""I live next to 3 within walking distance - we never got a heads up or a community meeting either," Santa Monica Mayor Lara Negrete wrote on Facebook. "The system is not working fairly and informing people and it's above our heads often coming from state and county - yet we have to manage the chaos.""
""We want to ensure that everyone is heard, properly informed, and has multiple opportunities to provide feedback and help shape how the project is implemented," the Department of Mental Health said in a statement."
""What happened here revealed some real gaps in how the law divides responsibilities between the state, county and city when it comes to not only funding mental health facilities, but just the notification and community engagement," Negrete told The Times. "I think everybody deserves to know what is happening in their community and to be able to voice their concern, and shouldn't be chastised or villainized for having a response or a"
A pair of ocean-view Santa Monica buildings that once housed seniors sat vacant for over a year before the county planned to use them for transitional housing for 49 patients with behavioral health issues. Neighbors noticed recent activity—painting, security cameras and private-property signs—before receiving late notice that new tenants would move in. The plan prompted swift backlash from residents and city leaders who complained about lack of community notification and engagement and cited gaps in responsibilities among state, county and city agencies. The project is on hold while the county schedules a town hall, public tours and promises multiple opportunities for feedback.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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