Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath has ordered the termination of two controversial interim housing facilities planned for Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, citing broken trust with the community and calling on county officials to identify alternative locations for the urgently needed services.
The announcement marks a significant escalation from Horvath’s earlier decision to pause the projects, which would have converted former senior living buildings in the 400 and 800 blocks of Ocean Avenue into 49 units of supportive housing for people with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders.
“When a project moves forward without community awareness, it erodes trust. In this case, that trust has been broken, and the community is right to be frustrated,” Horvath said.
She has directed the Department of Mental Health to work with St. Joseph Center and the City of Santa Monica to identify alternative sites that meet community needs.
“The lack of transparency and coordination in this process is unacceptable. It’s exactly why I directed the County to unify all homelessness and behavioral health housing programs under one coordinated department — to ensure clear leadership, consistent communication, and accountability as we address our homelessness crisis,” she said.
The facilities, operated by St. Joseph Center with county funding through the state’s Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program, were weeks from opening before facing widespread criticism over inadequate public outreach. All residents would have come from the Westside, with at least 15 of 49 beds reserved for Santa Monica residents
While the Ocean Ave. projects have been canceled, it’s still possible a similar facility could open in Santa Monica. Developer Leo Pustilnikov did not own the Ocean Ave. properties but he did have an option to purchase the property and was involved in the deal to locate the housing projects at that location.
The County is continuing to work with Leo Pustilnikov on alternative locations that could include property on 20th or 21st, potentially along Santa Monica Blvd.
The nature of the funding for the project doesn’t require a replacement in Santa Monica but it does require the final facility to be located somewhere in Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Culver City, Ladera, Malibu, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Playa del Rey, Santa Monica, Venice, West LA, Westchester or Westwood.
The cancellation came just one day before Mayor Lana Negrete was due to ask the Council to approve a motion to clarify how the county-funded facilities were approved and communicated to the public.
Negrete praised the decision.
“We should all be working together to build a framework for compassion and care that recognizes the financial and personnel constraints facing cities across the State and Santa Monica remains committed to these programs and the well-being of our community,” she said.
Prior to the announcement, residents who had opposed the project said they favored an investigation into the situation.
“Communities are built on trust and partnership, and right now, we have neither,” said Greg Morena, a local advocate and former councilman. “Residents are asking the City Council to support this effort so that all facts are brought forward, and future decisions are made in partnership with the community.”
The lack of transparency has forced residents to conduct their own investigations. According to Morena, the only formal communication was a two-page FAQ with information that conflicted with details presented at a North of Montana Association meeting. Residents have submitted more than a dozen Public Records Act requests to understand basic project details.
Residents are demanding “real guardrails” around site suitability, including evidence-based care standards and thorough fiscal and community impact analyses.
editor@smdp.com
*Editor's Note: Lana Negrete's quote has been corrected to say "personnel" not "personal."