Two homeless housing projects that were slated for Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica have been terminated after complaints from residents and the city’s mayor.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath made the announcement on Monday. Weeks earlier, Horvath had placed the project on hold in order to give residents time to weigh in.
“When a project moves forward without community awareness, it erodes trust,” Horvath said in a statement. “In this case, that trust has been broken, and the community is right to be frustrated. That’s why I have directed the termination of the Ocean Avenue projects and directed (the Department of Mental Health) to work with St. Joseph Center and the city of Santa Monica to identify alternative sites that meet community needs.”
The projects would have provided 49 units of shelter to people with serious mental illness. As California City News discussed previously, Santa Monica only learned of the plans when the permits for necessary work were submitted for approval. There was no communication with the city or its residents beforehand. And if there was any analysis done on the impacts to the economy and tourism, those results were never shared. That’s crucial because Santa Monica is struggling with a decline in tourism that has contributed to serious fiscal challenges.
“What happened here revealed some real gaps in how the law divides responsibilities between the state, county and city when it comes to not only funding mental health facilities, but just the notification and community engagement,” Mayor Lana Negrete told The Los Angeles Times earlier this month. “I think everybody deserves to know what is happening in their community and to be able to voice their concern, and shouldn’t be chastised or villainized for having a response or a fear.”
Read more at My News LA.