April 16--Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin on Friday formally proposed a relief package for Venice's burgeoning homeless population that includes 24-hour access to bathrooms, free storage facilities and development of supportive housing on city land.
The measures, contained in four motions, are among the first concrete proposals to begin implementing the city's $2-billion plan to end homelessness. It also marks one of the first times a city leader has proposed specific sites to provide non-emergency services while the city catches up on the severe housing shortage underlying the current homelessness crisis.
The Westside councilman described his plan as a "street strategy" to help more than 1,000 homeless people drawn to the coastal community, and said the measures would mitigate the effect of street encampments on neighborhoods and business districts.
The provisions include:
- Developing the Pacific-Dell site, currently a city-owned parking lot, as housing for homeless people and public parking. The lot is at 200 N. Venice Blvd.
-- Reopening the vacant Westminster Senior Center at 1234 Pacific Ave. for homeless storage, bathroom access and office space for a case manager to connect people to housing and other services.
-- Providing 24-hour access to restrooms at Venice Beach. Bonin also called for exploring other ways to increase bathroom facilities, including use of portable toilets.
-- Giving $50,000 in city funds to Steven and Regina Weller, who Bonin said had teamed with Los Angeles police to place homeless people in substance abuse treatment programs and shared or permanent housing. The money will come from the Venice surplus real property fund, the motion said.
Advocates applauded the proposals, and said the bathroom and storage plans could move quickly, if the council supports them.
"These are really positive steps forward," said Becky Dennison, executive director of Venice Community Housing.
"Anytime an elected leader is saying 'Yes in our backyard' that's really significant," said Christine Margiotta, president of community investment at United Way of Greater Los Angeles' Home for Good project.
Other community members questioned some of the plans.
Mark Ryavec, president of Venice Stakeholders Assn., said homeless storage should be in an industrial zone, not the residential neighborhood surrounding the old senior center.
"The focus should be on intake, a road to a bed," Ryavec said. "It's ludicrous to do it in a residential neighborhood."
The costs of the Westminster access center could be covered by funds set aside for storage and emergency shelter during the now-fizzled El Nieason, Bonin said.
Dennison said building the Pacific-Dell housing on city land was crucial to overcoming the Westside's high land prices. Bonin, in his motion, said the project could maintain or increase the amount of public parking in the area.
Ryavec, however, said the Pacific-Dell lot should be redeveloped as a parking structure and warned the housing project could exacerbate the community's severe parking shortage.
He also said opening the bathrooms overnight would encourage homeless people to continue camping on or near the boardwalk.
"Santa Monica closes their beach restrooms at night," Ryavec said. "It's going to ensconce folks exactly where they are."
gale.holland@latimes.com
Twitter: @geholland
