SANTA MONICA—On Monday, August 26, the city of Santa Monica posted on its Facebook page that after a successful pilot program, the city fully deployed the Homeless Support Team, or HoST. It is a permanent city team dedicated to keeping Santa Monica’s public spaces clean for all to enjoy.
HoST is now deployed across the entire city every weekday, proactively surveying neighborhoods for areas where debris and other waste have accumulated.
“Since its inception, HoST has retrieved more than ***180 TONS*** of debris throughout the city,” the city of Santa Monica stated on Facebook.
In September 2023, HoST launched with twice a week deployment to address encampment-related waste and debris in the city’s parks, beach, facilities, and other public spaces, and to assist the Police and Fire Departments with encampment removal efforts. The work was initially done through a contractor.
The program was fully deployed with a dedicated, in-house city team and equipment providing coverage five days a week. The team responds to complaints filed through the city’s 311 system and works closely with the Police Department’s Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team to remove waste from cleared encampments.
HoST is funded through voter-approved Measure CS, which increased the tax paid by visitors and guests of Santa Monica hotels, known as the transient occupancy tax, to fund efforts to address homelessness, improve 911 emergency response times, enhance public safety and clean public spaces.
By Trevor