To address chronic homelessness in its community, Santa Monica has celebrated the opening of a new supportive housing project called The Laurel. The city-funded development is providing much-needed shelter to 57 individuals who previously faced homelessness, counting among its residents a diverse group including adjunct professors, art educators, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs who were pushed to the margins by various life-altering events such as job loss, the pandemic, or unforeseen disasters like apartment fires, as reported by the City of Santa Monica.
Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock, in a statement made by Santa Monica's official press release, expressed the city's commitment, "We must help those who are suffering on our streets get on a pathway out of homelessness while also mitigating the impacts of homelessness on our business community. This new community is a huge step in the right direction." The initiative did, not just provide housing but also aimed to reintegrate vulnerable citizens back into society respectfully and effectively.
The project, which is the city’s first fully city-funded permanent supportive housing initiative in nearly a decade, was made possible by an $11.7 million Housing Trust Fund loan from the City of Santa Monica. It is supplemented by housing vouchers issued by the Santa Monica Housing Authority. The project's noted significance lies in the fact that it expands the city’s permanent supportive housing stock to 181 apartments, with an additional 98 in development.
Comprehensive services to support the residents of The Laurel will be provided by The People Concern, Santa Monica's established partner in homeless services. Describing the development as "a beautiful example of the city's dedication," Heather Averick, Santa Monica's Housing, and Human Services Director, told Santa Monica's press team that "Permanent Supportive Housing is a vital and necessary tool in our work to address the housing and homelessness crisis in our city."
To learn more about Santa Monica's effort to provide permanent supportive housing and to get further details on The Laurel project, members of the public can visit the city's press release. For additional inquiries, Santa Monica's Public Information Officer, Tati Simonian, can be reached via email.
