Tag Archive for "Venice Stakeholders Association"

VSA Files Appeal to Public Nuisance Lawsuit for Conditions at Venice Beach

Posted by :reta On : May 27, 2016

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Tags:City Attorney Mike Feuer, City Councilman Mike Feuer, Mark Ryavec, Venice Stakeholders Association

(All photos courtesy of Mark Ryavac.)

By Mark Ryavec, president of the non-profit Venice Stakeholders Association

Last week our Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA) filed an appeal in our lawsuit against the City and County of Los Angeles for their maintenance of a public nuisance and dangerous conditions along the Venice Boardwalk and beach. In the suit the Stakeholders contend that these conditions deprive residents of the quiet and safe enjoyment of their homes and the Venice community of the safe use of the Venice Beach Recreation Area.

Judge Gregory Alarcon had sided late last year with the VSA against the City’s and County’s motions for summary judgment. However, when the City and County appealed his decision our organization did not file a legal brief at the appellate level due to the advice of several attorneys that such requests for a “writ of mandate” are rarely granted. Unfortunately for Venice residents, this was one of the rare cases in which that maxim did not hold up.

At that point in January we reached out to the City and asked Councilman Bonin if he would meet with us on behalf of the City to address our concerns about noise, crime, burglaries, trespass and the inability of the public and residents to enjoy many areas along the Boardwalk that have been taken over permanently by transients and vendors.

Mr. Bonin did not reply to our invitation.

This is the opposite tack from that taken by his predecessor, the late Councilman Bill Rosendahl. When we first considered filing a public nuisance lawsuit several years ago, Bill immediately asked then-City Attorney Carmen Trutanich to meet with us to see if the City could address our concerns. We had several discussions with the City Attorney’s staff and the result was that the City Attorney led several City departments, along with the council office (where Bonin was the chief deputy), in an effort to improve public safety along the Boardwalk. This included the installation of new signage that banned camping along the Boardwalk and beach and highlighted the 12 to 5 AM beach curfew. This was followed by renewed enforcement of the camping ban and beach curfew by the LAPD as long as Rosendahl was in office.

When it became evident in 2014 under the new regime of Bonin, Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Attorney Mike Feuer and Supervisor Sheila Kuehl that the City and County were not enforcing “no camping” and “no storage” laws and noise limits in the Venice Beach Recreation Area, we met with City Attorney Feuer. In the course of the meeting we told him that we were contemplating a public nuisance lawsuit. Unlike Mr. Trutanich and Bill Rosendahl, who headed off our lawsuit by ramping up City enforcement, Feuer said, “Well, it’s your right to sue.” So, we did.

Today the contrast between the City’s and County’s lack of enforcement along the Boardwalk compared to other parks continues to be striking. As we pointed out three years ago, many areas of Venice Beach are covered by tons of private possessions of both vendors and transients, while the park next to City Hall DTLA is kept in pristine condition. The same laws that govern the City Hall park govern Venice Beach, and were employed to remove Occupy LA from the front of City Hall a few years ago. But under the current authorities, little is enforced here in Venice. In fact, residents who live along the Boardwalk and walk streets have told me that the situation has deteriorated in recent months.

The City has recently amended two ordinances, LAMC 63.44, which now significantly limits what can be taken into a park in the day and requires that every item leave a park at night, and LAMC 56.11, which reduces what can be stored on a sidewalk, gives the City latitude to remove bulky items, and shortens the notice period. However, there has been no move to enforce these new laws in Venice, a failure I attribute to Mr. Bonin. If there had been, this might address some of the issues raised in our suit, and lead to fruitful negotiations with the City. But again, Bonin has not returned our call.

The law under which we brought the case is the same law the City Attorney uses to close down crack dens and other buildings that generate crime and activities which are a nuisance to neighbors. Certainly the Boardwalk, as an elongated drug emporium and crime generator, is a public nuisance the City Attorney would move to close if it was in private hands. The City’s and County’s failure to enforce their own laws against drug sales, camping, tents, noise, public inebriation, defecation and urination, and storage of private property on park land all contribute to the erosion of residents safety and quiet enjoyment of their homes.

