Addressing Homelessness: City Council approves new Renters’ Protection Program
March 12, 2025 2:29 PM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 12, 2025) – The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday approved a new Renters’ Protection Program to help prevent homelessness and keep vulnerable Santa Monicans housed.
About 70 percent of Santa Monica residents rent their homes, and according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 32 percent of these households are considered housing “at risk,” bringing in less than 80 percent of area median income and spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.
The Renters Protection Program is a key component of the city’s efforts to prevent homelessness, a priority in the city’s newly completed Homelessness Strategic Plan.
“Santa Monica has long been a leader in homelessness prevention, implementing proactive programs to keep people housed,” Housing and Human Services Director Heather Averick said. “With Santa Monica’s challenging housing market and high number of renters, a robust Renters’ Protection Program is key to helping vulnerable residents remain in their homes.”
The program implements a two-pronged program approach:
- Expand the city’s Right to Counsel Program, which offers participants access to either full scope legal representation in eviction cases or limited legal services, including legal advice or assistance with filing court documents or completing fee waivers.
- Create a new Flexible Financial Assistance Program for Santa Monica renters at risk of eviction, with three categories of financial assistance:
- Immediate one-time assistance up to a maximum of $5,000 per household, per year, for households at risk of losing housing due to a financial emergency.
- Ongoing monthly assistance, totaling no more than $10,000 annually, to help households maintain housing.
- Up to $20,000 in financial assistance for households in Unlawful Detainer cases that receive legal services from the Right to Counsel program to prevent eviction or, for those who lose their case, to support relocation expenses.
Both programs will be available to Santa Monica households earning 80 percent of the Area Median Income or less, with prioritization based on vulnerability factors.
The city will identify and select external partners to administer each program, with an implementation timeline of 12 to 18 months.
The first year of the programs will be funded using $7 million in voter-approved Measure GS funds and $1 million from a one-time Prohousing Incentive Program grant.
Staff plan to phase in the programs, scaling them up over the course of five years based on available resources and demand. This five-year implementation will enable staff to develop a greater understanding of ongoing funding needs and assess program performance.
Read the City of Santa Monica Renters’ Protections Program: Analysis, Key Findings and Recommendations report or the full Homelessness Strategic Plan staff report.
Media Contact
Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer
Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov