July 29, 2025 #1 Local News, Forum, Information and Event Source for Venice Beach, California.

Encampment at Centennial Park Cleared

41 of 66 residents moved to interim housing

By Dolores Quintana 

City officials have cleared a homeless encampment at Centennial Park in Venice. 

The Santa Monica Daily Press estimated that there were up to 60 tents on the site, located on the Venice Boulevard median near the Abbot Kinney Memorial Library. The Library is currently closed for repairs, according to the City of Los Angeles. 

The city made a concentrated effort to perform outreach among the residents of the camp and in the end, all of the unhoused people there accepted the temporary housing arrangements that were offered to them or left by the deadline of June 13 at the end of the day. 

Centennial Park, seen this week.

Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office chose St. Joseph’s Center to take charge of the outreach effort. St. Joseph’s is an unhoused services provider whose workers have been making contact with the residents of the camp since November of 2021 to facilitate efforts to help them. 

According to Garcetti’s Press Secretary Harrison Wollman outreach began in March of this year.

Out of the 66 park residents, according to information from St. Joseph’s Center’s outreach, 41 of the residents accepted the interim housing that was offered to them. Among those 41 placements, 33 were placed in motels, six went to Project Roomkey slots, one was a bridge home placement and one was placed in shared housing. 

LA City Sanitation had scheduled a park cleaning on June 14 from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. City Sanitation delivered notices by hand to the residents and the notices were posted at the park. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Department of Parks and the LAPD were also part of this park cleaning. 

“I am pleasantly surprised that action is being taken, Linda Martinek, President of Friends of the Venice Library, a nonprofit organization that fundraises to support library programming, said told the Daily Press. “I hope that they’re getting the support that they needed and that it won’t just be moved to another area of town, the encampment, but also I hope that they stay on top of it and don’t let it happen again.”

Martinek’s group had previously canceled all of their in-person events at the library due to their concerns about potential safety issues at the library. It was Martinek’s belief that the library had endured a notable amount of staff turnover and the hours of the library were not as reliable as normal because of staff who requested to transfer out to other library locations due to what she termed as verbal and physical assaults by the people living in the park. 

Over the past few months, the area has also seen a shooting and tent fire, which fortunately did not spread to the library. 

in News
Related Posts

Wallis Annenberg, Visionary Philanthropist and Civic Leader, Dies at 86

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Philanthropist Expanded Foundation’s Reach From Arts to Conservation Wallis Annenberg, a prominent philanthropist and longtime leader of the Annenberg Foundation, died...

Lane Closures Continue on Pacific Coast Highway for Recovery, Utility Work

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Caltrans is urging drivers to slow down and use caution in the active work zones Single-lane closures will remain in...

French Eco-Conscious Sneaker Brand Opens First LA Store on Abbot Kinney

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

The space was designed by local architecture firm OWIU (Only Way Is Up) and reflects a distinctly Californian aesthetic French...

Homecare Company Celebrates 14 years of Compassion While Planting New Roots After January Fire

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Luxe Homecare, a leading provider of compassionate and reliable in-home care services for seniors has recently announced the opening of...

Mysterious Dog Deaths Plague Venice Canal Community

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Over the past 10 days, five healthy neighborhood dogs have died unexpectedly, with one currently in the ICU The Venice...

Council to Weigh Next Steps in Justice Case on Land Seized from Black Entrepreneur

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

The Ebony Beach Club case has become a focal point of Santa Monica’s growing reparative justice efforts The Santa Monica...

Malibu Teen to Paddle 21 Miles for Ocean Cleanup Following Pali Fire

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

His 21-mile prone paddle will trace the coastline from Malibu through Palisades A Malibu high school student and avid surfer...

14-Unit Apartment Complex on Sawtelle Blvd. Lists for $3.25M After Price Cut

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Plans have been approved to convert an existing laundry room into a 536-square-foot accessory dwelling unit  A 14-unit apartment complex...

(Video) A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

For More Information, Go to Aplustree.com A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles For More...

The Third Place Reinvented: Why Kavahana Is Becoming LA’s New Favorite Hangout Spot

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

In a city full of coffee shops that close too early and bars that don’t cater to the sober (or...

Avocet Playa Vista: Your New Luxury Retirement Experience

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

A wealth of high-end amenities, gourmet cuisine, mind-body programs and stimulating cultural events, centered around a luxury lifestyle retirement experience...

Yacht Crashes Into Seawall at Marina del Rey’s Fisherman’s Village

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Witnesses at nearby restaurants watched as the mid-size yacht collided A yacht crashed into a seawall at Fisherman’s Village in...

LAPD to Conduct DUI Checkpoints Across City This Weekend

July 26, 2025

July 26, 2025

LAPD officials said checkpoint locations are chosen based on areas with high numbers of DUI-related crashes and arrests The Los...

Sunset Jazz & Pizza Series Returns to The Lobster

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

The series blends jazz from a three-piece house band with handcrafted pizzas and $5 Open Brewing beers  The Lobster’s popular...

Measles Case Confirmed in LA, Officials Urge Vaccination

July 25, 2025

July 25, 2025

Investigators are working to identify potential exposures and assess the risk to others Health officials have confirmed a case of...