A Housing Focused System of Care
Discussing the City’s proposal to improve our homelessness response outcomes and treat every person – housed and unhoused – with dignity.
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
• Preliminary numbers from the 2026 Point-InTime (PIT) count show 718 people are experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica
• This represents an 11.6% decline compared
against 2025
• Further, unsheltered homelessness fell 18.7%
from 2025
• This mean more people came inside, and less
people were on the street
• However, the majority of our unhoused
population remains unsheltered – on the
streets, in our community
The Landscape: The People
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
• The homeless response system in Los Angeles County is undergoing its most significant restructuring in a generation
• Over the past fifteen months, LA County has:
• Voted to withdraw its funding from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) • Established a new County Department of Homeless Services & Housing to take over that work • Approved deep funding reductions to regional homeless services in the face of a structural budget shortfall • Further, as of June 2026, the region’s homeless response system has had to absorb the federal government’s suspension of funding to LAHSA and the Los Angeles Continuum of Care • Service Providers and nonprofits dedicated to doing this work are struggling • The City is absorbing more impact due to these funding cuts, and we are prepared to respond to this moment The Landscape: The County
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
• SaMoShel is not being relocated to Sunset Park / Pico • The Palm Motel has operated as interim housing for over 2 years • No new facility is being proposed in any neighborhood • Walk-ups will not be allowed at any of our proposed locations • 24/7 security will be a requirement of our agreements • Good neighbor agreements are built into the proposed service provider contracts, and the City is enthusiastic to develop additional good neighbor agreements in partnership with surrounding neighbors • Assessment for physical health, mental health, and substance abuse will take place prior to program enrollment to determine level of client need
• If an individual needs a higher level of care than what a city subcontracted agency can provide, they will not be referred to our proposed locations
• Any act of physical violence or extensive property destruction would be a violation of the program participation agreement and would result in program termination 4 Clarifying What's Being Proposed (And What Isn't)
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
CITY OF SANTA
MONICA HPI
SERVICE SYSTEM
SYSTEM
PATHWAYS
Prevention
Flexible
Financial
Assistance
Eviction
Prevention
Housing
Retention
Housing
Navigation
Intervention
Outreach Emergency
Housing
Interim
Housing
Permanent
Housing
City’s Homeless Response Model
Organizational Infrastructure
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Congregate Sheltering Isn’t Ideal
For Helping People Stabilize
• While there is a need for congregate
sheltering, people are more likely to
recover, stay healthy, and move forward
when stabilizing in a non-congregate
settings
6 Reasons For Proposed Changes
Lack of City Control of Facilities
Creates Challenges
• The facilities in Santa Monica that have generated
the most neighborhood concern are not controlled
by the City
• While the City can intervene in those situations, a
lack of City control means other entities are
selecting who gets access to those facilities, and
other entities set operating expectations
Sheltering Only Without Interconnected
System For Exits Creates a Strain on
Resources
• The City has not invested in dedicated
resources or systems for housing exits,
requiring service providers to navigate a
variety of complicated systems to assist
clients in finding housing
Current Fragmented Systems Results
in Lack of Accountability
• Our current system is fragmented
• County programs, nonprofit operators, and
City teams are all fighting to access scarce
resources, and each entity is deploying a
different strategy
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
7 New Strategy Proposed Is A
Housing Focused System of Care
• During the past year, the City has been analyzing options for improving the current situation • That assessment has resulted in the development of a new strategy, focused on shifting from a disjointed homeless intervention program, to a housing-focused system of care • The proposed strategy would create a mini-continuum of care in Santa Monica, where the City would have control / access to each step in the interconnected system • Temporary stabilization housing options for people, with wrap-around services • Interim housing to continue assisting people in transitioning from homelessness to housed, with financial counseling, substance use treatment options, and workforce development • Permanent housing resources with on-site services to end an individual or family’s homelessness • Emergency, on-demand psychiatric services to assist individuals with higher needs than shelter can provide
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
8 One System, With The City Being Able To Open Each Doorway
OUTREACH &
FIRST RESPONSE
Outreach teams and public
safety engage people on the
street and refer them in. No
walk-ups, anywhere in the
system.
EMERGENCY
STABILIZATION
A safe, non-congregate
place to come off the street,
with wraparound services
from day one.
INTERIM
HOUSING
Structured transition:
financial counseling,
substance-use treatment
options, workforce
development.
PERMANENT
EXIT
City places people who are
ready into affordable and
supportive units it controls,
to end their homelessness.
The system envisions City-controlled access to facilities at each stage, via a referral only process.
The City would also direct on-site security and facility management, with performance contracts required for City selected operators.
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
9 Initial System Implementation
TO CLOSE
SaMoShel
The 30-year 'temporary' tent
shelter would close. Current
residents staying at the site
would transition to alternate
sheltering options, and
nobody will be exited to the
street.
