According to our latest Santa Monica Pulse poll, a majority of residents would be against requiring full proof of vaccination for patrons and employees of restaurants, theaters, personal care centers and government buildings in Santa Monica. 68 percent said they would be against such an ordinance, while another 29 percent said they would be in favor. The City Council recently delayed a vote on requiring vaccine passports to enter many Santa Monica businesses.

Homelessness remains a top concern in the city. Due to the pandemic, the annual homelessness count in LA County has been pushed back again — the last count was done in 2020. 90 percent of respondents said they believe there are more homeless individuals in Santa Monica now than in 2020. Only three percent said there were fewer now, and seven percent said there were the same amount of homeless individuals now as there were in 2020.

In an effort to better manage its homelessness crisis, the City Council recently requested a comprehensive report on its homelessness services. The city responded, but the report does not include outcomes or success rates for the city’s many initiatives. When asked if the City Council must obtain information on program outcomes in order to more effectively address the city’s homelessness crisis, 84 percent said “yes.” Only eight percent said “no,” and about seven percent were unsure.

To kick off the New Year, we also asked residents if they were more or less confident today in the city’s leadership than they were a year ago. 64 percent said they were less confident in their city’s leadership. This lack of confidence could be the result of the city’s hesitation to make any dramatic changes to its strategy on homelessness, despite increasing concern from several City Council members and community members. Only nine percent said they were more confident, while about a quarter (26 percent) said their confidence level had not changed since last year.