Pico residents said they believe a planned supportive housing project will have a negative impact on their neighborhood at a community meeting Monday.
Nonprofit developer EAH Housing will provide 45 affordable apartments for people transitioning out of homelessness at 1413 Michigan Ave. The City of Santa Monica has provided an $8.3 million loan to acquire the site and will contribute $14.8 million to build the project. The three-story complex will cost $29.6 million in total, or about $688,000 per bedroom, and contain mostly studio apartments.
The building will house and provide support services for people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities. Tenants will be chosen from the City’s affordable housing waitlist and undergo background checks.
“The goal here is to help people in their transition from wherever they are into permanent housing and to keep them housed,” said Steven Spielberg, EAH Housing’s director of real estate development.
Homelessness grew by 12 percent countywide and 16 percent in the city of Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). After falling by 19 percent last year, the number of individuals on the Westside grew by the same percentage, the largest increase of any region in the county.
Santa Monica recorded a three percent increase in 2019, counting 987 people this year and 957 last year. Two-thirds are unsheltered.
Several residents said at the community meeting that they feel the City is “dumping” its homeless population in Pico. They said they think multiple neighborhoods should share the responsibility of providing supportive housing.
Some residents raised concerns about reverse gentrification, claiming low-income and supportive housing projects have driven family members to consider moving out of the area.
The housing development will be built near Woodlawn Cemetery and Maple Tree Academy preschool. Residents stressed the safety of children so close to former homeless people, some of which have mental health issues.
Spielberg said the location is suited for supportive housing because one side is a cemetery, so Santa Monica residents won’t be disrupted, and EAH won’t have to remove current tenants.
“There are very few underutilized pieces of land in Santa Monica,” Spielberg said. “It was an opportunity because where else do you find a place where you’re not displacing tenants.”
Neighbors also questioned why the project will contain studio apartments rather than units suited for families. Most supported building a lesser number of two or three-room units rather than a greater number of single residences units so children and families could have priority housing.
They also supported sacrificing apartment units for parking spaces because they think residents and visitors will park in front of their houses.
While parking is still under consideration, Spielberg said, EAH isn’t obligated by law to create parking spaces. Few homeless individuals have cars, he said, but residents argued that the next step after getting a house is getting a car and some homeless people live in their cars.
At the minimum, there will be parking provided for case workers, guests, and staff, as well as bike parking for each resident, Spielberg said.
A second meeting will be held at a later date.
editor@smdp.com
