State of the City presentation provides relief plan
By Sakura Amano, Staff Writer
The annual State of the City presentation was held virtually on Wednesday,
Feb. 24, where community leaders including Chamber President Laurel Rosen, Congressman Ted Lieu, Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich and Interim City Manager Lane Dilg spoke upon the many topics currently surrounding the Santa Monica community.
The board discussion began with the prevailing concern for keeping small businesses alive in this difficult time and what community members can do in support. Facing an economic downturn more severe than any other since the Great Depression, more than 7,000 Santa Monica residents have become unemployed and 72 percent of businesses report struggling to cover their basic expenses.
“My mom is a freelance marketer who runs her own small business. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there aren’t many new companies starting up, which means less demand for advertisements,” Avery Smith (’23) said.
Due to this, community leaders have strongly stated that addressing homelessness, unemployment and food insecurity remain their top priorities. Santa Monica was one of the first cities in the nation to implement emergency measures to avoid evictions due to COVID-19 income loss. The city has provided over 600 families with direct rental assistance, as well as 145 senior households with cash-based assistance.
On top of these economic hardships, the city council also recognizes the disproportionate impact recent events have had on people of color in the community. Since the Black Lives Matter protests in Santa Monica on May 31, 2020, increased police response, training and education have been put in place. Crime rates have also decreased by 5.5 percent this year.
A relief plan outlined by the U.S. Senate allows for Santa Monica to receive an estimated $27 million in federal funding. In addition to this, the Santa Monica School District will also get approximately $9.3 million to help in the process of returning students to campus. Another topic discussed in the meeting concerning students were provisions set in place for the mental health of youth in Santa Monica during this pandemic. Santa Monica Mayor Sue Himmelrich revealed three levels of precautions taken surrounding this issue, including the Human Services Grants Program, counselors/professionals who are prepared to work with the city and families and services provided by L.A. County.
“I really appreciate the city’s efforts in caring for the mental health of students and youth, especially at a difficult time like this where a lot of people are struggling with a variety of issues,” Hieu Phan (’21) said.
With the decrease in COVID-19 cases, officials are now able to put their focus toward the unrelated subjects, as well as the reopening of Santa Monica schools, retail and restaurants. Despite the obstacles presented this past year, the city has stayed committed to providing the best possible circumstances for its residents.
“It was a very hard year, but this city is blessed by a team with personal and professional resilience and pride in public service that I will remain humbled and changed by forever,” Interim City Manager Lane Dilg said during the presentation.
Due to the collective efforts of officials, residents, workers and all others devoted to the city, Santa Monica looks forward to a better and brighter future, despite the setbacks of the pandemic.