In their appeal of Judge Alarcon’s initial decision to dismiss their motions for summary judgment, the City and County did not dispute that their lack of enforcement caused the public nuisances that residents constantly experience. Instead, they pointed to municipalities’ “prosecutorial discretion;” i.e., their right to decide what laws to enforce and when to enforce them. Without a legal brief from us rebutting this claim, the Appellate Court gave Judge Alarcon a choice of letting us belatedly submit a legal brief opposing the City and County’s position or dismissing the case. He chose the latter, which set up our right to appeal the entire case to the Appeals Court, known as a “de novo” review. Instead of just appealing the narrow issue of prosecutorial discretion we will be trying the entire case before the Appeals Court.

The case will probably be heard late this summer. Donations to the legal fund are welcome and can be sent to the VSA at 1615 Andalusia Avenue, Venice, CA 90291.

VSA Counters Both Westminster and Venice Median for Homeless Use

Posted by :reta On : May 14, 2016

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Category: Homeless, Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA), Westminster Senior Center

Tags:Councilman Mike Bonin, Mark Ryavec, Venice Median Parking Lot, Venice Stakeholders Association, Westminster Senior Center

Governor Jerry Brown backed a 2-billion bond plan for homeless housing. According to LA Times, the 2-billion bond would be repaid over 20 to 30 years with funds provided under Proposition 63, “the millionaires tax” for mental health that voters approved in 2004.

The money from the bond together with federal and local funding would finance 10- to 14,000 new housing units for the 116,000 homeless people. All that money, and yet it is incapable of more than 10-percent decrease in homelessness. Will this solution of permanent housing keep up with the increase in homelessness?

Meanwhile in Venice
Meanwhile in Venice, two issues are foremost in the minds of Venetians–the use of the Westminster Senior Center for storage and the building of affordable units on the median between north and south Venice Blvds. Councilman Mike Bonin has asked for a request for proposal (RFP) for 90 units on the median between north and south Venice Blvds.

Westminster Senior Center

Venice parking lot on Pacific between North and South Venice Blvd.

The only group, organization so far visible showing any opposition to either project has been the Venice Stakeholders Association, headed by Mark Ryavec. Kip Pardue, as an individual, is gathering momentum with his campaign. (See Comments for Kip Pardue.)

Venice Stakeholders attorneys have filed a legal challenge to conversion of Westminster Center to storage use and Mark Ryavec claims the proposing of units for the median between north and south Venice Blvds brings several concerns that have not been addressed. Below is the letter from the VSA attorneys for the Westminster project and the letter by Mark Ryavec concerning Venice Blvd media, now used as a parking lot.

LUNA & GLUSHON
A T T O R N E Y S
Councilman Mitch O’Farrell
Chair, Arts, Parks and River Committee
Los Angeles City Council
City Hall
200 North Spring Street, #480
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Re: CF 15-1138-S8/Change of Use of Westminster Senior Center at 1234 Pacific Avenue to Storage Use

Dear Councilman O’Farrell and Members of the Committee,

Our firm represents the Venice Stakeholders Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of the Venice community. The Association is opposed to the proposed conversion of the Westminster Senior Center at 1234 Pacific Avenue, in Venice, for use as a storage facility for private individuals (“Project”), which the City is attempting to accomplish by the mere modification of an existing contract between it and Chryalis, a non-profit organization, which will operate the Project.

The City’s proposed actions to approve the Project do not conform to State and City laws, including due process.

