Can Santa Monica Cope? : Rising tide of homelessness threatens this compassionate seaside city

These days beautiful Santa Monica by the sea--also known in some political circles as the People’s Republic of Santa Monica--bears some self-inflected scars. One of them is the homeless problem. It threatens to overwhelm this charming, climatic burg and undo its nationally renowned humanitarian instincts with a dollop of compassion fatigue.

Homeless people flock to Santa Monica not only because of its pleasant physical environment but also because of its liberal social and law-enforcement policies. The city attorney takes an arguably permissive view of homelessness; meals are provided in front of City Hall; many local groups work to provide shelter and health care.

But the temperate populace has had its tolerance challenged by increasing incidents of violence among the homeless population. The result is a political tinderbox. A year ago a recall effort was mounted against the city attorney for his permissive posture and though it failed, he remains very much under fire. Next month a special panel is due to issue a comprehensive report on homelessness in Santa Monica.

That report is eagerly awaited. Santa Monica has done as much as any other community, if not more, for people whom this economy has left behind. But the problem is larger than any one city. All its resources--and all its noble instincts--cannot unilaterally resolve what is a problem of national dimensions, as Los Angeles politicians know all too well. It is to be hoped that the report of the Homelessness Task Force will offer new strategies for coping. Other places reeling from the competing pressures of compassion and pragmatism may find the report of considerable interest, too.