Introduction to the Venice Dell Homeless Housing Project

The city of Los Angeles has been grappling with the issue of homelessness for years, and one of the major challenges has been finding ways to build housing for those in need. The Venice Dell project, which aims to provide housing for homeless and low-income individuals and families, has been trapped in pre-development hell since 2017.

Background on the Project

After a competitive process, city housing officials chose nonprofit developers Venice Community Housing and Hollywood Community Housing Corps to take a 2.65-acre expanse of city parking lot in Venice and turn it into housing. The project has undergone numerous public hearings, environmental studies, and design changes to accommodate city officials’ concerns.

Approval and Delays

The City Council approved the project in 2021 and again in 2022 when the developers were awarded a development agreement. However, instead of being fast-tracked through the rest of the process, they’ve been slow-walked by city officials. The city attorney, Hydee Feldstein Soto, directed city departments to stop working with the developers due to pending litigation, which has since been resolved.

Obstacles and Controversies

The project has faced numerous obstacles, including lawsuits from a nonprofit Venice group that opposes it. Despite prevailing in two lawsuits, the project has been delayed by more than a year, jeopardizing its funding and Coastal Commission approval. The city attorney has also argued that the project needs to be reviewed by the Board of Transportation Commissioners, which has declared the project unsuitable for the lot.

The Role of City Officials

Councilmember Traci Park, who opposes the project, has introduced a motion to explore the feasibility of a smaller lot for housing. Meanwhile, Mayor Karen Bass, who has made housing homeless people a priority, has been woefully silent on Venice Dell. The city’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, chaired by Councilmember Nithya Raman, has expressed concerns about moving forward with a motion that seems to be an implicit endorsement of a bad-faith effort to stop an affordable housing project.

The Need for Affordable Housing

The Venice Dell project is a vetted, thoughtful housing project in a well-resourced area of the city where there is little permanent housing for low-income and homeless individuals and families. If the city wants to build affordable housing, it should support projects like Venice Dell, rather than trying to kill them.

Conclusion

The Venice Dell project is a crucial step towards addressing the city’s homelessness crisis. City officials must stop finding ways to kill the project and instead work towards supporting it. The mayor and City Council must show that they are serious about building affordable housing and getting homeless people off the streets.

FAQs

• What is the Venice Dell project?
  The Venice Dell project is a housing development project that aims to provide housing for homeless and low-income individuals and families in Venice, Los Angeles.
• Why has the project been delayed?
  The project has been delayed due to various obstacles, including lawsuits, city officials’ concerns, and pending litigation.
• What is the current status of the project?
  The project has finally received the necessary Coastal Commission permit and is moving forward, despite ongoing efforts by city officials to kill it.
• What can be done to support the project?
  The city’s Housing and Homelessness Committee and the mayor can support the project by moving forward with the development agreement and providing necessary funding and resources.
• Why is the Venice Dell project important?
  The Venice Dell project is important because it provides much-needed housing for homeless and low-income individuals and families in a well-resourced area of the city.