Yes
Controversy over the City suing LA County
over the cash-bail program.
No Will consider in future
planning cycles
Community Engagement Programs
Lack of mentorship between older residents
and youth.
No Will consider in future
planning cycles
Absence of news/media outlets for the
Black community and other communities of
color.
Partial The community
connectors program is
the first avenue for
getting information to
specific communities.
Few community events celebrating cultural
diversity.
Yes
Need for cultural competence training within
the community.
Yes
Limited culturally inclusive storytelling to
honor diverse communities.
Yes
Fear and division persisting due to
insufficient town hall meetings and
community events.
Yes
Inadequate diversity celebrations and
festivals.
Yes
kits for understanding City and community
resources.
Yes
Insufficient City support for established
community initiatives.
Yes
Limited presence of community centers for
LGBT and other cultural groups.
Yes
Restricted cross-cultural exposure through
multicultural events.
Yes
Education
Disparities in resource distribution among
schools.
No This is SMMUSD’s
purview
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Exclusion of African American history in
school curricula.
No This is SMMUSD’s
purview
Funds for schools not prioritized for the
needy.
No This is SMMUSD’s
purview
Lack of grants for higher education for
students.
Yes
Few mentorship opportunities connecting
students with industry professionals.
Yes
Insufficient youth mentorship and
leadership programs.
Yes
Limited collaboration for community
learning.
Yes
Insufficient access to enrichment programs
and support for children with special needs.
No This is SMMUSD’s
purview
Healing Historical Harms
Unaddressed historical biases and racism
in housing policies.
Yes
Lack of initiatives for reparations for
historical harms.
Yes
Policies structurally responsible for racial
injustices not analyzed or dismantled.
Yes
Non-transfer of ownership for Belmar
Triangle to the community.
No The Belmar triangle has
been re-developed and is
home to a sports field
and childcare center.
There is no mechanism
for transferring this land
to the community.
Noise ordinances unfairly targeting
communities of color.
No Ordinances are citywide,
enforcement is the result
of resident driven
complaints.
Need for restorative justice initiatives and
storytelling from diverse communities.
Yes
City Communications
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Underuse of community newsletters for
disseminating information about City
programs.
Yes
Accessibility barriers for seniors and noninternet users to City news. Yes Lack of transparency regarding grants,
programs, and resources.
Yes
Insufficient information about elections and
related events.
Yes
Transportation:
Inadequate transportation access for
people with disabilities.
Yes
Poor public transportation options outside
standard hours.
Yes
Lack of cultural competence among public
transport staff.
Yes
Insufficient transportation services for the
elderly and disabled.
Yes
Limited parking options. No No departments
identified this as a
priority. Expanding
parking is not within the
City’s sustainability goals
Negative perceptions of transit riders who
are essential to the city's functioning.
No Will consider in future
planning cycles
Homelessness
Lack of housing and support programs for
drug rehabilitation.
Yes
Insufficient tailored support for Black
families experiencing homelessness.
No The City is continuing to
expand its support for
families experiencing
homelessness
regardless of race.
Non-existence of short-term shelter
programs bridging to transitional housing.
Yes
Poorly maintained public restrooms. Yes
Punitive housing solutions not addressing
the needs of queer and trans homeless
Yes
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individuals.
Health
No dedicated mental health organization
addressing cultural competence and
specific needs of the Black community.
Partially The City provided
funding to the SMBEA
which provides services
to the black community
Limited cultural competence training for
mental health professionals.
No The City does not
provide mental health
services
Other
Lack of support platforms for transitioning
youth.
Yes
Inadequate support for immigrants and
asylum seekers.
Yes
Insufficient assistance to those in other
states facing human rights issues.
No City supports legislation
regarding these issues
via the City Attorney’s
office and lobbyist but
does not currently
provide assistance to
those out of state.
Inequalities in technology access. Yes
Delay in honoring Lloyd Allen's
contributions through park renaming.
No Requires additional
Council action
Environmental Review
This Equity Plan is not a “project” subject to CEQA. Pursuant to CEQA Section 21065, the equity plan does not meet the definition of a “project” subject to CEQA as it will not “cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment”. Additionally, per Section 15378(b) of the CEQA Guidelines, a “project” does not include general policy and procedure making.
Advancing Equity During Challenging Economic Times
The majority of the activities outlined in this plan can currently be carried out using existing resources. However, the City’s growing commitments to immigrant support, trans rights, and reparative justice will require additional investment in the near term to 13 of 14
ensure meaningful progress and community trust. DEI Team and City Manager’s Office staff are committed to finding grant funding and other revenue opportunities to fund this important work as the City’s challenging financial situation hopefully improves in the coming years.
As part of that focus on grant funding, a number of equity projects have been funded via the We Are Santa Monica fund, including a $25,000 grant for a College Expo at Samohi for students who are traditionally under-represented at college due to the financial burden. At that event, 400 students attended, 65 received on the spot admissions, and a total of $1,667,660 was awarded in scholarships. The Equity team plans to continue that work by creating its own community grant program, initially funded by the remainder of the dollars that were earmarked for equity in the We Are Santa Monica Fund and amplified by additional grant funded as identified by the team.
One urgent need has that has been identified is for additional resources to expand immigrant support efforts, which have seen increased demand for services and protections. Other large financial needs on the horizon are for the City to make meaningful initial investments in its upcoming landback and reparations programs, which cities across the nation are funding in the range of $2-$20 million (with the exception of Tulsa, OK, which recently committed $105 million to repair the harms of the Tulsa Race Massacre.) Staff is seeking the support of Council to find creative funding solutions to make the City’s commitment to reparative justice a meaningful one in the months and years ahead.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to appropriate the remaining funds received by the We Are Santa Monica Fund on behalf of the City, that were specifically earmarked for equity to fund a community equity grant program. Approval of the recommended action would require the following budget amendment. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
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FY 2025-26 Budget Amendment
Establish Revenue Budget Appropriate Funds
Account Number Amount Account Number Amount
10200002.416320 $32,496 10200002.532480 $32,496
Prepared by:
Delana Gbenekama, Special Assistant to the City Manager - Equity and Community Recovery Lisa Parson, Equity & Inclusion Manager
David Gardinier, Equity and Communications Coordinator
Prepared By: Lisa Parson, Equity and Inclusion Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Attachment A - Santa Monica Citywide Equity Plan
B. Attachment B - Feb. 2025 Staff Report
C. Attachment C - July 2023 Staff Report
D. Attachment D - Identity Categories
E. Attachment E - Equity Snapshot, Standard Staff Report Attachment F. Attachment F - Racial Equity Impact Assessment Tool - Shortform G. FY 2023-24 DEI Information Item
H. FY 2022-23 DEI Information Item
I. 2022 DEI Information Item
J. August 24, 2021 Staff Report
K. Sept. 2020 Staff Report
L. Written Comment
M. Powerpoint Presentation