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CC:HA - CONSENT ITEM: 1) Ratification of Acceptance of Local Solutions Fund Grant from the Westside Cities Council of Governments in the Amount of $1,012,171; 2) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of a Related Budget Amendment Appropriating the $65,000 in Remaining Grant Funds in Fiscal Year 2025-2026; and 3) Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates to Update Culver City's 2018 Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness By Re-evaluating Existing Short-Term and Long-Term Strategies to Address Homelessness in Culver City in an Amount Not-to- Exceed $60,000.
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Meeting Date: September 8, 2025
Contact Person/Dept.: Tevis Barnes/Housing and Human Services Department
Christina Stoffers-Himmelman/ Housing and Human Services Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-5780
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (09/04/2025), Advisory Committee on Housing and Homelessness (08/19/2025), Standing Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee (08/26/2025)
Department Approval: Tevis Barnes, Housing and Human Services Director, (08/28/2025) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council 1) ratify acceptance of a Local Solutions Fund grant from the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) in the amount of $1,012,171; 2) approve a related budget amendment appropriating the $65,000 in remaining grant funds in Fiscal Year 2025-2026 (requires a four-fifths vote); and 3) approve a professional services agreement with Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates to update Culver City's 2018 Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness by re-evaluating existing short-term and long-term strategies to address homelessness in Culver City in an amount not-to-exceed $60,000.
BACKGROUND
Homelessness is a regional crisis requiring collaboration between Los Angeles County, its 88 cities, and local COGs. The Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG)-which includes Culver City-supports this effort under the County's New Framework to End Homelessness. With funding from Los Angeles County, WSCCOG has disbursed grant dollars to it's member cities under the Local Solutions Fund. Local Solutions Fund dollars advance strategies to coordinate annual planning, prevent homelessness through problem-solving in services, connect outreach with local rehousing, house through permanent supportive housing, interim housing, and time-limited subsidies, and stabilize residents through eviction prevention. The total grant award to Culver City is $1,012,171. Since November 2023, Culver City has received $413,340 in Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and $373,125 in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 through the Local Solutions Fund grant. These funds have been primarily used to supplement the City's Motel Lease Program. There is $65,000 remaining in the grant.
City Council Policy No. 5002, the Financial Policies, Section XI, Grant Administration Policy, requires City Council approval for grants over $30,000. City Council did not formally accept the Local Solutions Fund grant from WSCCOG. Staff recommends Council ratify the acceptance of the Local Solutions Fund grant in the amount of $1,012,017.
Culver City continues to make meaningful progress in reducing homelessness through proactive efforts guided by its 2018 Homeless Plan. The 2025 Homeless Point-In-Time Count identified 105 unsheltered individuals-an 8.7% decrease from 115 in 2024 and a 68.5% drop from 177 in 2023. These numbers reflect the City's ongoing success in connecting unhoused residents with shelter, housing, and essential support services.
Following the 2023 Culver City Homelessness Emergency Declaration, the City has taken steps towards solving homelessness by proactively implementing the goals listed in the Culver City 2018 Homeless Plan (Homeless Plan). The following are some of the major Homeless Plan goals that Culver City has accomplished:
* Expanded affordable housing, including:
o Securing $26.6 million in state funds to convert motels into 38 interim and 35 permanent supportive housing units (Project Homekey)
o Leasing motels for 46 additional interim units
o Opening a 20-tent safe sleep interim housing site in 2023 (Wellness Village)
* Improved services, such as:
o Launching a Mobile Crisis Team
o Partnering with Healthcare in Action for street-based medicine
* Partnering with Urban Alchemy expanded 7-day a week homeless outreach and supportive services
* Enhanced prevention and community engagement, including:
o Implementing Rent Control and Tenant Protections Ordinances
o Hiring a homeless coordinator
o Launching a Homeless Dashboard (Aug 2024) and planning a Homeless Outreach Portal (Mar 2025)
See Attachment 1 for more information on the City's Homeless Plan.
With over five years since the Homeless Plan's inception, Housing and Human Services Department (HHS) recommended releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to obtain a consultant to review and update the Homeless Plan by exploring the City's existing resources as well as input from a variety of stakeholders to understand how the City can continue its efforts in addressing homelessness holistically.
On March 10, 2025, during a joint meeting of the City Council and Advisory Committee on Housing and Homelessness (ACOHH), the City Council authorized the HHS to issue an RFP for the Homeless Plan Update. The Homeless Plan Update RFP was officially released on April 29, 2025, with a submission deadline of May 29, 2025. HHS received proposals from two highly qualified firms: Lesar Development Consultants and Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates.
