More than 100 Venice residents packed a Monday meeting to confront leaders of The Journey Program and Safe Place for Youth, blaming the two Lincoln Boulevard supportive housing sites for worsening crime and safety.
Residents said conditions have deteriorated since the facilities opened about 18 months ago, citing drug activity, trespassing, illegal dumping, violence and even dead bodies found during neighborhood cleanups.
Traci Park, the Los Angeles city councilmember for the area, said her office has fielded complaints for months and warned future city funding could be reduced if operators fail to improve security and neighborhood conditions.
Venice Community Housing defended supportive housing as a long-term homelessness solution, but its co-executive director declined an on-camera interview after the meeting and said the group would keep working on accountability.
The clash underscores a broader tension in Los Angeles homelessness policy: residents say taxpayer-funded housing needs stricter oversight when impacts spill into surrounding streets.