1. The Project Requires a Project Permit pursuant to the Venice Local Coastal Specific Plan and a Coastal Development Permit

Pursuant to the Venice Local Coastal Specific Plan, no certificate of occupancy may be issued for any Venice Coastal Development Project unless the project has received a Venice Coastal Specific Plan Exemption or a Project Permit pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code (“LAMC”) §11.5.7 [Section 6]. Here, the Project does not fall into any of the enumerated projects eligible for a Venice Coastal Specific Plan Exemption [Section 8.A], and therefore must receive a Project Permit pursuant to LAMC §11.5.7 [Sections 8.B, 8.C] prior to being issued a certificate of occupancy for the proposed change of use.

Similarly, both the State Coastal Act and LAMC §12.20.2 require a Coastal Development Permit (“CDP”) to be obtained for an intensification of a nonresidential use (intensification includes increase in parking need, increased impact to potential traffic generation, noise, smoke, glare, odors, hazardous materials, water use, sewage generation, etc.). Over the last five years, the Westminster Senior Center has been only used sporadically for public meetings. Accordingly, the attraction of hundreds of people on a daily basis during the winter when the Winter Shelter program is operating constitutes an intensification of use requiring a CDP.

2. The Project Must Comply with the California Environmental Quality Act

Under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), environmental review is required for all “projects,” i.e. activities which may cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment undertaken, supported, or approved by a public agency. California Building Industry Association v. Bay Area Air Quality Management District (2013) 218 Cal.App.4th 1171. The definition of “project” is given a broad interpretation to maximize protection of the environment. Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation v. County of El Dorado (2012) 202 Cal.App.4th 1156.

Under the definition provided by CEQA, the Project, which will change the use of the Westminster Senior Center, requires environmental review prior to approval. Such environmental review must include the impacts on noise (a storage use will undoubtedly attract scores of transients to camp adjacent to the facility, both on city park property and adjacent sidewalks and alleys, causing late night noise to the surrounding residential community).

3. The Recreation and Parks Department Must Hold a Public Hearing

The Ralph M. Brown Act serves to facilitate public participation in all phases of local government decisionmaking and curb misuse of the democratic process by secret legislation of public bodies. Epstein v. Hollywood Entertainment Dist. II Business Improvement Dist. (2001) 87 Cal.App.4th 862, 868. It requires that proceedings of public agencies, and the conduct of the public’s business, take place at open meetings, and the deliberative process by which decisions related to the public’s business are made be conducted in full view of the public. To this end, the Brown Act requires, subject to narrow exceptions, that most meetings of a local agency’s legislative body1 be open to the public for attendance by all. Wolfe v. City of Fremont (2006) 144 Cal.App.4th 533; Epstein, supra, (the Brown Act must be construed liberally as to accomplish its purpose).

Similarly, due process principles require reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard before governmental deprivation of a significant property interest. Horn v. County of Ventura (1979) 24 Cal.3d 605, 612. Land use decisions which “substantially affect” the property rights of owners of adjacent parcels constitute “deprivations” of property within the context of procedural due process. Id. at 615.

The Project has not been vetted with the community or the Venice Neighborhood Council even though approval thereof will undoubtedly substantially affect the owners of the adjacent residential neighborhood. As such its secret approval would constitute both a violation of the Brown Act and general due process.

In the interests of transparency, the City Council must demand that the Project be presented to the Venice Neighborhood Council and that the City’s Recreation and Parks Department hold a hearing regarding the Project at which the affected neighbors can voice their concerns.

If the City fails to abide by law, the Venice Stakeholders Association will pursue all administrative and legal avenues to require such compliance.

The following letter, along with Mr. Ryavec’s testimony, was delivered to Mr. Bonin before the City Council’s Transportation Committee.

May 11, 2016

Councilman Mike Bonin, Chair, Transportation Committee
Members of the Transportation Committee
City Hall
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Re: CF 15-1138-S9/Opposition to Release of Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide Housing for 90 Chronic Homeless Individuals on Beach Parking Lot in Advance of Public Hearings

Dear Councilmember Bonin and Members of the Committee,

Venice Stakeholders Association is a non-profit public benefit organization dedicated to civic improvement and public safety.

