Clean & Safe: The Homeless Support Team (HoST) expands

Title: Clean & Safe: The Homeless Support Team (HoST) expands

August 23, 2024 8:49 AM
by Jose "Jay" Aguilar

After a successful pilot program, the city of Santa Monica has fully deployed the Homeless Support Team, or HoST, creating a permanent city team dedicated to keeping Santa Monica's public spaces clean for all to enjoy.

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. This work was initially done through a contractor.

The program has now been fully deployed with a dedicated, in-house city team and equipment providing coverage five days a week.

HoST is now deployed across the entire city every week, proactively surveying neighborhoods for areas where debris and other waste have accumulated, particularly in known "hotspots."

The team also 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.

As of the end of July, HoST has retrieved more than 180 tons of debris throughout the city, of which 65 tons were collected since the in-house team was deployed in May.

HoST operates out of the Promenade Maintenance Division of the Public Works Department, and team members receive special training to keep themselves and the community safe, including ladder, workplace, respiratory and bloodborne pathogen safety training as well as training in de-escalation, Narcan use, encampment cleanup hazards and more.

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. It is one of many efforts by the city in Addressing Homelessness and keeping Santa Monica Clean & Safe.

Authored By

Jose "Jay" Aguilar
Custodial Services Administrator

Categories

Other Services, Recycling and Trash, Services