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Venice News Updates

News of Venice, CA and Marina del Rey CA

HCIDLA Requests Authority Report Recommendations

Posted by :reta On : January 19, 2018
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Category: Homeless Committee, Homeless Community Investment Department of Los Angeles

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By Darryl DuFay

Note:   This is to let readers know more of what is happening to the funds for the homeless and the criteria being established. The four-page report can be accessed at http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2017/17-0090-s2_rpt_MAYOR_11-03-2017.pdf  DuFay has highlighted the important aspects of the report.

Homelessness and Poverty Committee reported 17 January that they will be moving forward with the request to send to the Mayor the current rules and regulations report for release and use of the HHH money.  This is a summary of the changes made following the thirty-day public comment period, which ended October 14, 2017.

The Opening Paragraph

The Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCIDLA) requests authority from the Mayor and City Council to approve the recommendations contained in this report relative to the release of the 2017 Proposition HHH Permanent Supportive Housing Loan Program (HHH) Regulations with proposed revisions; and, open the 2017 HHH Call for Projects (CFP) to solicit developer applications for funding. 

Supportive Service Plans

Several comments were also made stating that the case management ratio should be changed from one full time equivalent (FTE) staff member per 15 units for the chronically homeless. HCIDLA agrees to one FTE per 20 units, and has made the appropriate changes as reflected in the attached modified regulations.

It was also stated that the LA County Health Agency in lieu of Supportive Services Plan will specify what supportive services are to be funded by Measure  H.

Asset Management

According to the Proposition HHH ballot measure, a maximum of 20% of the total of HHH funding can be used toward non-PSH affordable housing.

Geographic Distribution

This assessment comprehensively analyzes the disparities in access to opportunities people face, ranging from racial or ethnic segregation; unequal educational, job, or transportation options; to disproportionate housing needs. The goal is to increase housing choice for all community members by taking meaningful actions to foster inclusive communities free from barriers and encourage integrated and balanced living patterns. 

Implementation Plan

This was the proposed calendar.  Dates have all been slipped.  Use dates as a reference.

mayor

 

VNC Homeless Committee’s Friends and Family Program to be City-Wide? To be Used by 97 Other Neighborhood Councils?

Posted by :reta On : December 21, 2017
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Category: Homeless, Homeless Committee, Venice Neighborhood Council

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The Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) Homeless Committee, chaired by Will Hawkins, is setting an example for the City and for other neighborhood councils to follow regarding their Friends and Family Reunification Program.

“We are proud to announce that since the Venice reunification program launched in December 2016 we have housed and/or reunited 26 people,” wrote Hawkins. “During our last Home for the Holidays campaign with Safe Place for Youth we reunited six people with their families, saving the city $2,418,000 in housing and services costs.”

Councilwoman Nury Martinez of CD 6 presented the city council with a motion during the November meeting asking that the City investigate the feasibility of a stand alone city-wide Friends and Family Reunification Program starting in 2018 with a pilot program in her district.. The city council will vote on this initiative in January 2018.

“We’re working directly with Mayor Garcetti and his Deputy of Homeless Affairs Alisa Orduna to replicate our reunification program in all 97 Neighborhood District Councils with a goal of reuniting 1,000 people in 2018,”

This year the committee brought in guest speakers from St. Joseph Center, Safe Place for Youth, SHARE, USC school of architecture, and Venice Community Housing to better inform the community as to what is being done by others and what is available.

The committee started “guest members” who would serve four to five months. The purpose was to bring in new perspectives.

These are some of the motions made this year.

Homeless Storage Pilot Program 3rd/Rose
Providing 60 Gallon containers for all those registered in the city Coordinated Entry Program to lessen the amount of personal property left on the street and to assist LAPD and Sanitation to identify belongings from waste.

Homeless Pet Care Initiative
To provide homeless with basic necessary care for their pets including vaccinations, check-ups and grooming.

RV Safety Motion
Requesting that the city create a program where RV’s staying in Venice are to be inspected and registered as “Fire Safe” and equipped with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.

Venice Street Donations Initiative
The Venice Neighborhood Council requests that all street donations for the homeless are to be run exclusively through area non-profits and city service providers to insure those in need are kept on a path for housing and able to access necessary services while living on the streets.

Emergency Healthcare Kiosks to treat Hepatitis A Outbreak.
To address the San Diego Hepatitis A Outbreak and the potential of that outbreak to spread through the Venice Encampments we requested immediate action from city health departments.

Open City Owned Bathrooms
The VNC requested that before the city rents or buys any mobile bathrooms and wash stations they first utilize all the available bathrooms in city and county owned facilities, such as Penmar Gold Club, Fire Stations, Public Library, Vera Davis Center, Oakwood Rec Center and a limited amount of Beach bathrooms.

Limit Locations of Proposed Mobile Bathrooms and Wash Stations
Committee requests that the city limit mobile bathrooms and wash stations to be at least 50 feet away from residential properties of businesses and get approval from 2/3rds from owner on that street. Also request that maintenance and security is onsite during operating hours.

VNC to Discuss Placement of Public Bathrooms

Posted by :reta On : December 17, 2017
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Category: Homeless Committee, Venice Neighborhood Council

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Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) will meet Tuesday at 7 pm at Westminster Elementary School, 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd, to discuss placement of public restrooms for the homeless.

December 2017 Agenda

Benefit at SPY Raises Money for Homeless Reunification Project

Posted by :reta On : December 15, 2017
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Category: Homeless, Homeless Committee, Uncategorized

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home

Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) members Nick Antonicello and Sunny Bak man the bar at the 2nd Annual Home for the Holidays Benefit.

