Memo
To: Oliver Chi, City Manager
From: Lana Negrete, Mayor
Date: October 9, 2025
Re: Request for City Council Direction on Community Engagement, Zoning Clarity, and Accountability for LA County and Nonprofit Operated Housing Projects
Recently, the City was made aware that the LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH), in partnership with St. Joseph Center, intends to establish two Behavioral Health Bridge Housing facilities at 413 and 825 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. The two properties will collectively serve to facilitate 49 interim housing beds for homeless individuals with severe behavioral health needs. St. Joseph Center will lease and operate the sites, while DMH will fund the services and program oversight through State Behavioral Health Bridge Housing resources.
I want to be clear that I support the intent of establishing these types of facilities, as they are needed pieces of infrastructure to bolster our homelessness response efforts. Further, LA County and St. Joseph Center have indicated that Santa Monica residents will be prioritized for placement, and that the facilities will include 24/7 staffing, on-site clinicians, and security personnel.
With that being said, the community has raised questions regarding possible impacts from this project.
Residents have also expressed frustration over the lack of prior notice or opportunity for public input before funding was approved by LA County and site renovations began.
Given the sensitivity of this matter and the community concerns expressed, I am requesting the following:
1. With respect to outreach related to the facilities on Ocean Avenue, direct that the City Manager coordinate with LA County, St. Joseph Center, and the project developer to ensure broad communication and outreach to both residents and adjacent businesses, including the Oceana (located two doors down from 825 Ocean Avenue) and other nearby stakeholders.
2. Direct that the City Manager work with the County of Los Angeles, relevant nonprofit partners, and project developers to ensure that all proposed supportive, shelter, or transitional housing projects within the City of Santa Monica comply with the intent and requirements of Proposition 1 and the Good Neighbor Policy (SB 326), including the community engagement provision set forth in Welfare and Institutions Code § 5604.2(a)(4), which requires citizen and professional involvement at all stages of the planning process – specifically including community members, business owners, housing, law enforcement, education, and others who interact with individuals living with mental illness on a daily basis.
3. Direct that the City Manager clarify zoning classifications, use types, and building-code provisions applicable to each supportive-service, shelter, and transitional housing type use, including whether such uses are permitted, conditionally permitted, or require discretionary review, and to return with recommendations that ensure that appropriate public notification always occurs to a neighborhood when such a project is being officially proposed.
Memo
4. Direct that the City Manager clearly define for the public the land use regulations that allow the facilities on Ocean to operate without needing to obtain a discretionary City permit. Along those lines, this work effort should include identification of what constitutes a mental-health facility, a transitional housing facility, an emergency shelter, and a supportive housing facility, and those details should be developed into a citywide communication strategy to inform the public about details related to these types of operations. That communications strategy should include: (1) an accessible webpage containing a comprehensive project FAQ detailing purpose, population served, staffing, hours of operation, and oversight; (2) a designated hotline or contact person for residents and businesses to report nuisances or concerns; and (3) clear response protocols and follow-up mechanisms.
5. Direct that staff attempt to obtain from LA County verification with respect to the Ocean facility developer’s goals, operational record, and legal standing, in addition to how much LA County is paying the developer, and confirming that any developer or property owner involved in these projects is in good standing and not engaged in active litigation with the City or related public entities.
6. Finally, direct that the City Manager conduct a retrospective review of similar existing or recently approved projects – including those located in Sunset Park and the Pico Neighborhood – to determine whether proper community engagement and communication occurred, and, where lacking, to implement corrective measures and ensure that appropriate neighborhood contact and support systems are now in place.
Please place this item on the October 14 agenda for full City Council consideration.