> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # A mental problem - URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-mental-problem/ - Published: 2006-08-22T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T21:16:50.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Community, Sunset Park, #archive-import, Homelessness *Planned SM home for challenged individuals has residents on guard* SUNSET PARK — A plan to house young men with mental disorders here has residents concerned about the safety of nearby students at John Adams Middle School. In addition to fears that children may be exposed to dangerous and unstable individuals, residents are upset about how they learned of the project, which was by word-of-mouth and not by notification from City Hall or Santa Monica-based Step Up on Second, which offers services to those suffering from mental illness. “I don’t want to criticize the programs of Step Up on Second, but the two issues in my mind are whether or not this is an appropriate location and then there’s the issue of notification,” said Zina Josephs, president of Friends of Sunset Park, a neighborhood group formed in 1989 that has become a force in local government. “It’s a little dismaying to me that if residents hadn’t told me about this, I wouldn’t have known about it.” The “it” is Step Up on Second’s plan to purchase a triplex at 1826 Pearl St., where the non-profit hopes to place at least eight men and women, ages 18 to 26, who have recently experienced their first episodes of mental illness. Step Up is currently in the middle of a 120-day escrow and has applied for a $1.73 million loan from City Hall to help finance the project. “Our goal is to provide healing, education and support to the individual and their family as earliest as possible to reduce the likelihood of the episodes turning into a life-long struggle, which ultimately can lead to homelessness,”said Tod Lipka, chief executive officer of Step Up, which is located on Second Street in downtown Santa Monica. “Because they are young adults, they are struggling with learning the skills needed to manage an independent life. Compound that with mental illness and it really can be overwhelming,” he added. Lipka said the transitional living program would offer a structured living environment that would last for two years. Over that time period, those in the program would be taught the skills they need to better manage their lives. The participants would be screened thoroughly, Lipka said, and there would most likely be a staff person living on the premises. “We’ve been around for 22 years in multiple locations and we have always been committed to being good neighbors,” said Lipka, who went door-to-door this past week talking with residents in the neighborhood about the project. “We are not trying to hide what we are doing. There have been some questions as to why we didn’t tell the neighbors before we went into escrow, but during negotiations, it’s not appropriate to discuss something which may or may not happen.” Lipka said he plans to attend a meeting of Friends of Sunset Park on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. at Mt. Olive Church at 14th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. At that time he will provide more information about the project and answer questions. Jim Kemper, a senior administrative analyst with the housing and redevelopment division at City Hall, said Step Up entered into escrow Aug. 1 and applied for the loan shortly thereafter. City staff is currently reviewing the loan application and will make a recommendation to City Manager Lamont Ewell. If the loan is denied, Lipka said Step Up will most likely have to abandon the project. “We are going to try and raise as much money as possible from other sources, but we won’t be able to raise the total amount in the time period for financing,” Lipka said. “We have four months.” Ewell said if the loan is recommended, there will be a public hearing in which residents will have the opportunity to lobby elected officials to either approve or deny the application. If the application is approved, there will be a series of public hearings in which the Architectural Review Board, Planning Commission and the City Council will weigh in on the project. “That’s how the public gets informed,” Ewell said. “We will honor the process, but at this point this city has not agreed to fund this.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 22, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/082206.pdf?ref=smdp.com)