We are opposed to the release of a Request for Proposal to provide housing for 90 chronic homeless individuals on beach parking lot #731 in Venice for several reasons:

1. There have been no hearings in the community on this concept; it has not been submitted to either the Venice Neighborhood Council or the Venice Canals Association.
2. Additional resident and visitor parking is sorely needed at this location. The highest and best use for this site is as an automated parking facility which would triple parking capacity at this location and advance the California Coastal Commission’s objective of greater public access to the beach and ocean.
3. Other homeless serving facilities in Venice have a long history of being an extreme burden to nearby residents. For example, this past Sunday a client of the St. Joseph Service Center on Lincoln Boulevard started a fire which damaged part of a nearby residence and forced the pregnant owner to evacuate her home due to lingering fumes. Residents living adjacent to the subject parking lot on Venice Boulevard are already burdened by break-ins, assaults, sidewalk blockage, harassment, and late night noise caused by transients living in the area. There is no requirement in State or City law for the operator of the proposed housing to provide 24/7 security in perpetuity to protect nearby residents from similar noxious activities by the occupants of the proposed facility, so we conclude that this project will place an unacceptable burden on residents and thus should be sited elsewhere.
4. There are many other less utilized and more isolated city parking lots in other areas of Council District 11 and, indeed, elsewhere in the City that would be better suited for the proposed project.
5. The release of an RFP puts “the cart before the house.” The California Environmental Quality Act requires that the concept of housing on this site – a significant change of use – receive an environmental review in advance of the City starting down the path to construction of a structure by releasing an RFP.

I have attached for your consideration a recent article from The Argonaut that speaks to these concerns in more detail. I would ask that the City Clerk make this letter and attachment a part of the council file. Thank you.

VSA Against Bonin Homeless Strategy

Posted by :reta On : April 18, 2016

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Category: Councilman, Homeless

Tags:Councilman Mike Bonin, homeless, LA Times, Mark Ryavec, Venice Stakeholders Association

Mark Ryavec, president of Venice Stakeholders Association, spoke out against Councilman Mike Bonin’s “End Homelessness in Venice” strategy this week.

“He is moving on these projects without public hearings in the community on each of these proposals; indeed, he has already set them in motion by introducing Motions in City Council,” he wrote on the VSA website. “Usually these proposals would have been the subject of hearings in our neighborhoods before Motions would be sent to the Council.”

See LA Times article http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-homeless-bathrooms-venice-20160415-story.html

Ryavec, who seems to be the only Venetian publicly speaking out against Bonin’s proposal, listed three reasons not to promote this plan.

1. The use the Westminster Center for storage of transients’ possessions. This will bring hundreds of campers back to this park and with them break-ins, late-night noise, trash, public inebriation, defecation and urination, and assaults. Del Rey Avenue, an industrial strip, is a much better site for a storage facility.

2. The use of the Venice Blvd. median parking lot for homeless housing. This site should be redeveloped with a parking structure to double or triple the parking for residents and beach visitors. This neighborhood has already struggled with crime associated with homeless campers on these parking lots and the Canal boat landing; please do not congregate even more homeless here in the future.

3. The relaxation of the Beach Curfew. The curfew is one of the few laws that limit criminal activity along the beach front. Relaxing the 12-5 am curfew to accommodate use of the beach restrooms will remove this proactive crime fighter, bring back drug dealing and use, prostitution and assaults to the restrooms, and only encourage more transients to live along the Boardwalk and walk streets.

Funds Needed to Support VSA Lawsuit to Clean-up Venice Beach

Posted by :reta On : October 28, 2015

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Category: Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA)

Tags:Venice Stakeholders Association

Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA) is seeking contributions to fund its upcoming trial against the City and County of Los Angeles for maintaining a dangerous public nuisance in the Venice Beach Recreation Area and along the Boardwalk.

The VSA recently defeated the City’s and County’s attempts to have the court dismiss their suit and a trial is scheduled for early December.

