Council Approves Funding to Move Free Meals Programs Indoors

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

September 27 -- After 15-years of deadlock, City officials have convinced groups that give hundreds of homeless a free meal in parks throughout Santa Monica to move indoors.

Over the outcries of the City’s largest developer, City Council members Tuesday approved as much as $197,000 for an historic plan to move an estimated 150 to 250 homeless people inside a Downtown building at 612 Colorado starting November 1st.

A unanimous vote sealed nearly six months of sensitive negotiations between the City and nearly a dozen homeless groups, including the two largest, Helping Other People Eat and Hand-to-Hand, City staff said.

“Dating back to 1991, this is something the council and residents have wanted,” said Julie Rusk, who handles homeless services for the City. “We think it is a pretty solid plan.”

Several Council members also hailed the moment.

“This really is a watershed event, I hope,” said Council member Richard Bloom.

The City will now spend $66,000 to reconfigure the inside of the site and set aside approximately $130,000 to staff the facility and cover insurance.

While several held out praise for the plan, Downtown’s largest developer, Craig Jones of JSM Inc, said he has concerns about loitering around the proposed site and doubted the facility would be large enough.

“I think this is a horrible mistake,” said Jones, who lives on Sixth Street and owns several properties built and under construction nearby. “There’s no way you’re going to fit all these people in there.”

Even though the entrance will be behind the building, Jones said he believes that homeless people will wander the block, impacting several businesses and residents nearby.

“We have a real cleanliness problem (already),” said Jones. “Care about our Downtown, please.”

By working closely with local police, boosting street cleaning services, adding more trashcans and strictly supervising the site, staff hopes to address many of the concerns that Jones and others may have.

The placement of the entrance was an important point as well, Rusk said.

“They enter up Colorado (Avenue), go south on 7th Street and enter in the back, and it’s all indoors,” Rusk assured.

She and others said the move would also help homeless service providers connect with those who attend the feedings to offer help to get them off the streets.

The City reached out to several residents and a dozen businesses that are immediately adjacent to the site and sent out letters to buildings within 500 feet of the space.

For years, the City has tried to restrict the outdoor feedings and cajole the same set of food-providers, many from outside the City, to halt the handouts on public lawns and parks, including the City Hall lawn.

The change in tenor, City officials said, came soon after a change in personnel this year.

Former Los Angeles County supervisor Ed Edelmen -- known in political circles for his low-key style of mediation -- was appointed by the City council at the end of last year to a $200,000 post to encourage regional cooperation to address the homeless problem.

He was approached by the groups, and after several sessions of negotiations, where he was joined by the new City manager, the groups reached the agreement, according to Rusk.

Negotiating on behalf of the feeding groups was Bob Myers, who was fired as city attorney by the council 14 tears ago after refusing to write a law banning camping in Palisades Park.

The agreement, officials said, is voluntary.

Staff will return for progress reports every two weeks after the program begins November 1st.

The following Special Report ran in The Lookout in 2002:

Part I: Feeding the Problem?
Part II: The Cost of Free Meals
Part III: Food for Thought