By Jorge Casuso

December 16, 2025 -- A letter Wednesday from County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath seeking to clarify the City Council's "varied positions" on housing for mentally ill homeless individuals elicited very different responses from the outgoing and incoming mayors.

The December 10 letter -- sent to Mayor Caroline Torosis the day after she was sworn in as mayor to replace Councilmember Lana Negrete -- seeks to clarify the Council's relationship with the County.

In the letter, Horvath worries that "recent public comments" made by Negrete "have raised questions about whether this partnership remains the collective position of the City Council."

The comments centered on the controversial Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) program on Ocean Avenue that Horvath terminated after community outcry and intensive lobbying from Negrete ("Ocean Avenue Mental Health Projects Pulled," October 27, 2025).

"At last week’s North of Montana neighborhood meeting," Horvath wrote, "Councilmember Lana Negrete asked my staff to commit to not siting BHBH within Santa Monica, asserting that the City has already 'done its fair share.'"

"Yet in September, at a Hollywood Chamber event, Councilmember Negrete asked me when the County would be investing in additional treatment beds -- a notably different message in that setting.

"I continue to hear from various Councilmembers and community leaders who are calling for increased County investment in behavioral health resources and additional beds within the City," Horvath wrote.

"In light of these varied positions, and to ensure we proceed in a way that aligns with the City’s collective direction, I am seeking clarification on the Council’s shared vision to address the very present mental health needs in the community and to move forward effectively and collaboratively."

Negrete was first to respond. In an email to Horvath, she wrote: "Message received. Santa Monica’s position has been clear and consistent."

In her email, Negrete noted the Council had "unanimously supported" an item she had placed on the October 28 agenda that took steps to make the process for new homeless housing facilities more transparent ("Council Votes to Make Homeless Housing Projects More 'Transparent,'" November 3, 2025).

"Your letter," Negrete wrote, "raises questions that should be addressed openly:

"Why was BHBH paused if it remains an urgent priority for the County?

"Why restructure LAHSA (the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) without building the County-run clinical treatment capacity needed to support individuals humanely and effectively?

"Why do County-funded programs and transportation continue concentrating the region’s behavioral-health and homelessness crisis into a few cities without adequate infrastructure?

"And to move forward constructively, I have to ask directly," Negrete wrote. "Is your request for clarification intended to advance collaborative problem-solving, or is it meant to serve a political point?"

"Given the scale of this crisis and its regional impact, I believe the next appropriate step is an open public meeting involving County leadership, city partners, service providers, and residents."

The residents, Negrete said, should come from "across SPA 5," the Service Planning Area in Horvath's District composed of 21 communities in the West Los Angeles area.

"The public deserves honesty about the purpose of this exchange," the former mayor wrote. "Transparency and shared ownership will build the trust required to deliver real outcomes."

The response to Horvath's letter sent by Torosis and newly seated Mayor Pro tem Jesse Zwick offered a stark contrast in tone, while sharing the goal of spreading County services across the region.

Instead of calling for an open public meeting, the letter "respectfully" requested "a direct conversation" with the Supervisor.

Their letter on City stationary -- dated December 10 -- emphasized that Santa Monica has been a committed partner of the County with a Homelessness Strategic Plan "designed to align local efforts with County systems of care."

In their letter, Torosis, the County's Senior Deputy of Workforce Development, and Zwick, "reaffirm the City’s continued willingness to work collaboratively with you and Los Angeles County to address the regional homelessness challenges we collectively face."

The Councilmembers said they were "encouraged to learn that your office has identified a new Behavioral Health Bridge Housing site elsewhere within SPA 5" and called expanding the program regionwide "essential."

"Santa Monica has been clear and consistent in its interest in working closely with the County to expand access to mental-health services, addiction treatment, and supportive housing," the letter said.

"These challenges require coordinated planning, transparent communication, and alignment across jurisdictions.

"Our City Council has repeatedly affirmed its support for pursuing solutions that reflect the scale and urgency of this crisis, and we remain ready to continue partnering accordingly," the letter said.