Santa Monica

Santa Monica is a coastal city known for its beaches, pier, and wealth, with an average household income around $120,000 a year, a stark contrast to the roughly 807 people counted as homeless in the city during the 2023 Los Angeles County Homeless Count. It's a place where tourists and tech workers mix with people sleeping on benches near the same ocean view, and the gap between the two can feel wide and unforgiving. Still, there are people here who show up for you: The Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC) offers shelter, meals, and case management for people trying to get off the street. St. Joseph Center provides similar services, including job help and housing navigation, and has been a steady presence in the area for decades. Chrysalis can help if you're looking for work, offering résumé help and job placement services aimed at people rebuilding stability. The city's beauty doesn't cancel out how hard it is to survive here, but you're not invisible, and you're not alone in this.