Santa Monica City Council Re-Ratifies Local Homeless Emergency Declaration

Santa Monica, CA - The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday voted to re-ratify the city's local emergency declaration on homelessness, extending the measure through December 31, 2026.

The declaration, first approved unanimously by the council in February 2023, enables the city to accelerate programs and services aimed at addressing homelessness and preventing residents from becoming unhoused. City officials say it facilitates faster hiring, expanded funding opportunities, and streamlined processes to respond to the ongoing crisis.

According to a staff report prepared by City Attorney Heidi Von Tongeln, the resolution renews the 2025 proclamation first adopted in March 2025. Officials cited persistent conditions including an increase in public safety calls for service related to the homeless population, encampments, public deaths, arson, and vandalism.

The city has approved multiple extensions and renewals since the initial declaration, with votes occurring throughout 2025 and into 2026. Tuesday's action, taken as part of the consent calendar, continues the policy more than three years after its original adoption.

Santa Monica's move stands in contrast to neighboring Los Angeles, where Mayor Karen Bass ended the city's homelessness emergency declaration last year, stating that permanent tools were in place to sustain the response.

City leaders maintain that the emergency declaration remains necessary amid the regional homelessness crisis to secure outside funding and expand housing and support services for unhoused individuals and those at risk. The council meeting took place at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers.