SANTA MONICA, CA — Brett Morrow was born in Riverside and grew up in Corona, California, before attending several colleges and graduating from California State University, Los Angeles, in 2012 with a degree in political science and a minor in behavioral economics.
As a child, he dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player before deciding he might be better suited to teaching elementary school. Instead, he pursued a career in public service and now serves as chief communications officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Morrow has lived in Santa Monica for almost three years, moving from West Los Angeles with his wife, who was born and raised in the city. The couple wanted their daughter, now approaching her fourth birthday, to grow up in the same community and attend its schools. The family recently moved from the Wilmont neighborhood to northeast Santa Monica, just days before this interview. Morrow says he quickly fell in love with the city and hopes to raise his family there permanently.
A former chair of Santa Monica's Human Services Commission, Morrow has helped advise the city on homelessness initiatives, including the development of the SAMO Bridge program. Making his first run for elected office, he is campaigning on housing affordability, safer streets, economic revitalization and converting Santa Monica Airport into a 192-acre public park.
What is Santa Monica getting wrong about homelessness today, and what would you do differently?
One thing Santa Monica is getting right is moving toward greater accountability. With changes happening at the county level and within LAHSA, the city will have more responsibility for the results of its homelessness programs rather than simply handing people off to community partners without necessarily knowing what happens next.
I believe we need to invest more heavily in services, particularly for people at risk of eviction. There's an argument that the overwhelming majority of people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica come from somewhere else, but I don't necessarily believe that.
People who already live here can lose their housing for any number of reasons. We need to identify those at risk, provide additional support before they become homeless and make sure people who do end up on our streets have a realistic path back into housing.
What measurable result would convince you that a city-funded homelessness program is working, and what result would cause you to stop funding it?
I want to see improvements across the board. Are fewer people sleeping outside or living in their cars? Are more people getting into housing? Are overdose deaths decreasing?
These challenges need to be addressed individually, but they're also interconnected. We should look at the overall results rather than focusing on a single number. I think it's disingenuous when politicians promise to reduce homelessness by 30 or 40 percent within a particular period. Circumstances constantly change, and those promises have been made across the country.
What matters is being committed to results and willing to change course when something isn't working. We did that frequently during COVID at the Department of Public Health. If an approach wasn't producing results, we adapted. That's how I would approach homelessness programs.
What should happen when someone living on the street repeatedly refuses an offer of shelter, treatment or services?
We have to distinguish between someone experiencing homelessness and someone committing a crime. Being homeless itself should not automatically mean someone is arrested, but if a person commits a crime, they should be held accountable.
I'm not in favor of simply arresting people and moving them somewhere else. That can create a cycle of citations, incarceration, debt and desperation that makes their circumstances worse.
I support approaches such as SAMO Bridge, which I helped advise on as chair of the Human Services Commission. It gives eligible unhoused individuals facing potential citations an opportunity to participate in services and potentially have those citations dismissed.
The program has exceeded its initial participation expectations, and several dozen people have completed it. That's a more constructive approach than simply arresting people who refuse services. We need accountability, but also a genuine opportunity for people to improve their circumstances.
What's your default karaoke song?
The theme song from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Everybody knows it, so the whole room sings along and you're not up there by yourself.
What song or band makes you crank up the volume in the car?
Jay-Z or Tupac.
Santa Monica Airport is scheduled to close at the end of 2028. What, specifically, do you believe should replace it?
A great park. All 192 acres. Full stop. I'm unapologetic about that, and I won't budge.
The airport site is roughly 192 acres and converting it will be enormously expensive. How much should Santa Monica taxpayers be expected to pay for the project, and where should the rest of the money come from?
There are several potential funding sources. Once the airport closes, we could continue leasing existing business spaces on the property, which I believe generate somewhere close to $20 million annually in gross revenue.
We should also pursue philanthropic contributions from corporations and wealthy individuals, along with state and other grant funding. The Great Park Coalition has already received grants to study the possibilities, and other major park conversions have attracted substantial public investment.
