1 David Yakobson
From: Rick Stoff <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2026 11:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Council meeting 8/11/26 agenda item 11A
EXTERNAL
Dear Council members,
Please consider leveraging Human Services grants by encouraging collaboration versus competition The Westside Coalition, represents over 50 local nonprofits and community groups, and you know that a crisis of need will be the norm going forward, and funding sources will shrink at the same time. I come to you as vice-chair of that group.
I am also co-chair of a local nonprofit that promotes volunteerism, Volunteer Collective, and a resident of Santa Monica, and a former Social Services Commissioner for Santa Monica.
It just makes sense to support groups whose mission is collaboration so nonprofits can increase their capacity to serve by sharing information and resources. Our combined voice raises awareness of the problems clients face, and empowers the community by offering them ways they can get involved and make a difference.
The money just goes further,
Please allow space for this kind of application as part of the Human Services Grant program, and let us show you how we have already made a difference by convening and cooperating Thank you
--
Rick Stoff
Vice Chair Westside Coalition
Board Co-Chair
Volunteer Collective
310-621-4986
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
volunteer-collective.org
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1 David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Van Denburgh <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 9:33 AM
To: Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Barry Snell; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; councilmtgitems
Cc: Oliver Chi; Liz Scharetg; [email protected]; Douglas Trussler; [email protected]
Subject: City Council Mtg. 8/11/26 - Item 3 - Public Input - Restore Reed Park WISE Diner program - M - F senior luncheon program at Jocelyn Hall in Reed Park
EXTERNAL
Mayor Torosis and City Council members,
Last September this Council adopted an Aging and Disability Action Plan. That plan specifically identified the WISE Diner at Reed Park as one of Santa Monica's community assets because it promoted food security and social participation for older adults. I would add it is also across the street from Westminster Tower, a 17 story senior housing building which is very walkable to Reed Park as well as the daily influx of Wise diners help to activate Reed Park during the day.
Ten months later, the Reed Park Wise Diner in Joselyn Hall was closed. That isn't implementation of the plan— it is the removal of one of the very programs the plan celebrated.
Before this program disappears permanently, the public deserves to know the facts. What did it cost? How many seniors attended? What would it cost to restore it for five days a week? Could another provider operate it? Those answers have never been presented publicly. I have reached out to Wise and Healthy and SM Human Services and have received no answer to these questions.
The closure letter tells seniors they can simply make the "short trip" to the 4th Street location. But a short trip for an able-bodied person is not necessarily a short trip for someone in their late seventies or eighties with mobility limitations. The City's own Aging and Disability Action Plan reports that more than one-third of Santa Monica's older adults live alone and disability rates rise to 42 percent among residents age 75 and older.
Geographic access matters.
Tonight I ask you to direct staff to return quickly with a plan and funding options to restore a congregate meal program at Reed Park and to ensure that neighborhood-based congregate meal programs remain an eligible priority in the next Human Services Grants Program which you will discuss in 11A today.
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2 Respectfully,
Elizabeth Van Denburgh
Chair, Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) Item 11-A
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1 David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Van Denburgh <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 10:16 AM
To: Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; councilmtgitems
Cc: Oliver Chi; Liz Scharetg; [email protected]; Douglas Trussler; [email protected]
Subject: City Council Mtg. 8/11/26 - Item 11A - Approval and Funding Guidelines and Authorization to Release Request for Proposals for Human Services Grants Program FY 2027-31
EXTERNAL
Mayor Torosis and City Council members,
I made the decision to speak to the closure of the WISE Diner senior luncheon program in Public Input because I was concerned that the City Attorney would state that issue wasn't part of this agenda item. I would like to point out a problem with resident feedback about real-time issues. They just are not addressed on a timely basis or at a minimum given basic information. While this agenda item has hundreds of pages of plans, analysis, reports, guidelines, recommendations it outlines nothing about how these "pages" are being monitored, issues identified, improvement identified with recommendations for implementation or report that the WISE diner program was cancelled in July, 2026. We start off with good ideas (maybe too many) but we seem to get lost in reporting how they are being implemented. We don't report against targets (operational) or budgets (except governmental financial budgets) and we continue to report processes performed but not how they are improving or not accomplishing the direction we want to go. The Realignment Plan is constantly identified as our strategy but it has yet yielded a budget or pro forma income statement to let us know if we are reaching financial sustainability for the large one-time cash disbursements we have spent on this program.
