From Your Friends at VCH: July 2025
Dear Friends of VCH,
Last week’s executive order on mental illness and homelessness marks a concerning development in public policy—one that misrepresents and misdiagnoses the problem, and risks worsening the very crisis it purports to solve.
Venice Community Housing knows from decades of work and the research of social scientists worldwide that enforcement-based approaches do not heal; they harm. Pushing people into jails or forced treatment doesn’t stabilize mental health; it compounds trauma, triggers decompensation, and pushes people further from housing.
The homelessness crisis is not a failure of the services and programs that support people. It is a failure of the housing market. The public sector’s underinvestment in affordable housing began more than 50 years ago, and the private sector has never produced a supply of units that keeps pace with the widening wage gap and eroding social safety net. It may be expedient to shift blame onto those who have struggled to find stability, rather than addressing the root cause of the problem, but without housing, people cannot stabilize, heal, or rebuild their lives, regardless of the quality of the programs.
At VCH, we are troubled by the timing of this policy’s release. July is both Disability Pride Month and National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, two observances that uplift communities this order appears to target. It is hard to ignore the discriminatory undertones in policies that criminalize or pathologize poverty, disability, and racialized trauma under the guise of care.
We need bold correction in the housing market, not regression into tough-on-crime responses that we’ve seen fail time and again. Projects like the Venice Dell Community, which will bring affordable and supportive homes to those most in need, must be allowed and encouraged to move forward. We call on our elected leaders to invest in housing and community-based care, not punishment.
VCH stands with our unhoused neighbors, with people living with mental health challenges and disabilities, and with all who know that housing is a human right.
In solidarity and gratitude,
Your friends at VCH
Disability Pride Month & National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
Did You Know:
25-50%
of individuals experiencing homelessness have a disability, including physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, as well as mental health and/or substance abuse disorders, as compared to 20% of the general population (Source)
+50%
of housed and marginally housed individuals had traumatic brain injuries — a rate that far exceeds that of the general population. (Source)
35 years
ago, on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. (Source)
7 in 10
people with disabilities who experience homelessness stay in dangerous locations (e.g., on sidewalks or under bridges), directly affecting their health outcomes (Source)
| Facts and Ways to Support: 10 resources to support the mental health needs of BIYOC (Black, Indigenous, and other Youth of Color). (UCLA) Celebrate Disability Pride Month (UCSF) |
Program Updates
This month, our communities bloomed with creativity, connection, and care! At the Journey Apartments, residents got their hands dirty in the best way during a gardening workshop led by Morgan from Safe Place for Youth’s SPY Gardens, learning how to cultivate beauty and sustainability right at home.
Over at Tabor Court, our much-loved Shop Day returned, offering residents a chance to pick up free new essentials—from toiletries and clothing to shoes, games, and toys for the kids. It was a day full of smiles and surprises!
And in the kitchen at the Rose Apartments, our amazing volunteer Nancy hosted a cooking class where residents learned to make a delicious Chinese chicken salad, with a vegan option included. It was a flavorful celebration of community and inclusion.
Construction is progressing at 20th Street Apartments, with the team preparing for a foundation slab pour this September. Work is also underway to relocate the temporary ramp to its permanent location, and the parking garage ramp is set to be poured soon.
We’re currently 14% through construction, and recently received City of Santa Monica approval for off-site civil plans. Utility coordination is ongoing for work in the alley, but no delays are expected to impact the overall timeline. The project remains on track for framing to begin in January 2026 and completion in Spring 2027.