Santa Monica City Council declares homelessness state of emergency
The Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to declare a state of emergency on homelessness. That follows several recent declarations in cities across the Southland. Rick Montanez reports the state of emergency takes effect immediately.
The city council says this will help them streamline a comprehensive approach to the homelessness problem in the city.
At last count, there were approximately 800 unhoused people in the city, an 11-percent drop from the 2020 count.
The city wants to increase offering housing, mental health services and rental assistance.
The city says it's seen an increase in police calls for service related to homelessness increase in 2022:
Calls for service:
- 2021: 18,564
- 2022: 19,946
Response to homeless encampments:
- 2021: 1,630
- 2022: 1,879
Fire department calls for service:
- 2021: 2,672
- 2022: 3,017
The City of Santa Monica reports:
- 20 public death cases in 2022
- Outdoor fires and arson grew from 300 in 2021 to nearly 400 in 2022
- $4 million spent on cleaning restrooms, showers and public spaces