venicestakeholders said
Venice Rob,

A little background is in order.  Rosendahl had nothing to do with setting up The Teen Project in Venice. They are entirely supported by individual donations and foundation grants, so no tax money is involved.  They chose a location near the Boardwalk because that's where their audience is largely located.  A local property owner gave them a 1/3rd discount on the rent and the inside of the structure was remodeled by volunteers and the new appliances were donated.  Again, as Heidi wrote, The Teen Project PAD is not a shelter; there are no beds there and no one stays overnight.  The Teen Project places those interested in getting off the street into existing group homes and sober living programs in LA and the Teen Project's transitional housing, which is located in OC.  Their current objective is to purchase and/or lease small transitional homes in the LA area, but they won't be at the beach, for the reasons you cite – the real estate at the beach is too expensive (unless another property owner gives them a substantial break on the rent).  To get into housing or to get help to return home the clients have to be sober and participate in AA or a similar program (if they have been into drugs and/or alcohol).  It appears to me, from what the Project has accomplished in just three months since opening, that there is a real hunger amongst at least some of the young people on the street to do something more productive with their days than get high at Venice Beach.  While no program is perfect, The Teen Project is the first I've seen in Venice that attracts this group of teenagers and young adults and has a successful track record of getting them into school and housing or helping them return to their hometowns, if that's what they want.   The VSA has given The Teen Project a modest donation and we are encouraging others to also contribute.

Mark

All well and good Mark, I am not in disagreement that this type of program is working and well needed. The only problem I have is it's location off the boardwalk. It may help those who want help. It still draws a bad element to the area. If I went along those lines of thinking why not put a court house and a jail on OFW as well.