While the City Attorney and County Counsel are supported by public tax dollars, the VSA on the other hand has to raise every dollar paid to their attorneys.

“The Boardwalk and park next to it have been allowed by the City and County to become a lawless territory, which breeds a lot of crime in the rest of Venice,” said Mark Ryavec, president of the VSA

“All property owners have a legal duty to abate nuisance and crimes that are originating on their property; that’s the essence of the case,” Ryavec said. “So far the judge has agreed that we have credible case.”

“One has only to look at Santa Monica to the north or Marina del Rey to the south to see proof that the City and County can legally stop the camping and illegal storage along the Boardwalk, which would dramatically cut crime in Venice.”

Many Venetians have already contributed over $100,000 to fund the case, but going to trial will be expensive, so the VSA is turning to residents to help defray the costs. All donations are tax deductible.

If you agree the situation along the Boardwalk is a travesty for residents and visitors alike and would like to help the VSA keep up the pressure on the City and County to clean-up Venice Beach, please make a contribution, in any amount.

Checks payable to the Venice Stakeholders Association should be sent to the VSA at 1615 Andalusia Avenue, Venice, CA 90291. Or donations may be made by PayPal to email: venicestakeholders@ca.rr.com.

Mark Ryavec Lists the Victim Talley for Venice

Posted by :reta On : September 3, 2015

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Category: City, Crime, Homeless

Tags:City, Clabe Hartley, Crime, homeless, Mark Ryavec, Ocean Front Walk, Police, Venice, Venice Beach, Venice Stakeholders Association

Since August of 2014, Venice has had its number of shootings and other happenings of note. Mark Ryavec, president of Venice Stakeholders Association, has made the talley.

By Mark Ryavec
The Venice victim tally since August 2013:

Transient brutally assaults resident Robert DiMassa on walk street because DiMassa’s service dog urinated on the sidewalk near where the camper was sleeping.
Five home invasions – four by wasted, mentally ill transients – in a six block area centered on Windward and Riviera.

Clabe Hartley’s fingertip bitten off by transient on Washington Blvd.
Homeless Jose Gonzalez dies April 19th after suffering a blow from transient Thomas Glover on Abbot Kinney at California.

The death of transient Brendon Glenn on May 5th in altercation with LAPD on Windward.

Transient Jason Davis shot on July 14th by LAPD at Groundworks Cafe on Rose after approaching police with a knife. He later died of his wounds.

Chair hurled at restaurateur Clabe Hartley by crazed transient on August 26th. Hartley is severely concussed and requires five staples to his head.

Two transients shot on the Boardwalk at Dudley on August 30th, apparently in altercation on the sidewalk outside the Cadillac Hotel. One dies at the scene and one is transported to the hospital.

Weller’s First Homeless Story

Posted by :reta On : July 20, 2015

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Category: Homeless, Homeless Stories, Regina Weller, Steve Weller

Tags:Homeless Stories, LAPD Homeless Task Force, Mark Ryavec, Regina Weller, Steve Weller, Venice Stakeholders Association

Regina and Steve Weller are first pastors of the Four Square Church in Venice and second are Chaplains for the Los Angeles Police Department’s Homeless Task Force.

They help homeless help themselves. First time Update talked with Steve was when he talked briefly with homeless occupying bus bench at Lincoln and Washington. Update was surprised he had one or two committed to going into VA housing and another ready to go home. It is a process for each individual and longer then what was just stated. See story below.

Update asked Steve for some of the stories. He said Regina, his wife, had several stories written. Update will publish one each week. Names of homeless will always be fictitious.

The Wellers do not solicit funds. They were using their own pension monies until Venice Stakeholders Association gave them $5000 and since a few other contributions have helped. If anyone would like to donate, mail check to Chaplain Steve Weller, 1400 Riviera Ave., Venice 90291. All donations go directly to helping the homeless.

Chaplain and Pastor Regina Weller is shown below with her story of Daryl.

