By Jorge Casuso
October 14, 2025 -- A County funded transitional housing program on Ocean Avenue for mentally ill homeless individuals has been paused to "allow for more robust community engagement," Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath announced Tuesday.
The parties in the program run from two facilities at 413 and 825 Ocean Avenue have agreed to pause the project slated to open this month, while the State has approved an extension to the County grant funding it, Horvath said.
The move comes after intensive lobbying by Mayor Lana Negrete and complaints from some of the more than 300 Santa Monica residents who attended a North of Montana Association Zoom meeting Thursday.
“I am completely disappointed by the lack of proper communication with Santa Monica residents about the proposed interim housing projects on Ocean Avenue," Horvath said in a statement.
"It is clear from the North of Montana Association meeting -- and conversations since -- that there has been inexcusably little engagement around this proposal. This is not how trust is built, nor how lasting solutions are created."
"Given the place the community is in, my office has worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and St. Joseph Center, and they have agreed to immediately pause the projects to allow for more community engagement,” Horvath said.
Horvath's office said the proposal for the program -- operated by Venice-based St. Joseph Center on properties owned by developer Leo Pustilnikov -- "moved forward without the transparent coordination and communication that a project of this scale demands."
"These projects arose from a housing developer reaching out to offer solutions for the challenges Santa Monica is facing," Horvath's office said.
"The City of Santa Monica has been calling for more beds to address the crises we see playing out on our streets -- and we agree.
"We must move urgently to house people with acute mental health needs, but not at the expense of transparency or community partnership."
The two facilities facing Palisades Park will offer 49 beds, at least 15 of them reserved for clients who live on Santa Monica's streets.
City officials have said that the LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH is providing $4 million in funding from the State of California’s Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) initiative to operate the program.
According to DMH, eligible clients must be at least 18 years old, homeless, have "a serious mental illness" and "be willing to receive services from a DMH directly operated clinic or DMH contract provider."
St. Joseph Center's staff will provide a case worker, medication management, housing management and 24-hour security, while DMH will provide a clinician and a transport van, according to City officials.
"I appreciate that the County is taking the time to pause and reassess the proposed project on Ocean Avenue," said Mayor Negrete, who has been organizing a town hall meeting with the key players.
"This decision shows a willingness to listen and collaborate. But the work has only just begun. We must continue building real accountability, transparency and community engagement into every step of these processes.
"It's essential that future projects in Santa Monica receive the same level of review and community input they deserve," Negerete said. "I'm glad to have helped bring the issue to light for both the County Supervisor and our community."