TO BE IDENTIFIED
Future Sites, Via RFEI
The City is looking for existing
motels / apartments that
would be offered by willing
owners, in Santa Monica and
across LA County. Those new
facilities would be used by
the City as part of the larger
Housing Focused System of
Care being developed
Net effect: the City demobilizes a temporary congregate shelter responsibly by connecting individuals to other interim or permanent housing opportunities, while identifying future sites to partner with to maintain bed capacity within the City.
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
10 Initial System Implementation
PRESERVED
The Palm Motel
Already operating as interim
housing shelter location for
the past 2 years, the County
will be defunding the
operation in August. The City
is looking to step in and take
over the facility, and to
operate it as part of the City’s
local continuum of care for
an SMPP population.
SUPPORT REGIONAL
SOLUTIONS
Salvation Army Bell
Shelter
The regional homeless
response system is fiscally
strained, and the Salvation
Army has an existing facility
with empty beds and no
funding to use them. The City
is looking to fund capacity
there as our fair-share
investment in the regional
system.
Net effect: no new facility is added to any Santa Monica neighborhood; one existing facility is preserved; and new capacity is funded regionally for use by the entire County.
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
11 Prioritizing Housing Exits
• The system we’re developing also relies on permanent
housing exits from the interim housing options we offer • Santa Monica continues to prioritize affordable housing development and preservation
• In addition to the existing affordable housing in Santa Monica, the City has over 250 units of affordable housing in development
• 90 of those units would be permanent supportive housing units made available to individuals in the City’s refined housing-focused system of care
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
12 How Would This Work?
Example #1
• An older adult experiencing homelessness interacts with one of our city-funded outreach teams • They have economic hardships that landed them homeless after being evicted from their home in Santa Monica, and they want help getting back on their feet
• The outreach team would refer them to The Palm, and the intake team would conduct a biopsychosocial to understand their needs
• On site, this individual would be given a room to stay • They would be connected with mental health services, physical health services, food and hygiene resources • Over time, their on-site case manager would work with them to develop a housing plan • Their case manager thinks they would benefit from housing for older adults that comes with support services and a Section 8 voucher so they can always have resources to help them thrive
• When they’re ready, the individual is referred to a permanent supportive housing building and exits homelessness Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
13 How Would This Work?
Example #2
• An individual experiencing homelessness is having a mental health crisis on the street • The City’s first responder teams are called, and Santa Monica’s APU unit arrives on scene to do a health assessment • The first responders conclude the individual is in crisis and cannot make decisions independently, and needs immediate medical attention
• Referral options include:
• Transport to local hospital
• Call County Department of Mental Health for PMRT team to access a bed in a psychiatric facility • Refer to a psychiatric urgent care center
• This individual would not be referred to interim shelter as they need emergency medical and psychiatric assistance
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
14 How Would This Work?
Example #3
• SMPD identify an individual experiencing homelessness using drugs in a public place • SMPD offers the individual two options: arrest, or accept a diversion program at SaMo Bridge • The individual selects the diversion program, and SMPD transport them to SaMo Bridge • At SaMo Bridge, the individual is offered a recliner, shower, and snacks • As the individual is stabilized, that person will begin working with Exodus staff to enroll directly into temporary housing and health services and start a 90-day case management plan
• Exodus connects the individual to a detox program and sober living facility • After successfully completing their 90-day case management plan, no misdemeanor charges would be filed by the CAO
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
City
Oversight +
Management
of Services
• Under this new system, the City will have direct oversight over the entire model, so that we can…
• Ensure clear operational roles of all service providing entities • Provide proper security and site management for each location • Develop and implement good neighbor policies
• Prioritize coordination with public safety teams
• Facilitate performance monitoring and reporting
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
16 Measuring Success
• Metrics and reporting infrastructure will be developed by the City to ensure these refined programs are delivering effective results • Notably, staff is interested in tracking:
• Length of stay
• Goal for emergency shelter < 120 days
• Goal for interim housing <365 days
• Quantifying “Graduations” through the continuum
• # of participants moving from emergency shelter to interim housing per month • # of participants moving from emergency shelter to permanent housing per month • # of participants moving from interim housing to permanent housing per month • Connections to other services to aide in stabilization • # of referrals to substance use detox or other outpatient programs • # of referrals to psychiatric services
• # of participants enrolled in CalFresh
• # of participants enrolled in public assistance
• # of participants enrolled in job training programs
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
What’s True Today
• The Palm Motel has operated as interim housing
shelter for ~2 years, under LA County’s Pathway
Home program
• LA County is defunding the program, effective
August 2026
• If we don’t act to preserve the Palm Motel, we
lose this valuable resources, and the property
owner will reutilize the site in whatever manner
comes next
What Changes Under City Control
• A direct City lease, whereby the City, not the
County, gets to decide how the site is run
• The City decides who is referred into the facility
• Referral-only access will be coordinated through
City outreach and first responders, with no walkups
• The City will direct security and site
management, with staffing levels set by the City
• A written good-neighbor policy with a named
