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# Efforts are not in vain
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/efforts-are-not-in-vain/
- Published: 2007-01-06T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T23:39:11.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Community, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness

*Local homeless programs praised*

CITYWIDE — As frustration continues to grow in Santa Monica over the perceived lack of progress in reducing the homeless population, with many blaming elected officials and service providers for perpetuating the problem, non-profit agencies and city staff have nevertheless been ranked as “high performers” who are making strides, but are challenged constantly by the severity and scope of the problem.

That’s according to a comprehensive, independent review of Santa Monica’s continuum of care for the homeless that was released earlier this week after more than six months of research, analysis and interviews with more than 100 stakeholders.

The 169-page report by the Urban Institute (now available online at www.smgov.net/hsd/) marks the first time since its inception in the 1980s that Santa Monica’s homeless delivery system has under-gone an extensive review and evaluation. The report provides an elaborate outline on structure of homeless assistance in Santa Monica and offers several recommendations to enhance the support network and get others involved.

There is hope that the report will dispel many myths about the support network and provide residents, merchants and visitors with a better understanding of the complexity of the problem facing their community.

“It is so overwhelming, in terms of the numbers of homeless in Southern California, that I don’t blame people for thinking what they do,” said Mayor Richard Bloom, who has been a leader in addressing homelessness through Bring LA Home, a blue-ribbon committee that has developed a 10-year plan to end homelessness in Los Angeles County.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m pushing a (boulder) up a hill, so I share people’s frustrations with the slow progress,” Bloom added. “But I also share the feeling that comes across in the report that this is not a problem of our own making, but one that we are addressing.”

BANG FOR THE BUCK A key finding in the report is the relative success of area service providers, who continue to outperform many of their counterparts in other parts of the country.

“In that sense, Santa Monica is certainly getting at least what it pays for,” the report states.“It is also important for Santa Monica stakeholders to understand that the city actually pays for very little (7 percent) of the programs and services that comprise the local homeless assistance network.”

For every $1 of the $1.54 million City Hall invested in service providers in 2005- 06, agencies such as the CLARE Foundation, St. Joseph Center and Step Up on Second raised $12.36 from outside sources.

“In this sense, Santa Monica is getting a good deal more than it pays for, as its investment in homeless assistance programs could hardly produce the results that programs achieve without the considerable additional resources that the programs themselves raise to meet client needs,” the report states.

That said, supporting the homeless comes at a considerable cost to City Hall. In addition to the $1.54 million invested last year, another $4.5 million was spent in the form of personnel costs. Police and paramedic expenses accounted for the bulk of those expenses, followed by funding for open space management related to homelessness.

The housing authority also distributes more than $2 million in mostly federally-funded subsidies each year.

A PAT ON THE BACK For local service providers, the Urban Institute report was well received and seemed to validate their ongoing work. Not only are service providers performing at a high level, the report found no mismanagement, fraud or duplication of services.

“I thought the evaluation was very comprehensive and highlighted a lot of the critical issues, including the enormity of the problem, the fact that the service organizations are actually doing something about it, the city gets a tremendous amount of leverage for the money it provides, there isn’t a duplication of services, fraud or waste,” said John Maceri, director of OPCC (Ocean Park Community Center), one of the city’s largest providers. “Those things are really positive. We knew it all along, but it’s nice to have it in writing.

“People often say that if we could remove all the service providers, then all the homeless would just go away. The evaluation points out very clearly that this is not true.”

HOME FOR THE HOMELESS Many residents and merchants have complained that Santa Monica attracts the down-and-out, earning a reputation for being “a home for the homeless” because of the myriad of programs provided.

Homeless people interviewed by the institute said they are in Santa Monica because of “of the relative ease of being homeless” here, the weather, safety and the pleasantness of the city.

The institute interviewed about 30 homeless people, including those who are enrolled in assistance programs and those who use the outdoor meal programs. Input was also given through e-mails and postal mail.

Several people spoke of approaching SAMOSHEL several times over the course of three months, but could not get in because of a lack of beds available. Others spoke of a shortage in the number of caseworkers, who are often handling multiple cases and cannot give adequate attention to one client and keep them moving forward with the program.

Homeless people also expressed concern that there are more violent people on the streets than ever before. Many are younger, drug addicted and prey on those who are the most vulnerable. Homeless people said they have trouble getting officers to pay attention to crimes against homeless people because they are too concerned with trying to control how the homeless interact with residents and businesses.

Many interviewed said they would like to see a focus on public drunkenness and the aggressive mentally ill, and would like to see more services for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.

“Homeless and formerly homeless people should be included as stakeholders …,” the report states. “They are an invaluable source of information on how services can best be organized and what services can best meet the needs of homeless people.”

The report offers several suggestions to enhance delivery of services and improve the lives of the down-and-out, including expanding programs that identify those with drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness, move them off the streets and into treatment.

A very high portion of the homeless in Santa Monica are affected by mental illness, substance abuse or both — significantly higher than the national average. About 80 percent of those living on the streets here have substance abuse issues, 38 percent are suffering from mental illness and 24 percent are struggling with both.

On top of that, 33 percent are chronically homeless, meaning they have a disability and have been homeless for a year or more, or four or more times in the last three years.

“This is high compared to the findings of about 10 percent to 15 percent chronically homeless in other cities,” the report states.

Some of the recommendations include restricting the use of brief services to a set time or number of visits that can occur without the client seeing a caseworker; developing transportation arrangements to get people to services outside of Santa Monica and develop more hubs outside of the city; more public education about service providers and how they help the homeless; getting liquor stores to stop selling booze to chronic abusers; opening a hygiene center downtown; and establishing an ongoing, independent community roundtable comprised of homeless people, residents, business owners and city staff.

“Implementing a roundtable is a great way of making sure the community stays informed, and we must do it in a way that includes everyone and is proactive,” said Bloom. “Too many times we are reactive. Many people get involved because something negative has happened to them. That’s a way of generating involvement, but we would rather be proactive and have a forum for people to discuss openly what the issues are and how we can address them.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 6, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/010607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)