The money is out there, and I'm committed to helping find it. This park would be an economic driver, improve physical and mental health, and provide open space for residents, particularly renters who don't have their own backyards.
People questioned whether New York City's Central Park was worth the investment when it was created. More than 150 years later, I think the answer is obvious. Santa Monica has an opportunity to create something equally transformative.
What's your guilty-pleasure TV show?
I don't watch much television, but I spend a ridiculous amount of time watching YouTube videos about making pizza. I make my own dough and sauce, and now I'm exploring making my own cheese. My wife will come downstairs and find me watching another pizza tutorial.
When was the last time you took public transport and where was it to?
I took the Big Blue Bus to the State of the City event.
What is the single most important thing City Hall can do in the next two years to bring businesses and residents back to Third Street Promenade?
We need to keep activating the Promenade and make it somewhere people want to spend time, rather than relying on traditional retail. Shopping habits have changed, and more people are working remotely. We can't assume the office workers who once came downtown for lunch or shopping will simply return.
Events such as the World Cup celebrations demonstrated how successful the Promenade can be when we give people a reason to visit. The Santa Monica Block Fest has also attracted large crowds, and expanding events like that is exactly the approach we need. But we can't rely on the World Cup or the 2028 Olympics. We need regular programming, outdoor dining, entertainment, comedy clubs, bars and other experiences that bring people downtown throughout the year.
Santa Monica has an incredible location and reputation, but previous councils sometimes seemed to assume people would always come here. We have to keep working to make downtown a destination.
Is downtown Santa Monica fundamentally suffering from a public-safety problem, a business-model problem or a development problem, and what role should new housing play in its recovery?
It's a combination of all three, and they're interconnected. If people don't feel safe, they're less likely to visit. At the same time, the traditional retail model has changed, and some landlords face financial disincentives to lowering rents because doing so could affect their property valuations.
Housing is a major part of the solution. I support concentrating new development downtown and along our main commercial corridors, along with exploring adaptive reuse opportunities, including underused industrial buildings along Olympic Boulevard that could potentially become lofts or townhomes.
If we create more housing downtown, those residents will support restaurants, shops and entertainment venues. Combined with making the Promenade more experiential, that can help rebuild the local economy.
Who would you most hate to be stuck in a lift with?
Donald Trump. Although, having watched the opening scene of "Speed," I'm not particularly keen on being stuck in a lift with anybody.
What's your most irrational superstition or habit?
I don't really have any superstitions, which sometimes drives my wife crazy. I can't think of a particularly irrational habit either.
Does Santa Monica have a revenue problem or a spending problem, and if finances deteriorate, what specifically would you be prepared to cut or change?
Municipal finances are complicated, and I think many people assume everything comes from one big pot of money. In reality, there are different funding sources, grants and obligations that determine how money can be spent.
We have a revenue problem because revenues have declined, and it's possible we also have spending problems depending on where the money is going. What I would not support is cutting services for our most disadvantaged communities, including Pico residents, renters and people who have historically lacked resources. Removing those supports would only make their circumstances worse.
If reductions became necessary, I would examine infrastructure and capital improvement projects that could potentially be delayed, provided doing so would not create an immediate health or safety risk.
Who was your childhood hero?
Orel Hershiser and Michael Jackson when I was younger, followed by Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant became my ultimate hero when I was older.
What's the most recent book you gave up on, and why?
I was reading a book about how Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party gained power in Germany during the early 1930s, particularly the elections and the dismantling of democratic institutions.
I found it fascinating, but once the campaign started, I simply ran out of time. Between working full time, raising our daughter and campaigning late into the evening, there hasn't been much opportunity to read.
Has Santa Monica gone too far, not far enough or roughly the right distance in redesigning streets around bicycles and pedestrians, and would you support removing or substantially redesigning a project that was shown to create new safety or access problems?
I'm absolutely in favor of creating safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians. Streets belong to everybody, not just people driving cars, but it's also a learning process, and we need to examine individual projects to see what's working.
