By Jorge Casuso

August 21, 2024 -- Two Santa Monica developments that offer permanent supportive housing (PSH) and services to those who have been living on the streets have made headlines this year.

The first, a 122-unit affordable housing development Downtown that includes 50 (PSH) units drew attention for the $1 million per unit it will cost to build ("Council Approves $1 Million Per Unit Homeless Housing Project," April 10, 2024).

The second, the recently opened The Laurel has made news for the insight it provides into what it takes to land one of the 58 units in the more tha $39 million development in the Pico Neighborhood.

The Laurel designed by KFA Architecture (Courtesy of EAH Housing)

In two blog posts on the City's website this month, Santa Monica's top housing official, Heather Averick, noted that an individual must meet at least one of four criteria to qualify.

They must have lost their housing in Santa Monica, worked in the city when they lost housing, been homeless in the city for at least five years or are a "high utilizer of City services."

The housing, Averick wrote in a blog post Monday, is for "individuals who often have co-occurring chronic health conditions and have experienced years of trauma while living outdoors.

It includes on-site "wrap-around services tailored to each individual person to help them gain housing stability and remain housed," she said.

The services include an assigned care manager and are often paired with "life skills classes, budgeting classes, workforce support and community building social activities."

Residents of PSH developments have the same legal rights and restrictions as any other Santa Monica tenant, Averick said.

"Residents sign a lease and can continue to renew their lease for as long as they want to live in the community," she wrote in an August 2 post.

"This allows residents to stay housed and, over time, many can improve their health, gain stability, and even employment and are able to move on to other types of housing, such as general affordable housing."

Developed by EAH Housing, The Laurel is a four-story building that offers 57 studio apartments for individuals between 30 percent and 50 percent of area median income, along with a manager’s unit.

Located at 1413 Michigan Avenue near the 10 Freeway, the building features a laundry facility on each floor, a common area deck on the 3rd and 4th floors, 12 parking spaces and 800 square feet of community space for resident use, according to EAH's website.

"Many of The Laurel’s new residents had been living outdoors in Santa Monica for years and were well known and connected with housed community members," Averick said.

"Others were on the verge of becoming homeless in Santa Monica," she said. "Now, they are indoors, with an apartment to call their own and endless possibilities ahead of them."