On Feb. 2, the Santa Monica History Museum officially opened its latest main gallery exhibit UN|HOUSED, diving deep into the history of Santa Monica housing and spotlighting the ever-present issue of homelessness in the city. The exhibit follows in the footsteps of prior engagements such as Broadway neighborhood-based Broadway to Freeway and the LGBTQ+ community tale Coming Out West in achieving the goals of Museum Executive Director Rob Schwenker.
Schwenker noted that the addendum to the Santa Monica Public Library wants to be a valued member of the education community, drive community engagement in exhibitions, and to “be a place where [they’re] fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity.”
“We want to be a place where all Santa Monicans feel like they can be seen, and feel like they can see themselves in the stories that we’re telling,” Schwenker said.
Crafting the gallery space full of information, memorabilia and interactive features was Museum Curator and Collections Manager Anne Wallentine, who said conversations about spotlighting housing began a year ago since the issue is “one of the most important” facing Santa Monica and the broader Los Angeles area. Through different sections of the gallery, the city’s history is told from the Tongva people to its modern housing climate.
“We wanted to take that look back at the history of housing and use that subject as a lens into, what makes a home? What are the different styles of architecture? What are some of the policies that have shaped why people have been able to get homes or not in Santa Monica, as well as elsewhere?” Wallentine said.
She added that the exhibition is formed by those questions and more, since they “don’t really have all the answers,” but wanted locals to begin thinking about the issue more deeply. The gallery begins with a panel on what it means to live in Santa Monica, ranging from basic statistics and why the area is appealing, to the environmental challenges related to being in a coastal city.
An overview of architectural history tells the story of the Tongva homes built from native plant material, followed by Adobe homes influenced by Spanish and Mexican colonization, then the evolution brought upon by American and European residents. To truly tell the tale, the museum has hundreds of thousands of photographs to choose from, as well as materials loaned from places like the Getty.
Parallel to housing history is the city’s workforce changes, with much of Santa Monica housing beginning as abodes for railroad workers in the late 1800s before the transition into the beach and resort town seen today. A major addition of population, and thus new construction methodology, was brought on by World War II and the importance of Douglas Aircraft as a local business boon. Among other innovations were the popular Quonset hut, which remains a part of the city via the unique look of Pono Burger at 829 Broadway.
“That was when the city became a majority of renters versus single family homes, either homeowners or people who lived in single family homes,” Wallentine added. “That was when there was such an influx of people, they had to build a lot more, density really shot out … you just [saw] this exponential growth, and because of that, you [had] a lot more construction.”
In the latter half of the 20th century through today, renter protections were more stressed, rooted in making sure elderly residents could stay in their homes and not be priced out. Schwenker says Santa Monica’s history of being “on the cutting edge when it came to renters rights” is particularly topical in 2024, as the Justice for Renters Act will be on the ballot come November. The initiative would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, allowing for greater local influence on rent control matters.
The dominant current issue, though, is the ongoing homelessness crisis, which the exhibit visualizes with sets of statistics and memorabilia from groups like the Western Regional Advocacy Project.
“It’s important to visualize because it’s a big problem,” Wallentine said. “I think it’s something that is very visible for people who live here, and the idea that everyone really needs a home … [we’re] trying to give people a sense of what some of the issues that go into that [are], that it’s a really complex problem. It’s not just based on an individual, it’s based on so many structural things that shouldn’t happen.”
Along with the information on the gallery walls, the exhibit contains a multimedia presentation depicting homeless issues, such as a testimonial from the Santa Monica Shelter at 505 Olympic Blvd.
“We live in … perhaps one of the most prosperous communities in the most prosperous country in the world, and yet there are many members of our community that don’t have their basic needs met,” Schwenker added. “Why are we here, why did that happen? Perhaps if we can understand [that], maybe that might inspire some creative solutions.”
Though Schwenker stressed that the Museum isn’t “an advocacy group,” he believes calling for widespread input on the issue is part of the Museum’s role as an education tool.
“What I hope is that if we present topics, and we talk about things that provoke thought, maybe we inspire policymakers and other members of the community to do things that will really drive making this a better place to live for everybody,” he said.
The UN|HOUSED exhibit is available to view at the Museum, 1350 7th St., Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $5, with admission free for Museum members, children under 17, seniors 65+, students, active duty military, veterans, and SNAP/EBT cardholders. For more, visit santamonicahistory.org.
thomas@smdp.com