City contact and enforcement teeth will be
developed
• A performance-based operator [The People
Concern] contract will also be deployed, with
specific standards, reporting, and
consequences 17
Policy Decision #1:
Preserve The Palm Motel
As An Interim Housing Resource With City Control
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
18 Policy Decision #2:
Support For The Regional System
Salvation Army’s Bell Shelter
• The Salvation Army has a facility in the City of Bell • That particular facility has available capacity, against a backdrop in LA County where regional homeless support facilities are being defunded at scale
• The Salvation Army facility has beds that are sitting empty today because there is no funding to operate them • The City’s investment would fund regional homelessness sheltering capacity • Given that the majority of the homeless population we encounter in Santa Monica are from the broader region, part of our new strategy is to provide support for unused capacity so that it serves the whole region • This will include giving our outreach teams a real option to offer people who want off the street but have no Santa Monica connection
• Other jurisdictions in LA County will also be able to utilize the new capacity that the City is funding at the Salvation Army site • The City is NOT looking to export our problems
• Supporting the regional shelter facility that needs funding to operate is not about relocation or exporting a problem • The facility that we would help activate would be accessible by any jurisdiction that partners with the Salvation Army, • Further, any placement from Santa Monica into the facility would be voluntary, service-connected, and advance the goal of moving a person from a sidewalk into a bed
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Request for Expressions of Interest
Master Leasing
• In order to identify additional locations for
family shelter and interim housing access,
the City is looking to publish an RFEI
• Through that RFEI, we will be soliciting
property owners who may have a block of
rooms or an entire property to master lease
to the City for integration into the Housing
Focused System of Care
• We will be seeking properties well suited for
use as interim housing in Santa Monica, as
well as possible partnerships in other parts
of LA County, to offer more options for
households looking to get off the streets
Request for Qualifications
Service Providers
• To pair with that RFEI, the City would also
publish an RFQ to build a bench of service
providers who can be called on to contract
for emergency or interim housing services,
or master leasing operations
• Through this process, we will be seeking
experienced service providers who have
capacity to deliver a holistic suite of
services to households transitioning from
homelessness to housed
19 Policy Decision #3:
RFEI / RFQ Process To Find New & Additional Options
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
20 Funding Request Via Budget Amendments
AGREEMENTS 2026-27
(10 mos.) 2027-28
The Palm Motel $1.00M $1.24M
The People Concern $1.30M $1.61M
Salvation Army/Bell $1.97M $2.43M
TOTAL $4.27M $5.28M
FUNDING SOURCES
General Fund (MOE) $500K $2.43M
Measure A $307K $167K
PSJ DA $3.46M $2.68M
TOTAL $4.27M $5.28M
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Recommended Actions
Policy Decision #1:
• Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with the owner of The Palm Motel for the provision of rooms to operate interim stabilization housing for individuals and households who meet the Santa Monica Program Participant (SMPP) definition; • Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with The People Concern for on-site operations and supportive services at The Palm Motel;
Policy Decision #2:
• Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with The Salvation Army to fund the activation of shelter beds and supportive services at the Bell Shelter;
Policy Decision #3:
• Direct staff to complete the Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) process to identify additional non-congregate interim housing locations in and around Santa Monica, and transition away from SaMoShel’s congregate style sheltering facility concurrent with the RFEI process;
21 Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Recommended Actions
1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with the owner of The Palm Motel for the provision of rooms to operate interim stabilization housing for individuals and households who meet the Santa Monica Program Participant (SMPP) definition;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with The People Concern for on
-site operations and supportive services at
The Palm Motel;
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with The Salvation Army to fund the activation of shelter beds and supportive services at the Bell Shelter;
4. Approve exceptions to competitive bidding ECB #496, #498498, and #500500 pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 2.24.240( i),
as further described in this report;
5. Direct staff to complete the Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) process to identify additional non-congregate interim housing locations in and around Santa Monica, and transition away from SaMoShel’s congregate style sheltering facility concurrent with the RFEI process;
6. Adopt a finding of statutory exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.10(c);
7. Authorize budget amendment as outlined in the Financial Impacts and Budget Actions section (requires five votes). 22 Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
23 Community Engagement Activities
Commissions and Committees
Human Services Commission
Housing Commission
Measure GS Committee
Focus Groups City Departments
Homeless Service Providers
Neighborhood Representatives
Friends of Sunset Park
Pico Neighborhood Association
Downtown Santa Monica Neighborhood with DTSM Inc.
Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition
Community Stakeholders
Santa Monica Renter’s Rights
Santa Monica Forward
Santa Monica College
Pico Business Improvement District
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Side-by-Side SMPD Data for Neighborhood Concerns
Metric Pre-Pathway Motel Pathway Home Era
Serious crime events Death, rape, burglaries, major vandalism Rare, lower severity Arrest footprint Present in older records Zero in 160-call CFS set Dominant call type Suspicious, disturbance, crime reports CHKSTA / PERCHK / 5150 On-site management Minimal / commercial motel County services + security Police posture Reactive to disorder Proactive welfare + outreach Outcome for clients Transient, high risk Pathway to permanent housing Item 11-B
July 28, 2026
Item 11-B
July 28, 2026