I have talked to two city council members and how is it they did not know the Reed Park WISE Diner program had been cancelled as of July 10, 2026 but are now asked to approved hundreds of pages of Human Services Grants Program FY 2027-31 Guidelines and Authorization but don't seem to know that the WISE Diner senior luncheon program was cancelled in July. I and Bruce Brown will stand/have stood before you in Public Input and given you our insight. Is really necessary that we have to show up to a City Council meeting to understand why this program was closed and only get one minute to talk. This is public written input I submitted today for Item 3 Public Comment - Restore Reed Park WISE Diner - M - F senior luncheon program at Jocelyn Hall:
"Mayor Torosis and City Council members,
Last September this Council adopted an Aging and Disability Action Plan. That plan specifically identified the WISE Diner at Reed Park as one of Santa Monica's community assets because it Item 11-A
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2 promoted food security and social participation for older adults. I would add it is also across the street from Westminster Tower, a 17 story senior housing building which is very walkable to Reed Park as well as the daily influx of Wise diners helping to activate Reed Park during the day.
Ten months later, the Reed Park Wise Diner in Joselyn Hall was closed. That isn't implementation of the plan—it is the removal of one of the very programs the plan celebrated.
Before this program disappears permanently, the public deserves to know the facts. What did it cost? How many seniors attended? What would it cost to restore it for five days a week? Could another provider operate it? What were the requirements to participate? Those answers have never been presented publicly. I have reached out to Wise and Healthy and SM Human Services and have received no answer to these questions.
The closure letter tells seniors they can simply make the "short trip" to the 4th Street location. But a short trip for an able-bodied person is not necessarily a short trip for someone in their late seventies or eighties with mobility limitations. The City's own Aging and Disability Action Plan reports that more than one-third of Santa Monica's older adults live alone and disability rates rise to 42 percent among residents age 75 and older. Geographic access matters.
Tonight I ask you to direct staff to return quickly with a plan and funding options to restore a congregate meal program at Reed Park and to ensure that neighborhood-based congregate meal programs remain an eligible priority in the next Human Services Grants Program which you will discuss in 11A today.
Respectfully,
Elizabeth Van Denburgh
Chair, Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont)" Respectfully,
Elizabeth Van Denburgh
Chair, Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) Item 11-A
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1 David Yakobson
From: Jennifer Cowan <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 10:55 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: 8/11/26 - Item 11. HSGP Funding Guidelines & RFP
EXTERNAL
Dear Councilmembers,
On behalf of Connections for Children (CFC), a current Human Services Grants Program (HSGP) recipient, thank you for the City of Santa Monica’s longstanding commitment to children and family wellbeing.
CFC supports the proposed HSGP priorities of housing and homelessness prevention and financial stability because aƯordable child care is foundational to both. Parents cannot remain employed, pursue education, or maintain stable housing without reliable care for their children.
In FY 2024-25, CFC provided child care subsidy assistance to 186 Santa Monica families and 247 children, helping parents remain employed and financially stable. Forty-three percent of these families were supported with HSGP funds, and more than $3 million in public child care subsidies flowed directly to local providers, supporting both families and Santa Monica’s child care economy.
But the gap between what families earn and what child care costs is growing.
In FY 2025–26, the average cost of licensed child care in Santa Monica was $1,755 per month per child, up 4% from $1,690 in FY 2024–25. That translates to more than $21,000 per year for one child. Tuition costs are even greater for licensed infant and toddler care, averaging over $2,300 per month.
The financial burden is particularly stark for families receiving CFC subsidies. In Santa Monica, the average monthly gross income for a two-person household currently using CFC subsidy services is just $2,190. At the current average cost of care, one month of child care represents approximately 80% of that household’s total gross monthly income—before paying for housing, food, transportation, utilities, or any other basic needs. It’s important to note that our Santa Monica funding allows us to serve slightly higher income families who would otherwise not qualify for any federal or state child care subsidies.
And the need is immediate. Thirty Santa Monica children are currently waiting on CFC’s eligibility list for subsidized child care. At the current average cost of $1,755 per month, fully addressing this existing gap would require approximately $631,800 more in annual HSGP funding.
These are not simply child care costs. They are costs that determine whether a parent can work, whether a family can remain housed, and whether a child has access to safe, stable early learning.
