Anti-homeless group tries to close St. Josephs
An appeal of the St. Joseph Center’s
building and safety permit was held Oct. 18 in West Los Angeles. At press time,
the decision was still pending. The appeal was filed by members of a group
called Venice Sonic which consists of some of the neighbors of the center at 404
Lincoln Blvd., an owner of the California Chicken restaurant on Lincoln and
others who have previously been involved in opposition to homeless services in
Venice.
At the hearing, supporters of St. Joseph’s
far outnumbered those in
opposition.
The Center, which provides
counseling and referral services to the homeless has been operating since last
April at its current location. Before that, it provided the same services for
several years at the corner of Rose Avenue and 4th Street. Some of the same
opponents in the present appeal reportedly put pressure on the landlord at 4th
and Rose to get rid of the
center.
According to the Los Angeles
County’s Homeless Headcount, last year, nearly 1,000 Venetians are
homeless. Of these, about 150 are over 60 years of age.
Posted: Thu - November 1, 2007 at 01:40 PM