Garcetti faces anger over homeless shelter plan in Venice
Rick Swinger, left, a 38 year resident of Venice, voices his opposition to put a homeless shelter in a vacant MTA lot in Venice, while talking to Councilman Mike Bonin, foreground, left, and Mayor Eric Garretti, right, during a town hall at Westminster Elementary School in Venice.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Barbara Gibson, second from right, a property owner in Venice, argues against plans for a homeless shelter on a vacant MTA lot in Venice to Mayor Eric Garcetti, left, during a town hall at Westminster Elementary School in Venice.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Dara Lasky, center, a Venice resident since 1968, said she would support a homeless shelter for seniors and families with children but “not the clear meth addicts and criminals taking over our streets.”
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Anthony Wells, right, a Venice resident for 30 years, asks city officials why money is being spent on short-term shelter beds when they could be spending it instead on putting people into preexisting homes, which he believes would be far less expensive.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Kevin Eheh, left, with the #SheDoes Movement, an organization to get women off of the street and into shelters, is joined by others outside the town hall at Westminster Elementary School in Venice.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Venice resident Rita Silverman, second from right, and others shout down city officials during a town hall at Westminster Elementary School in Venice to discuss plans to put a homeless shelter on a vacant MTA lot in Venice.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)