Some plans to move some mental health patients and sober living patients into a pricey Santa Monica neighborhood are reportedly ruffling some feathers.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the night before Thanksgiving, 30 to 50 sober living patients were dropped off by vans and moved into an empty building on Ocean Avenue. The outcry over the unpermitted business prompted the city to order them removed.
KNX News’ Jon Baird talked to a resident, who said she’s hesitant about these plans.
“I feel like you got to have compassion, and there's got to be somewhere for these people to go, but I do worry,” she said. “I've got a baby daughter, I've got a dog, and for myself to be walking around here alone and, perhaps, run into individuals who are suffering from dangerous mental health conditions is a little nerve-wracking.”
She added that communication between officials and locals needs to improve and that residents should be involved in these decisions.
Baird also spoke with another woman who believes the decision should be brought to the community.
“I feel like there is a happy medium there,” she said. “I do work in mental health, so I feel very passionately for these people who don't have anywhere to go, and you can't just condense them all in the same area where they don't have any support. So it makes a lot of sense to spread them out in really nice supportive communities, but the people should have some awareness that it's going to happen and have a chance to have their voice heard.”
Leo Pustilnikov, the developer who is leasing the two buildings on Ocean Ave,, told KNX News he has no plans right now for the buildings.
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