1 April 14, 2026
(NOT APPROVED)
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING MINUTES
APRIL 14, 2026
A special meeting of the Santa Monica Housing Authority was called to order by Chair Torosis at 9:48 p.m., on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at City Council Chambers, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA.
Roll Call: Present: Chair Caroline Torosis
Authority Member Lana Negrete
Authority Member Dan Hall
Authority Member Ellis Raskin
Authority Member Barry Snell
Authority Member Natalya Zernitskaya
HAB Tenant Representative Hajar Muqtasid St. Claire
Absent: Chair Pro Tem Zwick
HAB Tenant Representative member (vacant)
Also Present: Authority Secretary Oliver Chi
Authority Attorney Heidi von Tongeln
Authority Interim Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren
SPECIAL JOINT
MEETING OF THE CITY
COUNCIL AND THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY BOARD
On order of the Chair, the regular City Council meeting was recessed to convene to a special meeting of the Housing Authority Board at 9:48 p.m., with all members present, except Vice Pro Tem Zwick and Housing Authority Tenant Board member Hajar Muqtasid St. Claire.
REPORT ON MEETING
COMPENSATION
Pursuant to State law, Interim City Clerk Denise AndersonWarren announced that Council will receive $50 compensation for meeting as the Housing Authority.
RECESSED SPECIAL
MEETING
On order of the Chair, the Special meeting recessed at 9:48 p.m., and reconvened the regular City Council meeting to hear the next item and to allow time for the Housing Authority Board Tenant member to arrive.
COUNCIL RECESS On order of the Mayor, the City Council took a five-minute break at 10:27 p.m. to allow time for the Tenant Housing Authority member to arrive for the Special meeting.
2 April 14, 2026
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF
THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE
HOUSING AUTHORITY
BOARD
On order of the Mayor, the regular City Council meeting recessed and reconvened to a special meeting of the Housing Authority Board at 10:35 p.m., with all members present, except Vice Pro Tem Zwick, who was absent.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
MEETING MINUTES
12.A. Minutes for the Housing Authority Board, were presented.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Housing Authority Board approve the minutes for the May 13, 2025 Housing Authority Board meeting.
There were no members of the public present to speak to the recommended action.
Motion by Authority Member Snell, seconded by Chair Torosis, to adopt the staff recommendation. The motion was approved by the following vote:
AYES: Authority Members Negrete, Hall, Raskin, Snell,
Zernitskaya, Chair Torosis
HAB Tenant Member Hajar Muqtasid St.
NOES: None
ABSENT: Vice Chair Zwick
FY 2026-27 ANNUAL PUBLIC
HOUSING AUTHORITY PLAN
12.B. Public Hearing and Adoption of Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Annual Public Housing Authority Plan, was presented.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Santa Monica Housing Authority Board:
1. Hold a public hearing and receive public comment
2. Adopt the Draft Fiscal Year FY 2026-2027 Annual Plan and Progress Report for the Five-Year Plan for 2025-2030
3. Adopt the FY 2026-2027 Administrative Plan
4. Authorize the Submission of the FY 2026-2027 PHA Plan which consists of the Draft Annual Plan and Progress Report, and Draft Administrative Plan to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
5. 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.
Member of the public Denise Barton spoke to the recommended action.
Questions included: how is the proposed HUD rule on mixed status family affecting us here in Santa Monica, or do we have an order of 3 April 14, 2026
magnitude on what that might do to us, and are we going to comment on that; does the city collect housing data and how is that data used; and does Housing maintain data to see how long it’s taking a voucher user to find a home and start living there.
Considerable discussion ensued on topics including, but not limited to: having a voucher is not the same as having housing; there is a gap between policy and lived reality; tenants hope for a Resident Advisory Board (RAB) to be implemented; asking for a shift from outputs to outcomes, not how many vouchers are being issued, but how many are stably housed in Santa Monica; not how many landlords that are recruited, but how many that stay; whether our payment standards meet guidelines; are the equity programs truly working for the people they were designed to serve equity and delivery should be key to what we do here; and, include folks with lived experience in more of our decisions moving forward.
Motion by Authority Member Zernitskaya, seconded by Authority Member Hall, to adopt the staff recommendation. The motion was approved by the following vote:
AYES: Authority Members Zernitskaya, Snell, Raskin, Hall, Negrete, HAB Tenant Member Hajar Muqtasid St.
Claire, Chair Torosis
NOES: None
ABSENT: Vice Chair Zwick
ADJOURNMENT OF
JOINT MEETING
On order of the Chair, the special Housing Authority meeting was adjourned at 10:52 P.M.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Denise Andrson-Warren Caroline Torosis
Authority Interim Clerk Chair