Letter: Clarifying NOMA's position re Horvath's letter to City Council
December 15, 2025
Re: Clarifying Our Community’s Position Re: December 10, 2025 Correspondence to City Council
Dear Mayor Torosis and Members of Santa Monica City Council,
The North of Montana Association (NOMA) writes in response to the December 10, 2025 letter to the Santa Monica City Council, in which Supervisor Horvath requested clarification regarding the City’s position on homelessness.
As the neighborhood most recently affected by County policy regarding homeless mental health facilities (413 and 825 Ocean Avenue), and because several members of our community brought this letter to our attention (see attached), we want to make sure the Santa Monica City Council and Supervisor Horvath has no misunderstanding of our community's continued position.
Our neighborhood has been consistent in its support of the Santa Monica City Council's recently unanimously adopted Item 16-F, introduced by Mayor Emerita Lana Negrete. The community continues to strongly support that item because it established a clear, actionable framework for how County-led behavioral health initiatives should be planned, communicated, and implemented.
Our community also recognizes the dire need for mental health services and housing for our unhoused population. We have objected to the process, by which this has been handled and that is what 16-F seeks to resolve for ALL neighborhoods in Santa Monica.
As the County moves forward with future projects in Santa Monica, the associated costs and services provided by these projects must be for people from Santa Monica (who lived in Santa Monica before becoming unhoused) and who are not imported from other parts of the County OR from other parts of SPA 5.
In light of Supervisor Horvath's December 10, 2025 letter, NOMA wants to be explicit about what our community expects from the County moving forward:
First, early and bi-directional engagement must occur before sites are selected, funds are committed, or renovations begin. Community engagement cannot occur after decisions are effectively irreversible. Transparency after the fact is not transparency.
Second, County investments must be grounded in documented needs assessments and regional equity (i.e. across Los Angeles County and specifically within SPA 5), with clear explanations for why particular sites are being advanced, how they align with local service capacity, and how impacts will be mitigated.
Third, the County must operate within a clear communications framework, including designated points of contact, accessible project information, and advance notice to City leadership and affected neighborhoods whenever sites are under consideration.
Fourth, projects (i.e. program operators and property owners) must be subject to performance accountability, including measurable outcomes, public reporting, and a mechanism to adjust or rescind approvals if facilities fail to meet agreed-upon standards or impose unaddressed community impacts.
Fifth, adequate County and local resources are available and committed to deal with potential ancillary and public safety impacts of the project, such as first responder availability/coordination, crisis intervention teams, code enforcement and security planning including site security, lighting and neighborhood safety protocols.
We urge all stakeholders at the City, and the County, to treat Item 16-F as the baseline operating standard for County engagement in Santa Monica. Doing so will eliminate mixed signals, reduce conflict, and allow all parties to focus on delivering effective treatment solutions that are equitable, accountable, and publicly supported.
NOMA appreciates your attention and continued support of the framework outlined in 16-F.
We also hope that you will clarify, for the County, that The City of Santa Monica's position (as unanimously expressed by your recent support of 16-F) is a transparent, solutions-focused dialogue consistent with these expectations.
Sincerely,
The Board of NOMA
CC: Supervisor Horvath and City Manager, Oliver Chi
