City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: December 16, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.D
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Natalie Verlinich, Acting Director, Housing and Human Services Department Subject: Approval of Third Modification of Grant Agreement for Haven Neighborhood Services for Emergency Financial Assistance Services for the Housing and Human Services Department
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council:
1. 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;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a third modification to agreement #11433 (CCS) in an amount of $250,000 with Haven Neighborhood Services, for emergency financial assistance services for the Housing and Human Services Department. This will result in a four-year amended agreement with a new total amount not to exceed $804,173, with future funding contingent upon Council budget approval.
Executive Summary
The Human Services Grants Program (HSGP) funds an array of social service safetynet programs for vulnerable and underserved individuals and families in Santa Monica.
Haven Neighborhood Services’ (Haven) Beyond the Bank program is one of the programs funded for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-27 HSGP grant cycle and offers financial empowerment services to address immediate crises and promote long-term stability. Their emergency financial assistance service, which began in September 2025, provides direct relief to low-income participants experiencing economic hardship and who are federally ineligible for public social service benefits, helping stabilize them and prevent homelessness. Haven has fully expended the funds for this service, despite continued need and increased demand, therefore staff recommends the City of Santa 2 of 4
Monica (City) modify its agreement with the agency to increase by $250,000 the grant funds allocated for FY2025-26 to continue and expand emergency financial assistance services.
Background
The HSGP is administered through the Housing and Human Services Department’s (HHS) Human Services Division (HSD) and provides over $10 million annually to local non-profit agencies operating in Santa Monica to help keep vulnerable residents healthy, stable, and housed. The funding recommendations for the FY2023-27 HSGP grant cycle resulted from formal request for proposal (RFP) #336, and were approved by City Council on May 9, 2023, funding 21 programs operated by 18 agencies.
Haven’s Beyond the Bank program is one of 21 programs currently receiving HSGP funding. Beyond the Bank is a financial empowerment program that addresses immediate financial crises and promotes long-term stability through (1) individual financial coaching, (2) financial literacy workshops, (3) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), (4) case management for victims of fraud and identify theft, and, more recently,(5) emergency financial assistance for residents that are ineligible for federal social service benefits and being negatively impacted by the policies of the federal administration. The program operates out of Virginia Avenue Park and works in close partnership with the other HSGP-funded agencies and the City’s HHS Department.
Haven introduced their emergency financial assistance service in September 2025 to provide direct, immediate relief to participants experiencing economic hardship. This service largely supports families and individuals whose income has been negatively impacted by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Haven staff work closely with each participant to help stabilize them and prevent homelessness by providing direct financial assistance and referrals to supportive services. Individuals with ongoing needs are assessed by Haven in partnership with City staff. The current funding modification request aligns with Haven’s original scope of providing financial 3 of 4
empowerment services to vulnerable communities and meets the growing need for financial assistance due to the ICE raids.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
05/09/2023
(Attachment A)
Authorize grant agreement with Haven Neighborhood
Services following RFP process.
Discussion
With continued and unpredictable ICE presence in Santa Monica and across Los Angeles County, where many Santa Monica residents work, the demand for emergency financial assistance has persisted and increased. Therefore, staff recommends the City modify its agreement with Haven Neighborhood Services to increase by $250,000 the grant funds allocated for FY 2025-26 to continue and expand emergency financial assistance services. Funding for the expansion will come from the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) Prohousing Incentive Program (PIP), from which the City was awarded a $1 million grant on July 8, 2024. The PIP funds are broad in scope and HCD staff confirmed this is an eligible use because Haven’s emergency financial assistance service aims to assist people at risk of homelessness.
Environmental Review
This agreement modification is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (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.” The modified agreement will provide administrative programming.
Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that the agreement will not result in adverse physical impacts on the environment, and as such, is exempt from CEQA. 4 of 4
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the Miscellaneous Grants Fund to increase the agreement amount with Haven Neighborhood Services.
Agreement Modification Request
Agreement #
/ Vendor Funding Source
Current
Authorized
Amount
(FY 2023-27)
FY 2025-26
Modified
Request
Amount Dept / Account #
Total
Revised
Contract
Amount
11433 - Haven
Neighborhood
Services
General
Fund
HSGP $479,173 - HHS/01420006.556000.91927 $554,173 ARPA* $75,000 - HHS/01420002.556550 Miscellaneous
Grants Fund PIP - $250,000 HHS/20420002.555735 $250,000 TOTAL $554,173 $250,000 $804,173
*These are General Fund dollars that were inadvertently labeled as American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Future funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Nicole Liner-Jigamian, Human Services Administrator – Fiscal Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Attachment A 2023-27 Human Services Grants Program (HSGP) Funding Recommendations (Web Link)
B. Haven Levine Act Disclosure Form