I'm particularly interested in the Santa Monica Boulevard safety study. Some improvements on the eastern side may not happen until 2027 or 2028 because of grant funding schedules, and I think we should establish a dedicated local funding source to complete urgent safety projects more quickly.
One possibility would be earmarking some of the additional revenue from the city's recently restructured parking arrangements. I've also spoken with high school students who raised concerns about certain protected bicycle lanes, where turning drivers may not see approaching cyclists. We need to take those concerns seriously and make adjustments when necessary.
Ultimately, the biggest contributor to traffic is cars. We should make public transportation, cycling and walking safer and more convenient without pretending those alternatives will work for everybody.
What's the worst job you've ever had?
I have two. When I was about 15, I worked at the roasted corn stand at Tom's Farms in Corona, standing beside an extremely hot oven when the outside temperature could reach 105 degrees. I also sold restaurant coupon books door to door in places including Victorville, Lancaster and Hemet. That was rough.
What completely different job would you secretly love to do?
I'd love to work in a record store or somewhere like Blockbuster Video, if it still existed. I love movies and music, and spending my days talking about them sounds fantastic.
Santa Monica faces major decisions over the future of both the Civic Auditorium and Bergamot Station. What should happen to each, and how much should preserving their existing cultural uses influence those decisions?
I'd love to see the Civic Auditorium restored as a major cultural and entertainment venue. My wife performed there with her orchestra when she was growing up, so there's a personal connection for our family.
It could become an economic driver again, attracting performances and events while preserving an important part of Santa Monica's cultural history. I'm encouraged by the city's negotiations with Goldenvoice/AEG Presents to explore restoring and operating the venue, and I'd like to see those discussions lead somewhere.
At Bergamot Station, I believe we can preserve the arts community while making better use of valuable city-owned land. I support exploring affordable housing there, provided the artists and galleries have a genuine opportunity to return, potentially occupying ground-floor spaces in a new development.
We shouldn't have to choose between housing and the arts. The challenge is finding a way to accommodate both while making better use of the property.
When did you last do something for the very first time?
Running for office. I always told myself I would never do it, and here I am.
Do you have any tattoos?
Yes, quite a few. I've also had quite a few removed. I used to have a full sleeve of tattoos, but I had them removed.
Should Santa Monica continue challenging state housing mandates, or accept that Sacramento has largely removed the city's discretion and concentrate on deciding where new housing goes?
We should continue working with the state to meet its housing requirements rather than fighting them and risking falling out of compliance.
We've already seen what happens when the city loses control of that process through the builder's remedy. It creates the possibility of developments such as 23-story buildings, which isn't necessarily what I want for Santa Monica.
I believe we should meet the state's requirements while retaining as much local control as possible over how and where housing is built. That means planning carefully, being thoughtful about density and making decisions that benefit both existing residents and the people who will eventually call Santa Monica home.
Does Santa Monica need substantially more housing, and if so, where should it be built? Would you concentrate most new development downtown even if that means substantially taller buildings, and what areas should be protected from additional density?
Yes, we need substantially more housing, including affordable, market-rate, workforce, student and family-sized housing. I'm particularly passionate about housing that allows families to remain in Santa Monica. Too many people love living here but eventually find they can't afford to raise their children in the city.
I support concentrating additional development downtown and along our major commercial corridors, where more residents can support businesses and use existing transportation infrastructure.
When it comes to established single-family neighborhoods, including north of Montana and Sunset Park, I favor a more incremental approach. There was considerable concern about the effects of state laws such as SB 9 and SB 1123, but I don't believe the dramatic changes some people predicted have materialized.
No neighborhood is necessarily completely protected from additional housing under state law, but at the city level, I would prefer to see how incremental changes work before imposing substantially greater density requirements on those communities.
We need to build more housing while making sure the process is thoughtful, practical and appropriate for Santa Monica's future.
Brett's campaign website is brettmorrowforcitycouncil.com
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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