By Angela McGregor

On Thursday night, December 14th, Venetians gathered at Safe Place for Youth to support the VNC’s Homeless Committee’s Reunification Project, at a benefit entitled “Home for the Holidays”. Among the attendees were many members of the Neighborhood Council. They were treated to Mexican food and musical entertainment from Venice blues guitarist Cristina Vane, singer Ronald Troy Collins and others. Homeless Committee Chairman Will Hawkins(who also performed some of his own music) announced that this year the program has reunited 25 homeless individuals with their families, and the City of Los Angeles will be creating an Office of Reunification to explore expanding the program citywide.

Homeless Committee Wants Portable Facilities to be Placed Appropriately

Posted by :reta On : November 23, 2017
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Category: Homeless Committee

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The Venice Neighborhood Council Homeless Committee will meet Tuesday (28 Nov) at noon at the Extra Storage Facility at 658 Venice Blvd.

The committee recommends any portable bathrooms or wash stations be placed on city owned property and not within 50 feet of any entrances to residences or businesses. Furthermore, the VNC recommends AGAINST placing mobile public bathrooms or wash stations on sidewalks or streets adjacent to any private property (residential, commercial, or industrial) without prior written consent of the adjacent property owner(s) AND 2/3 of property owners on both sides the contiguous city block with exceptions for special events and construction sites.

VNC Homeless Committee to Meet Tuesday at Noon

Posted by :reta On : October 28, 2017
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Category: Homeless Committee, Venice Neighborhood Council

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The Venice Neighborhood Council Homeless Committee will meet noon, Tuesday (31 Oct) at the Venice Public Library.

The will be discussing placement of portable toilets. The committee is against placing any kind of toilet in proximity to residences or businesses. They will present a motion prohibiting placement of mobile bathrooms within 100 yards of any private property (residential, industrial, commercial) without prior written consent of property owners and 2/3 of property owners on both sides of a contiguous city block.

The committee will also discuss that all RV, large vans, and oversized vehicles used as temporary living establishments be equipped with a fire extinguished and be inspected annually by LAPD or LAFD annually for the safety devices.

Homeless Committee to Discuss Mobile Health Kiosks

Posted by :reta On : September 22, 2017
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Category: Homeless, Homeless Committee, Venice Neighborhood Council

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Homeless Committee of Venice Neighborhood Council will discuss having mobile kiosks to dispense vaccinations and provide medical care for homeless on a weekly basis at their next meeting Monday (25 September) at 6:30 pm at the Venice Library, 501 Venice Blvd.

Jason Robinson to Address Homeless Committee Monday

Posted by :reta On : August 13, 2017
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Category: Homeless Committee

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Jason Robison, program director of SHARE, will speak at the Monday night meeting of the Venice Neighborhood Committee (VNC) Homeless Committee, 6:30 pm, Venice Public Library, 501 Venice Blvd.

 

Venice Organizations Give Six-Month Homeless Placement Numbers

Posted by :reta On : August 4, 2017
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Category: C3, Homeless, Homeless Committee, Housing, Regina Weller

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Last issue of Venice Update had erroneous numbers for various Venice organizations finding housing for homeless or reuniting  homeless individuals with their families.   Since then, each organization has been contacted and below are their figures. Figures for the first six months from January to last of July 2017 were the ones sought.

HomelessTask Force
Regina Weller of the Homeless Task Force said she had found homes for 68 this year as of 31 July. Five of the number were reunited with their families and three were sent to detox. The cost (all expenditures, including labor) to place 68 people this year was approximately $77,000.

Regina

VNC Homeless Committee
Will Hawkins, chair of the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) Homeless Committee, says his group has reunited 12 with their families this year to 31 July with the help of SPY and St. Joseph Center.  This is the first time for a neighborhood council  homeless committee, an unpaid group,  to get involved with reuniting homeless with their families.

St. Joseph Center, C3
Stephen Butler, assistant vice-president of programs for St. Joseph Center, said “Since hitting the streets last November, C3 has been able to get 66 people off of the streets of Venice, and into some type of shelter, recuperative health/mental health setting. They have been able to permanently house 15 people, and have 40 in the pipeline.”

Safe Place for Youth (SPY)
Rachel Pedowitz, director of housing advocacy, wrote “From January to June of 2017, 46 young people who engaged in services at Safe Place for Youth found safe and stable housing or returned home to trusted family.”

Paul Goes Home By William Hawkins

Posted by :reta On : June 30, 2017
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Category: Homeless, Homeless Committee

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Note: William Hawkins in chairman of the Venice Neighborhood Council Homeless Committee.  Venice Update will be happy to print every “Goes Home” story.  Keep them coming.

By William Hawkins

I just wanted to share another success story we had this week reuniting another person living on the streets of Venice with their family.

Paul is 27 years old and originally from a small Iowa farm town. He came to Venice after a breakdown and lived on the streets of Venice since last summer. He suffers from schizophrenia and hadn’t taken his medication for over eight months. His family in Iowa had read about our “home for the holidays” reunification program in the news back in December and reached out to me through the VNC website to help them find their son.

We’ve spent the last six months on a bit of a roller coaster working with Paul and trying to gain his trust. There were a lot of hit and misses…But all that hard work paid off with much help and support from Erin McGinness and Stephen Butler at St Joseph Center. Paul’s mother arrived in town yesterday and they are now both on their way home. Paul will get back on his meds and live on his grandfathers farm to help get things sorted out for his next chapter.

I hear people in Venice often say that the VNC doesn’t make a difference and only works in their own self interests. The ongoing work of this committee has now helped reunite 12 souls with their families since December. Not only are we helping change the trajectory of those peoples’ life journeys, but we are also saving the City millions of dollars in homeless services as well as shelter and housing in the process.

Thanks to all those who helped make a difference here and I wish you all a wonderful holiday weekend.