Daryl Returns Home

By Regina Weller
During our regular Homeless Task Force deployments, we began to interact with a young man of large stature who was homeless, living in Venice for several years on Ocean Front Walk and Park Avenue.

Daryl had come out from Michigan in 2011, with the blessing of his family, to attend College for the purpose of advancing his career as an artist. Somewhere along the line, he fell short of his goals and went down the wrong path.

You couldn’t miss Daryl, not only because of his size, but because he always appeared to be agitated, hyper-amped and wild-eyed. Daryl had in fact experimented with the latest designer drug to come on the market in 2011 and had become addicted to “bath salts”. The symptoms of bath salt abuse are closely related to that of cocaine or methamphetamine addiction.

Over five months’ time, with regular visits to the boardwalk, Chaplain Weller was able to establish a positive relationship with this man. The Chaplain continuously encouraged sobriety. Daryl always declined.

However, on one particular early morning visit, Daryl agreed to have breakfast with his Chaplain friend and responded favorably to the idea of changing his life and returning home. He stated that he was worn out and that he missed his family, especially his praying grandmother.

The Chaplain was given permission to contact Daryl’s sister in Michigan to ensure family support upon his return. It was further explained to Daryl that he needed to clear up his seven warrants prior to leaving the state of California. Daryl went to jail for a day to clear up his warrants, and a call was made to his probation officer for permission to return to Michigan. Permission was granted.

With 30 days clean from bath salts, Daryl was ready for the trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and some of the Venice community came alongside to financially support him.

On May 29th, LAPD Beach Detail officers and Chaplain Weller arranged transport and he was delivered to the downtown greyhound bus station. A three-day meal voucher was provided with the bus fare, all paid for by Mark Ryavec and the Venice Stakeholders Association.

The day Daryl arrived, his grandmother called to say thank you to all who helped her grandson finally return home to safety. It was reported to us recently that Daryl is working in his father’s business.

Ryavec Asks Mayor Garcetti “What is Cost to House Venice Transients”

Posted by :reta On : May 28, 2015

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Category: Homeless, Venice Neighborhood Council

Tags:homeless, Mark Ryavec, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Venice, Venice Beach, Venice Stakeholders Association

By Mark Ryavec
President of Venice Stakeholders Association and Venice Neighborhood Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness

I was recently asked by a New York Times reporter what I would ask Mayor Garcetti to do to address Venice’s persistent problems with encampments of homeless people, which place a terrific burden on the quality of life of residents and business owners alike.

Since the Mayor has already raised enough money to ward off a serious challenger in his re-election race and we don’t want his dialing-for-dollars skills to get rusty, I told the reporter I would ask the Mayor to apply his considerable fund-raising talents to properly fund the several struggling social service agencies in Venice that have a proven record of placing people living on our streets in housing or transporting them to safe homes in their hometowns.

We even have an estimate of the costs to guide His Honor. In the course of brief settlement negotiations with the City and County regarding our public nuisance lawsuit, we consulted with several agencies about what they estimated would be needed to counsel, transport and/or house the roughly 741 individuals living on Venice’s sidewalks, alleys and parks. This is what we learned.

The County has for several years funded St. Joseph Center about $350,000 per year to counsel and house the 40 most vulnerable homeless in Venice and it appears this funding will continue. As one of 40 are placed in housing or leave the area (or die on the street), St. Joseph counselors move to the next person on the list.

Since 2009 St. Joseph has housed approximately 120 individuals through this effort and they report 95% have remained in housing. They also housed an additional 50 chronically homeless, severely mentally ill individuals from the streets of Venice since 2012 through their mobile health team in partnership with Venice Family Clinic, funded by the County Department of Mental Health.

One would think the numbers would start going down, but there’s been a year-to-year increase in our homeless count. That’s due to the failure of the City to enforce rules against camping along Venice Beach and the ill-conceived Jones settlement, so while St. Joseph and other agencies move people off the Boardwalk and our parks, the City’s welcome mat invites more here.

