The materials, posted on Negrete’s Facebook page, include visuals outlining the Santa Monica Behavioral Health Wellness Center at 413 and 825 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete released detailed documents and images from Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath’s office, shedding light on the operations of a planned 49-bed behavioral health facility on Ocean Avenue, as the city grapples with resident backlash over its placement and approval process.
The materials, posted on Negrete’s Facebook page, include visuals outlining the Santa Monica Behavioral Health Wellness Center at 413 and 825 Ocean Avenue.
One image specifies that the facility, set to open later this month with full operations by winter, will offer supportive interim housing for individuals experiencing homelessness and untreated mental illness, prioritizing Santa Monica locals while excluding registered sex offenders. Another image details round-the-clock staffing, featuring mental health clinicians, licensed vocational nurses, substance use counselors, occupational therapists, peer support specialists, and housing navigators, alongside security measures such as 24/7 guards, daily wellness checks, a single controlled entry, comprehensive camera surveillance, and quiet hours from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., with a strict no-loitering or drug-use policy.
Operated by St. Joseph Center in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH), the project is funded through state behavioral health bridge housing grants under California’s Proposition 1.
Horvath’s office acknowledged a procedural lapse, stating in the release that the DMH failed to inform them until after funding was secured. “Santa Monica leaders have made clear the community’s desire for more mental health beds to serve a population in need. However, this breakdown in process is unacceptable,” Horvath said, aligning the project with the city’s 2025 Homelessness Strategic Plan to reduce visible homelessness through high-acuity care.
The disclosure follows weeks of resident protests, with some citing safety fears due to the facility’s proximity to multimillion-dollar oceanfront homes near Georgina Avenue and issues at a nearby St. Joseph Center site.