On July 15, 2025, a panel consisting of four HHS staff and an hoc subcommittee of two ACOHH members conducted interviews with both firms. Interviewers submitted their rater sheets on July 22, 2025. Although both firms were competitive, the majority of panelists recommended Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates based on their demonstrated expertise, proposed methodology, and alignment with the City's goals. Formal notifications were sent to both firms on July 29, 2025.
At the August 26, 2025, Standing Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee meeting, staff provided Council Members McMorrin and Fish with an update on the Homeless Plan process to date and presented the recommendation to engage Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates to complete the update. Both Council Members expressed alignment with the recommended next steps.Top of Form
HHS recommends Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates to update the City's Homeless Plan.
DISCUSSION
Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates Background
Since 2016, Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates has successfully designed and implemented comprehensive strategic plans to address homelessness for numerous cities across Los Angeles County, including West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, El Segundo, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Artesia.
The firm offers deep expertise in community outreach, stakeholder engagement, needs assessment, and data-driven analysis. They have a strong record of securing funding from federal, state, and private sources, and translating strategic goals into actionable, results-oriented plans. Their ability to manage complex, multi-agency projects, while incorporating community feedback and adapting strategies, accordingly, demonstrates their capacity to effectively support Culver City in updating its Homeless Plan.
Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates - Homeless Plan Update Scope of Work
Below is a six-month, collaborative, and data-driven process that includes community engagement, evaluation of past outcomes, and development of updated strategies, culminating in a new five-year homelessness plan and toolkit.
Phase 1 - Initial Research & Planning
* Kick-off meeting with City staff
* Develop a stakeholder engagement plan
* Prepare outreach collateral to re-orient stakeholders to the 2018 Homeless Plan
* Collect initial data (Census, LAHSA, law enforcement, public testimony, media reports)
Phase 0 & 2 - Postmortem & Stakeholder Engagement
* Conduct a postmortem of the 2018 Homeless Plan to assess progress and gaps
* Gather feedback from:
o City staff and officials
o Homeless service providers and contracted agencies
o Community stakeholders (businesses, BIDs, Chamber of Commerce, Julian Dixon Library)
o Residents and individuals with lived experience of homelessness
* Engagement methods: interviews, focus groups, surveys, written input (virtual + in-person)
Phase 2 (continued) - Summarization of Key Themes
* Analyze stakeholder input
* Produce Gaps Analysis and Asset Map to highlight existing resources, efforts, and remaining needs
Phase 3 - Draft Strategies & Plan Development
* Draft updated strategies for Culver City's Homeless Plan
* Prepare a staff report and a draft Housing & Homeless Toolkit
* Share drafts with City staff for review and refinement
Phase 4 - Presentations & Revisions
* Present draft plan and toolkit to:
o Advisory Committee on Housing & Homelessness
o Community members (public meetings)
o City Council
* Revise documents based on stakeholder and Council feedback
Final Deliverables include:
* Gaps Analysis & Asset Map
* Five-Year Homeless Plan
* Housing & Homeless Toolkit - resource for residents and businesses to understand homelessness, available services, and best practices for engagement.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The proposed professional services agreement with Jennifer Cree Swan & Associates for the one-time update of the City's Homeless Plan is $60,000. The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 includes $60,000 for this update in Account No. 10135100.619830 (Housing Administration - Other Contractual Services Homelessness) in the Housing and Human Services section of the budget book.
The remaining $65,000 in grant funds from the WSCCOG Local Solutions Fund can be used to offset the cost of this project to the General Fund. Staff recommends City Council approve a budget amendment appropriating the $65,000 for this purpose in Fiscal Year 2025-2026 (requires a four-fifths vote).
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2025-09-08 - ATT 2018 Homeless Plan
MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
1. Ratify acceptance of a Local Solutions Fund grant from the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) in the amount of $1,012,171;
2. Approve a related budget amendment appropriating the $65,000 in remaining grant funds in Fiscal Year 2025-2026(requires a four-fifths vote);
3. Approve a professional services agreement with Jennifer Cree Swan and Associates to update Culver City's 2018 Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness by re-evaluating existing short-term and long-term strategies to address homelessness in Culver City in an amount not-to-exceed $60,000;
4. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and,
5. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.