The request stems from plans by the County Department of Mental Health and a nonprofit to open Behavioral Health Bridge Housing on Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica’s mayor has asked the City Council to direct city staff to enhance community outreach, clarify zoning rules and boost accountability for county- and nonprofit-run housing projects for the homeless, citing resident frustrations over two new facilities planned near Ocean Avenue.
The request, detailed in Agenda Item 16B for Tuesday’s council meeting, stems from plans by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and nonprofit St. Joseph Center to open Behavioral Health Bridge Housing at 413 and 825 Ocean Avenue. The sites would provide 49 interim beds for unhoused individuals with severe behavioral health needs, with 24/7 staffing, on-site clinicians and security. County officials have said placements would prioritize Santa Monica residents, funded through state resources.
Mayor Lana Negrete, in a memo to City Manager Oliver Chi dated Oct. 9, expressed support for the facilities as key to addressing homelessness but noted community concerns about potential impacts and the absence of prior public notice before funding approval and renovations began. “Given the sensitivity of this matter and the community concerns expressed,” she wrote, she is seeking six specific directives.
Among them: Coordinate broad outreach to residents and businesses, including the Oceana senior living complex nearby; ensure future projects comply with Proposition 1 and the Good Neighbor Policy, including community involvement under state law; clarify zoning and building codes for such facilities to mandate public notifications; develop a public communication strategy with an FAQ webpage, hotline and response protocols; verify the developer’s operational record, funding details and legal standing; and review past projects in areas like Sunset Park and Pico for engagement gaps, implementing fixes where needed.
Negrete elaborated in a Facebook video posted last week, describing her own neighborhood’s experiences with similar projects. “When one of these sites opened, we were told to be quiet about it to protect the residents’ privacy,” she said. She recounted recent conversations with residents who pay high property taxes and feel entitled to information, while others seek details on safety and communication. Negrete advocated for medical treatment and hospitalization before outpatient services, critiquing California’s “housing first” model as insufficient for those with acute mental illness, addiction and street trauma.
“These programs help stabilize people, but they’re not hospitals,” she said in an accompanying post. “They’re a bridge — and until we build the medical side of that bridge, we’ll keep cycling people through systems that don’t fully heal them.” She praised nonprofits like St. Joseph Center as doing “the Lord’s work” with limited resources but faulted broader state policies favoring developers over root-cause solutions.
The council is set to discuss the matter Tuesday.
