Printed as submitted. Emphasis choices were those of the Dem. Club For more on the realignment plan, aka Renaissance Plan, click here and/or here.
The Santa Monica Democratic Club Executive Board applauds the City Council and City Manager Oliver Chi for adopting the Santa Monica Realignment Plan, what we proudly call the Renaissance Plan for our city.
Over the past several years, Santa Monica has faced extraordinary challenges including economic instability, rising homelessness, and declining civic confidence. This plan represents a comprehensive, progressive roadmap for renewal that delivers on the promises our elected leaders ran and won on: rebuilding a fairer, more livable, and economically sustainable Santa Monica rooted in compassion, equity, and community well-being.
We see this plan as a clear enactment of progressive Democratic values in practice. It couples fiscal discipline with social investment, revitalizing our city while expanding fairness, housing opportunity, and shared prosperity. These are our Santa Monica Values — and they are now being put into action.
Key progressive achievements in this plan include:
- The new rental housing registry, which brings transparency and accountability to thousands of non-rent-controlled units in Santa Monica. This is a major step toward housing justice: ensuring tenants’ rights are protected, rents are tracked, and policy is informed by real data. It aligns Santa Monica with Democratic Party priorities for responsible housing oversight and tenant protection.
- The vacant property registration program, which discourages speculation and blight while encouraging the productive use of existing housing stock, a cornerstone of sustainable, equitable urban policy.
- Reduced parklet and sidewalk dining fees for local restaurants, which will sustain small businesses and neighborhood vitality by making it easier for our restaurants to thrive. Outdoor dining may have started as a Covid-era adjustment, but it has become a reflection of our city’s culture of openness, sustainability, and street life. Lowering these barriers to participation helps protect local jobs and preserves Santa Monica’s creative, small-business spirit.
- The “healing center” model for homeless services, which moves us away from temporary warehousing toward a compassionate and practical integrated approach grounded in mental health, addiction treatment, and long-term stability.
- The plan’s labor equity provisions, such as closing benefit gaps for non-sworn staff and prioritizing workforce wellness. These are strong pro-labor reforms that embody Democratic Party principles of fairness, dignity, and respect for public workers.
- A continued commitment to green infrastructure, Vision Zero safety upgrades, and urban forest restoration, all consistent with Santa Monica’s national leadership in climate action and environmental stewardship.
Together, these policies form a blueprint for progressive governance that does not pit fiscal responsibility against social progress, but treats them as mutually reinforcing. By investing in our people, our neighborhoods, and our small businesses, this plan builds a stronger and more equitable foundation for the city’s next generation. This is exactly why we worked so hard over the last two election cycles to elect leaders who would enact this kind of agenda.
We thank the City Council and City Manager Chi for their ambitious and balanced approach, which reflects the spirit of shared purpose that defines Santa Monica at its best. The Renaissance Plan proves that thoughtful, values-driven leadership can move our city forward, restoring the confidence, fairness, and vitality that make Santa Monica home.
- Executive Board, Santa Monica Democratic Club
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