> ## 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. # On death’s doorstep - URL: https://www.smdp.com/on-deaths-doorstep/ - Published: 2008-02-01T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T18:15:19.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Community, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness *Survey finds 110 homeless individuals are in jeopardy* MAIN LIBRARY There are 110 people living on the streets of Santa Monica who could die some time in the next seven years if their illnesses are not treated and they are not housed properly, according to a survey conducted earlier this week. The most vulnerable person is a 49-year-old white man with chronic health problems who grew up in foster care in Texas and came to Santa Monica 30 years ago. He suffers from mental illness and addiction, and spends most of his time on the beach. He makes money by panhandling, according to the survey, the results of which were released by City Hall Thursday. The survey, which was conducted by roughly 60 volunteers from City Hall, social service providers, the Santa Monica Police Department and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, is part of a homeless vulnerability index that city officials will use to identify those most in need. The idea is to move the top 10 most vulnerable homeless individuals into housing as soon as possible, and then move on to the next 10, said Julie Rusk, City Hall’s director of the human services division, which oversees Santa Monica’s homeless programs. The registry and survey helps, “strip away anonymity,” putting faces and names to the statistics, helping to humanize the issue of homelessness, Rusk said. “I’m sort of ashamed, frankly, that we have 35 people who have lived on the streets of Santa Monica for 20 years or more. It’s an outrage,” Rusk said. “One-hundred-and-ten people is something we can get to work on in Santa Monica. There is no reason we can’t house 110 people.” Overall, 227 homeless people were counted on a recent, rainy Friday night and 261 were interviewed and completed a lengthy survey that asked them to list their names, ages, years homeless, illnesses, run-ins with law enforcement, and if they spent any time in foster care. In exchange for providing this information and consenting to having their picture taken, those who participated were given a $5 gift card to McDonald’s, Jack in the Box or Burger King. The effort was done with the help of Common Ground, a New York City-based agency that has dramatically reduced the homeless population in mid-town Manhattan with its Street to Home model. Common Ground is also working with Los Angeles on “Project 50,” a plan similar to Santa Monica’s that is intended to house the 50 most vulnerable people on Skid Row. The key to Common Ground’s success has been their focus on those people who are fixtures or anchors in the community who oftentimes attract others who are seeking advice or guidance on how to survive on the streets. Program supporters say the effort in Santa Monica and Los Angeles could save taxpayers millions of dollars currently spent on homeless people who turn up at shelters, jails or emergency rooms. Santa Monica has had some success housing the chronically homeless. Under the Chronic Homeless Program, which was launched in 2004, 77 people have been housed, with 51 in permanent supportive housing. The project utilizes a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to reduce the number of chronically homeless people living on the streets of Santa Monica and other outdoor public places by helping them to secure housing, benefits and supportive services, including mental health treatment and/or substance abuse treatment. Of the 261 people who completed the survey, 69 had at least one at-risk indicator. The indicators included frostbite, HIV/AIDS, cirrhosis, being over 60 years of age and having been admitted to the emergency room over three times in the last year. The average age of people sleeping in Santa Monica is 49, while the average age of the 110 most vulnerable is 55, according to the survey. The average number of years homeless for people sleeping in Santa Monica is eight, while the average for the most vulnerable was 11. The top three reasons those surveyed chose Santa Monica to sleep in are the weather, safety and the availability of services. Seventy-seven percent of people sleeping in Santa Monica are male and 77.3 percent of the most vulnerable are male. Of the people sleeping in Santa Monica, 66 percent are white, 21 percent are black and 12 percent are Hispanic. Of those sleeping in Santa Monica, 16 percent are veterans. The most vulnerable account for 82 percent of the reported hospitalizations of homeless individuals in Santa Monica during the last year. “These are hard numbers on hard times, which call for hard choices,” Councilman Kevin McKeown said. “We as a community must summon the resources to house vulnerable people who’ve survived on Santa Monica streets for a decade or more, and end this disgrace.” The hard part is finding places to put the most vulnerable. Rusk said there are roughly 100 housing vouchers available but not enough units. “We need landlords to help,” she said. “We need everyone to get together and help on this … This is about changing the perception that homelessness is something we can’t solve.” Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom said the survey and vulnerability registry, which will continually be updated as time passes, are the start of “something very, very big,” and believes it represents hope for the community and those who are living every day without shelter, damaged by the elements. “These are real people,” Bloom said. “These people have a future.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/020108-01_01.jpg) MAKING IT COUNT: A homeless man sits and reads a book at Palisades Park. (Photo: Photo courtesy) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/020108-01_02.jpg) of Santa Monica PLOTTING THE NEED: This map indicates where representatives from various local agencies encountered homeless individuals during a recent count. (Photo: Photo courtesy City) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 1, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020108.pdf?ref=smdp.com)