Asked the cost of moving, for example, another100 campers off Venice Beach into housing, Paul Rubenstein of St. Joseph quoted an annual budget of $556,000, or $5,560 per person.

People Helping the Homeless (PATH), headquartered in Hollywood, has been fielding a two person team to reach out to Venice’s campers since October but reports only placing 16 clients into transitional housing and permanently housing just five. They say they focus their efforts on transient “hotspots” identified by Councilman Bonin. PATH’s executive director Joel Roberts says it would cost $12,000 to $15,000 per person depending on each client’s mental health, level of drug addiction, years on the street, etc. Multiplied by 740, that’s a huge number, almost $10 million. It would fund staff counselors, transport, housing and other services.

Other agencies in Venice suggest that more can be accomplished at less cost. Since March of 2012 The Teen Project, which is located at homeless ground zero on Windward Avenue, has placed 28 young people in housing and has transported 109 to safe homes in their hometowns, a total of 137 kids off the street in three years. This has been accomplished on a shoestring of donations from the public. The agency says it needs about $225,000 annually to expand its efforts to place in housing or transport back home the 100 to 150 young adults (16 to 24 years of age) remaining in Venice (and those that keep coming to campout on the beach due to lax enforcement). This would fund more counselors, transportation, rehab, food and most importantly, temporary housing while their clients get counseling leading to jobs and/or return to school.

The Project’s costs per person are much lower since these young people are generally in much better health, do not have a long history of drug or alcohol dependence or mental illness, and are just generally more resilient. They also are more likely to want to return to their hometowns and families, so no or little housing is required in those instances.

Another low cost, effective service is the LAPD Homeless Task Force (HTF), comprised of police officers and two chaplains from the Venice Foursquare Church. Since just the first of this year, HTF have placed 72 people into safe harbor. Venice Stakeholders Association provided almost $5,000 for bus fares and meal vouchers for 19 who returned home to families of origin and for the first month housing costs for nine people and for one who entered rehab. The Venice Foursquare chaplains volunteer their time but there is a need for additional “boots on the ground.” Approximately $144,000 per year in funding would allow the HTF to add five counselors and cover housing, transportation, meal vouchers, hygiene kits and return home fares.

One of the fallacies that some homeless advocates perpetuate is that there are no shelter beds or affordable housing available for transients living in Venice. Their frequent refrain is “You can’t kick them off the Boardwalk or Third Street because there is nowhere for them to go.” This is not supported by the evidence. St. Joseph’s Rubenstein notes that about a quarter of those living along the beach and on Third Street would be eligible for housing vouchers from the City Housing Authority due to their health vulnerability. This would allow them to afford market rate rents, though probably not in Venice. He says that funding for master leasing of apartments and shared housing inland would allow his agency (and others) to move the rest – those not eligible for vouchers – off the street and into housing. So the problem is not a lack of housing, it is a lack of funding.

The Teen Project, like the Ocean Park Community Center in Santa Monica, also rents apartments (or whole apartment buildings; i.e., master leasing) inland in less expensive areas and offers them to their clients, which makes it possible to get them off the street immediately if they are willing. The only hurdles are lack of funds and the resistance of some young travelers to give up their druggy lifestyle on the Boardwalk.

So, that leads to our standing request to the Mayor that he direct the Department of Recreation and Parks and the LAPD to fully enforce the Beach Curfew, the laws against camping, camping equipment and encampments in the Venice Beach Recreation Area at any hour and the law that everything that’s brought into the park during the day be removed at dusk. The City must also return to enforcing the ban on lying, sitting or sleeping on public sidewalks, at least within 500 feet of residences. It is only when adequate services and housing for the homeless come together with stronger enforcement of existing laws will we be able retire “Skid Row West” as the moniker for Venice Beach and lower the current risk of harm to vacationers, residents and the homeless alike.

So, Mr. Garcetti, please start dialing.