A group of out-of-state addicts moved into a rogue sober housing facility overnight, causing outrage for Santa Monica residents and city staff on a posh stretch of Ocean Avenue.<\/p>\n
Neighbors saw people moving into 413 Ocean Ave., a former senior-living building with sweeping ocean views Nov. 25. By dawn, neighborhood group chats exploded as residents demanded to know who was moving in and why no one had been alerted.<\/p>\n
Mayor Lana Negrete, who first sounded the alarm in an Instagram post and later reiterated her concerns, told The Post, \u201cthere were people coming in\u201d \u2014 and emphasized that her focus is on stopping vulnerable people from being \u201cshuffled into unsafe, unlicensed spaces. People deserve dignity, stability, and real oversight. Policy reforms are already in motion to prevent this from happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like immediate chaos,\u201d a longtime Ocean Avenue resident, who lives next door and asked not to be named because of fear or retaliation, told The Post.\u201d There were people fighting, smoking and so much noise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw the door open, we saw people moving in. We\u2019re like, \u2018Hey, the last time we checked, there was no certificate of occupancy, there was no new business,\u2019\u201d added former Councilmember Greg Morena, who lives down the block.<\/p>\n
Morena said local zoning laws require notice when a property\u2019s use changes, typically through a conditional use permit or similar process. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey did zero outreach. None. Any change of use is supposed to trigger public notice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to information provided by the City of Santa Monica, a multi-department inspection team arrived at 413 Ocean Ave. Wednesday afternoon to perform a facility inspection. At that time, staff were told by an on-site worker that the facility would operate as a sober living home program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The City said staff ultimately toured the building and found it \u201cnot in good shape\u201d and not ready to serve as a residential site.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like immediate chaos,\u201d a longtime resident said after out-of-town addicts moved into 413 Ocean Ave. Google Maps<\/p>\n
According to the City, on-site staff told inspectors they had been unaware they were operating an unpermitted facility and said they would begin moving people out under the City\u2019s directive. Some individuals, including those brought in from other states, had already been relocated to a facility in Thousand Oaks, staff said, adding that they were working to move everyone out.<\/p>\n
City officials said they documented their findings and plan to send follow-up correspondence to the property owner, developer, operator and on-site staff reiterating the Notice to Vacate and tenant relocation requirements, updating administrative citation fines and outlining next steps.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of Monday, the facility was vacant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neighbors learned of the sober house only when people started moving in. Jamie Paige<\/p>\n
The Thanksgiving-week surprise struck a nerve because the neighborhood had just gone through a similar experience. In late October, residents were blindsided when 413 and 825 Ocean Ave. were earmarked for a county mental-health housing program<\/a> and scheduled to receive 49 people with behavioral-health needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n The county\u2019s plan was announced with little notice, and neighbors learned of it only when a late-night update stated that residents would soon be moving in.<\/p>\n