Homeless Center Seeks New Home

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

October 25 -- For nearly a quarter century, St. Joseph's Service Center at the corner of Fourth and Rose avenues in Venice has been a destination for the homeless seeking respite from the street.

But change could soon bring a very different clientele to the street corner just half a block south of the Santa Monica border -- those seeking java and groceries.

The 6,000-square-foot property was recently sold to local architect and self-described “small time developer” Jason Teague, who envisions 12 to 25 units of condominiums or apartments atop "mom and pop style" coffee shops.

Now the non-profit and Teague are working together to fight against time, high-priced property and public opinion to find a new space for the drop-in center, which currently services nearly a hundred homeless people a day, some from Santa Monica.

"We've been giving services at that location for 24 years now," said Rhonda Meister, director of St. Joseph's. "And now we're looking for a comparable site in the commercial area or light manufacturing zone in Venice... closer to where the homeless population gathers."

Scores of people depend on the drop-in center to clean up, get some life coaching and take a breather from the hard knocks of the street, Meister said.

At the center, those without a home can take a shower, use the telephone, do laundry and pick up their mail. Counselors also offer case management, job training, housing and employment referrals, as well as emergency and advocacy services.

The center has helped spawn an untold number of success stories. In the last year alone, it has helped place 51 people in transitional housing and 62 in permanent housing. It has also found jobs for 75 homeless people.

Now the homeless center faces a challenge of its own: finding a new home.

"We've been working with the new owner who has been very accommodating," said Meister. "Despite our month-to-month lease, the new owner has assured us he will provide us a reasonable amount of time to move and not to rush our departure, and we believe he'll do that."

While Teague has said he would work with the non-profit to find a new site -- which St. Joseph's officials say could take as long as a year and a half -- his promise comes with some strings attached.

"It's not a carte blanche guarantee to St. Joseph's," said Teague. "If the neighborhood groups and (LA City Council member Bill) Rosendahl's office back the commercial development, then I'll be able to give St. Joe's all the time they'll need to look for a new place.

“However if I'm unable to do any commercial development, then we'll put houses up as fast as possible,” Teague said, “but we hope that's not the case."

If the commercial development falls through, Teague said he can’t afford to keep St. Joseph's on the site until it finds new a new home.

"I'm concerned about looking like the bad guy, but this is quite a financial strain, even just in the short-term," said Teague. "I'm not a big developer, and if I can't pay my mortgage the whole thing comes crashing down."

Already Teague has met with one neighborhood group -- which expressed some concern about the proposed project’s three-story height -- and plans to meet with a second, the Venice Grassroots Neighborhood Council.

Teague hopes the deal will go through as planned.

"I think we can manage it, everyone seems to be on the same page," he said. "I'm trying to get something that works better for both St. Joe's and the neighborhood. We're working to put it in a new place and give it more of a commercial buffer zone."

Both Meister and Teague suggested a site further South on Lincoln Boulevard as a possible new home for St. Joseph’s, and they are beginning a public relations campaign to make sure the neighbors welcome the center.

"We will work with any residents who are nearby and community groups to make sure they are comfortable with our new location," Meister said.

"We have about 100 people a day at the site, although not all at once,” she said. “They come and go, so we don't have large lines of folks waiting, maybe no more than 60 people on the site at one time. We also provide security."

While the service center helps numerous homeless people from Santa Monica, there has been no mention of moving in or closer to the City.

"Santa Monica is not on our radar, although we've always served a large portion of homeless individuals in the south part of the City," Meister said.