Mayor Addresses Homeless Housing Facilities

By Lana Negrete
Santa Monica Mayor

The recent announcement of 49 transitional housing units at two properties on Ocean Avenue has raised understandable questions and concerns in our community. To clarify: this project is not a City of Santa Monica housing program, nor was it initiated by the City.

From what I understand, the private property owner approached St. Joseph Center, a nonprofit housing provider, to offer the site -- previously a senior living facility -- as suitable for their interim housing program. With a property secured, St. Joseph’s became eligible to apply for a state-funded grant through the Department of Mental Health (DMH), under the jurisdiction and approval of the County of Los Angeles.

These discussions and the grant application happened without the City’s involvement or knowledge until permits were submitted for necessary building work. That’s when our City Manager informed the Council about the situation -- and I immediately shared the information with the public.

Since then, I’ve been working to push for transparency and communication from the appropriate agencies. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office has acknowledged that they also did not receive early communication from DMH and are working internally to improve that process going forward.

In my view, early, honest communication is essential -- not just to inform residents, but to ensure that concerns are validated and addressed through a clear safety plan and good neighbor policy. While State law restricts the ability of local municipalities to block these types of housing programs, we can and must advocate for better communication, safety oversight, and accountability.

If residents have concerns, l urge them to direct their feedback to the County Department of Mental Health, the Governor's Office, and other state agencies responsible for funding and regulating these projects. I am committed to using my platform to make sure your voices are heard -- but let's make sure we are directing that energy toward those who have actual decision-making authority in this process.

As to next steps, I’ve been assured by St. Joseph’s and the County that they will engage in outreach efforts in Santa Monica prior to the facilities opening later this month. In addition, I’ve advocated with our staff and am confident that our team is fully on board with assessing the City’s response through a lens of ensuring that local Santa Monica needs are prioritized.

To me, that means that our local public safety teams are fully informed and connected to the operations of the transitional housing facilities being funded by LA County, and that our social service support teams have the ability to access the facilities in a way that prioritizes Santa Monica residents who need care.

I’ll also be sharing additional details as relevant information becomes available, so stay tuned.