For years, the parish of St. Mark Catholic Church in Venice has tried to help the homeless youths at Safe Place for Youth, a drop-in center where parishioners served meals and performed other volunteer work. The center and the parish hall are neighbors on a gritty stretch of Lincoln Boulevard, just around a corner from the church and its elementary school.
Acting on behalf of St. Mark, the archdiocese has appealed the L.A. Planning Commission’s decision to approve Lincoln Apartments, which would be built on the site of Safe Place for Youth and an auto repair shop on Lincoln Boulevard. A new drop-in center would sit on the ground floor of the building, which would house about 60 residents — half of them in their late teens and early 20s, half of them chronically homeless adults.
This is a busy commercial area frequented by homeless people unrelated to the youth center, so it’s unclear how many of the incidents were really caused by the youths who go there. Its executive director, Alison Hurst, says clients mainly come for food, showers and community. She acknowledged, though, that there has been “a small handful of potentially serious incidents that were handled by our staff” or the police.
opinion Homeless
opinion
opinion Tax churches, and don’t listen to them when it comes to social issues. Seriously this is sick. Almost as if they need the vulnerable to continue to be vulnerable to maintain their power?
opinion Catholics.... never trust charlatans!
opinion WWJD.