City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 10, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.J
1 of 3
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Heidi Von Tongeln, Interim City Attorney, City Attorney's Office, Administration
Subject: Adoption of Resolution Ratifying Homelessness Emergency Proclamation Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the 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; and
2. Adopt the proposed resolution ratifying the 2025 Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness.
Executive Summary
On March 11, 2025, in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal Code (SMMC) Chapter
2.16, the City Council adopted the 2025 Proclamation of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness (the “2025 Proclamation”).
Government Code Section 8630 requires local governmental authorities to renew a local emergency every 60 days until the governing body terminates the local emergency. Accordingly, this staff report recommends adopting the attached Resolution ratifying the 2025 Proclamation. (Attachment A).
Discussion
On February 14, 2023, the City Council 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 2 of 3
unhoused and unsheltered persons in the region. On May 14, 2024, the City Council adopted a further Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness (“the 2024 Proclamation”), which was utilized to advance several key initiatives related to homelessness.
On March 11, 2025, because the conditions that existed at the time the 2024 Proclamation was adopted persist, the City Council adopted the 2025 Proclamation, which extends the local emergency on homelessness through December 31, 2026. The 2025 Proclamation allows the City to expeditiously increase City services and programs to address and prevent homelessness. Specifically, the extension enables the City to, among other things, receive additional county, state, and federal resources to address the homelessness crisis, prevent rental price gouging, streamline and expedite certain City processes, leverage City resources to support people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness or to address local impacts of homelessness, and allows the City Manager to take all available actions authorized under Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 2.16. Thus far in FY 2025-26, the Proclamation has facilitated rapid progress on a number of priority initiatives aimed directly at addressing homelessness, notably including expansion of the City’s C3 outreach teams, expansion of Right to Counsel services, and a new housing retention/bridge financial assistance program. Staff anticipates ongoing near-term use of the Proclamation to implement additional activities contemplated in the Realignment Plan as well as to efficiently operationalize Measure A funds.
On April 22, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 11658 (CCS), ratifying the 2025 Proclamation. On June 10, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 11669 (CCS), on July 29, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 11686 (CCS), on September 9, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 11697 (CCS), on October 28, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 11712 (CCS), and on December 16, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution Number 11726 (CCS) re-ratifying the 2025 Proclamation.
Staff now recommends that Council adopt the attached resolution re-ratifying the 2025 Proclamation declaring the existence of a local emergency in the City of Santa Monica and authorizing specified actions in response to that local emergency.
Environmental Review
The 2025 Proclamation Declaring a Local Emergency on Homelessness would have no effect on the environment, and therefore, is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant 3 of 3
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.” Fiscal Impacts
None.
Prepared By: Heidi Von Tongeln, Interim City Attorney
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Resolution for Ratification of 2025 Proclamation Declaring State of Emergency on Homelessness 02.10.26
B. 2025 Proclamation Declaring Local Emergency on Homelessness