Homelessness Again Tops List of Resident Concerns

By Jorge Casuso

February 10 -- Homelessness overwhelmingly remains the "most important issue" facing Santa Monica, followed by traffic and parking, according to a resident survey released by the City Wednesday.

The survey -- conducted last month -- found that 45 percent of the 400 residents polled citywide named "the number of homeless on the streets or lack of services for the homeless" as one of the top two issues facing the city, up from 33 percent three years ago.

The hot-button political issue far outdistanced traffic, which was cited by 25 percent of the respondents (up from 18 percent in 2002), and parking, which was cited by 16 percent (up from 8 percent).

"I want to get them off the street and get them help, and I can't do that without four votes," said Councilman Bob Holbrook, who led a successful push to crack down on the homeless problem 10 years ago.

"I have four votes now," referring to the election of Bobby Shriver, who made homelessness a top campaign issue.

Councilman Ken Genser, who is serving a record 17th year on the council, said the City has been addressing the homeless issue, but that there is no simple solution.

"I think to the extent that he (Shriver) brings new ideas, that's useful," Genser said. "I think he's pushing it, and that's great.

"But I don't think there is a magic bullet," he said. "Most of us have tried to do something, and it's going to take a while."

A third of those polled said the City -- which spent $1.6 million on homeless services during the past fiscal year -- is spending to little, while 17 percent said it spends too much, according to the 11-page survey by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research.

Half of the residents polled said the City wasn't doing enough to enforce homeless laws, with 51 percent giving the City negative ratings when it came to cracking down on "aggressive begging or panhandling" and 49 percent saying it wasn't doing enough about camping in parks and doorways.

Aside from the homeless, traffic and parking, at least 10 percent of the residents polled mentioned "crime/gangs/drugs" and "education" as top concerns.

The crime issue was viewed much more prominently in the Pico Neighborhood, where it was mentioned by 25 percent of the respondents in a separate poll of 150 Pico residents, compared to 8 percent of residents in the citywide poll.

Only 9 percent of the residents polled citywide mentioned "growth, which has been a key concern among City officials, as a major issue.

When it comes to traffic, nearly two-thirds of the respondents gave the City poor ratings for "keeping traffic flowing." Forty percent gave a negative rating when it came to keeping streets and alleys clean.

The survey found that 82 percent said they were "very" or "somewhat" satisfied with "the job the city of Santa Monica is doing to provide city services."

Older and long-time residents, as well as those who have been in contact with city departments, tended to be "slightly" less satisfied.

Residents were fairly divided when asked to rate the City's job addressing neighborhood concerns, with 45 percent rating it "excellent/good" and 39 percent rating it "fair/poor." The rest provided no rating.

Most residents feel safe in the city and are "highly satisfied" with the time it takes police to respond, according to the poll.

"Nearly everyone - 94 percent - says they feel safe walking in their own neighborhood during the day," with the number dropping to 65 percent at night according to the report.

In the city's business districts, 85 percent felt safe walking during the day, with 65 percent feeling safe at night, the report found.

When it came to police response, of the 19 percent who reported someone in their household made a 911 call last year, 76 percent were "satisfied" with the response time. Police were the most called department.

Paramedics got even better ratings. Of the 13 percent whose households made calls, 87 percent were "very satisfied" with the response time to their call, according to the report.

More than 80 percent of adults surveyed said they use city parks, and the same number said they found the parks "safe, well-maintained, and convenient," the report found.

The survey also found that most Santa Monica residents use alternative forms of transportation, with 71 percent reporting that they have "intentionally not used their car for a trip in the past month."

Nine percent said they or someone in their household drives a low-emission vehicle.

"People's individual experience is helpful," said Mayor Pam O'Connor, "but having baseline data helps us identify the issues and provide better service."

Jonathan Stroud contributed to this report