By Elissa Royal Santa Monica
A year ago, I flew out to Santa Monica from the East Coast. For three weeks, I apartment-hunted between Washington Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, from Ocean Avenue down to 20th Street.
Despite having been warned, I was stunned (mostly heartsick, sometimes repulsed, and occasionally amused) by the dozens of homeless people I encountered on the Palisades and on Wilshire Boulevard, between Ocean Avenue and 14th Street.
Five months ago, when I moved here, I was relieved to see a marked reduction in the number of homeless, as well as the number of pretending-to-be-homeless panhandlers on Wilshire Boulevard.
Not to say that the problem is resolved — hardly. But clearly, progress has been made. The appropriate city and social service agencies and their employees in the field should be applauded, encouraged and funded.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 25, 2003. Read the original PDF.