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2 Santa Monica’s investment in child care also invests in the approximately 88 licensed child care providers serving our community. These small businesses are essential infrastructure. When providers close, families lose care, parents lose the ability to work, and the broader local economy suƯers.
We urge the City Council to increase the total investment in the HSGP and prioritize child care as a critical component of economic opportunity and homelessness prevention. Continued and expanded investment in child care subsidy will help families remain housed, parents remain in the workforce, children access high-quality care, and local child care providers remain viable.
Investing in child care is an investment in the stability and long-term wellbeing of Santa Monica. CFC remains committed to partnering with the City and our fellow non-profit social service agencies to ensure Santa Monica’s youngest residents and their families have the support and resources they need to thrive.
Thank you for your consideration.
Regards,
Jennifer Cowan
Jennifer Cowan
Chief Executive OƯicer
5901 W. Century Blvd., Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90045
P: (310) 452-3325, Ext. 201
F: (310) 452-3984
www.connectionsforchildren.org
Make a diƯerence for our youngest learners. Donate today! Item 11-A
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3 David Yakobson
From: Jill Cipresso, SM Early Childhood Task Force <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 11:39 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Jennifer Cowan; Erika Bell
Subject: 11. A. Approval of Funding Guidelines and Authorization to Release Request for Proposals for Human Services Grants Program FY 2027-31
EXTERNAL
Dear Councilmembers,
On behalf of the Santa Monica Early Childhood Task Force (ECTF), thank you for your continued investment in the Human Services Grants Program (HSGP) and for the thoughtful engagement that shaped these proposed guidelines.
The ECTF is a cross-sector community collaborative united by a shared belief that every child in Santa Monica, regardless of zip code, family income, or other circumstances, deserves a strong and nurturing start in life. We offer the following comments in support of approximately 3,600 Santa Monicans under the age of five and the families who love and care for them.
We support City staff's recommendation to approve the FY 2027-31 HSGP funding guidelines, including the proposed funding areas of Housing and Homelessness Prevention, Health and Wellness, and Financial Stability, as these priorities directly contribute to child and family wellbeing.
We are encouraged to see child care subsidies recognized as a critical strategy to supporting financial stability.
At the same time, we want to make something clear: current HSGP funding is not enough to meet the needs of Santa Monica families facing rising costs. Affordable, reliable child care allows parents to work, pursue education, maintain housing, and remain financially stable. Without it, many families face impossible choices that can quickly lead to economic hardship and housing instability. As the cost of living continues to rise, public investments like the HSGP are increasingly important to helping families remain connected, employed, and housed. A reality reflected in the community input staff gathered, where residents named child care costs among their greatest financial pressures.
Increase Funding for Child Care Subsidies
The staff report acknowledges that even at $11 million, HSGP funding "has not kept pace with local community needs," and far too many of the current programs maintain a waitlist. This gap is acutely felt in early childhood, where only 18% of eligible children in Los Angeles County were enrolled in subsidized care as of 2024, and the Governor's proposed budget includes no new subsidy funding. Local dollars matter more than ever. As staff prepare funding recommendations in Spring 2027, we urge the Council to prioritize a meaningful increase in child care subsidies by increasing the total HSGP funding available, raising subsidy amounts to reflect the true cost of quality care, expanding income eligibility to reach more working families, and encouraging outreach to eligible families not yet enrolled.
Sustain and Strengthen Local Child Care Providers
Investment in child care is also an investment in Santa Monica's small businesses. Early educators struggle to survive under rising rents, staffing shortages, and increasing costs, yet they provide the essential care that allows families to work and children to thrive. These programs are the backbone of our local early care and education system, and some, like Growing Place at Marine Park, serve a dual role - caring for City employees Item 11-A
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4 while welcoming neighborhood families. Without greater public investment, Santa Monica risks losing the infrastructure that working families depend on daily. We encourage the RFP to also support the financial sustainability of child care providers.
Quality, affordable child care is not a luxury, it is a foundation for children's healthy development, family economic stability, and a thriving Santa Monica community. We thank the Council and City staff for their continued commitment to early childhood and look forward to the grant program reflecting these priorities.
Respectfully submitted,
Santa Monica Early Childhood Task Force
Erika Bell, Co-Chair
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To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. https://www.earlychildhoodsm.org/
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