Homeless people sleeping at Love No Hate at 7990 Santa Monica Blvd.
Nir Zilberman, the clothing merchant and community activist, has been ordered to stop housing homeless people at his shop at 7990 Santa Monica Blvd.
Zilberman told WEHOville that he emptied the place of homeless people this morning at the request of his landlord. Zilberman said he believed the landlord had received a complaint from the L.A. County Department of Public Health. WEHOville has not been able to verify that.
Nir Zilberman
Zilberman is a vendor of the ES Collection at his store in West Hollywood. Last Spring Zilberman founded Love No Hate, which he describes as the country’s first privately owned LGBT center, in a converted storefront at 7990 Santa Monica Blvd. adjacent to the upscale Laurel Hardware restaurant. Love No Hate’s original focus was on LGBT issues, and the store features various related pieces of art and a meeting room. Zilberman then began stressing transgender rights issues and organized meetings there of transgender people.
Just before Thanksgiving last year, Zilberman began letting homeless people spend the night at the Love No Hate location. Zilberman said as many as a dozen people slept overnight. “I fed them breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” Zilberman said.
He also let homeless people hang out at Love No Hate during the daytime, with some stopping by for food and others to escape cold weather or rain. Zilberman said as many as 80 homeless people would come through Love No Hate on some days.
But several weeks ago the City of West Hollywood reminded Zilberman that his shop was supposed to close by 2 a.m. and asked him to stop letting homeless people sleep over.
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David Giugni, WeHo’s social services manager, said representatives of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a non-profit agency with which the city has a contract, have visited the No Love No Hate location since it opened to help connect homeless people there with a variety of social services. Giugni said that PATH will help those who are not able to stay at No Love No Hate, connecting them with one of the other homeless services suppliers in the county if there aren’t enough beds available at PATH.
Love No Hate has gotten support from some people. For example, City Councilmember Lauren Meister brought by a food donation. But it also has drawn complaints from local businesses such as Laurel Hardware.
“I will find them a place,” Zilberman said of the homeless people who have stayed at his location. He hinted that that place might be his West Hollywood home. “I want to see what they say when I take all the homeless to my own home,” he said. “I want to see what the City of Hollywood will do.”
What to do about homeless transients has become a big issue in West Hollywood in recent months. One reason is the cold weather and worries about the heavy rainfall predicted with El Nino. Some residents have urged the city to open overnight shelters for homeless people. City officials have noted that West Hollywood contracts with several non-profit groups to offer shelter to homeless people. And they have noted that homeless transients sometimes suffer from mental health and drug abuse problems that would make housing them overnight in a lightly staffer shelter problematic.
Another issue in the debate about homelessness is complaints from residents that homeless people are breaking into their garages, defecting on their sidewalks and using drugs. A group on the city’s Eastside, organized by Tod Hall and Roxanne McBryde, has been arguing for more law enforcement
One thing is for sure, my friends, my angels and Love NO Hate, got the city move into the right direction and much faster. the city finally taking actions, it’s a good start.
mike dunn
8 years ago
A huge homeless population are our veterans. As a Viet Nam era veteran I can attest to the fact we were not welcomed back and in fact scorned by some of society. I was lucky when I returned. My old job was more than just offered to me. But it was a small family business who always treated me as one of the family. My question is why we have even one veteran homeless when a huge V.A. campus exists in Westwood across the street fro the V.A. hospital. With its architecture reminiscent of military barracks it could be the… Read more »
mike dunn
8 years ago
It’s time the homeless problem is addressed in a manner that includes common sense. If one walks by or enters one of the many shelters in downtown L.A. they would find a very nasty environment within including a stench that few would desire to be around. Perhaps such a place worked many years ago but we are talking about today. There is a PATH facility adjacent to the Hollywood Freeway near Vermont Ave. It’s a nasty looking place with homeless encampments surrounding it. If they can’t even accommodate those within steps of them how can they accommodate those miles away?… Read more »
Randy
8 years ago
Oliver, I’m not sure that two “City Council members gave it credibility.” Once again, Meister might not have known there were people sleeping there, and may have only brought food for what she thought was a daytime operation. Even if they did know, to refer to this as a “publicity stunt” or say they were “political opportunists” gives them no benefit of the doubt. And as far as “theatrics” go, how, exactly did they do that? Is it at all possible that they were trying to HELP people, and not looking for political gain? I don’t understand your vitriol towards… Read more »
Wendy
8 years ago
I live on the prairie of South Dakota. I served in the military for 20 years. I always wanted kids. I lost three and finally adopted a beautiful baby boy. He was my life. He was funny, smart and full of life. In High School he went to State every year for track, cross country and swimming. He sang in Europe with selected HS singers. He moved to the cities for college. His second year, someone told him sex would be better with Meth. He tried it once and that was it. He was hooked. He hates it but couldn’t… Read more »
Ty Geltmaker
8 years ago
How about an emergency usage of the big red PDC building’s empty floors, fully equipped with plumbing and heat?
Oliver Francis
8 years ago
Why on earth are two City Council members giving this illegal operation credibility? One of them is the Mayor?! This should have been shut down by County Health or the city before it had gotten out of hand. This is not how you go about caring for the homeless. They need health care workers are social workers. Not underwear peddlers and political opportunists. Lindsey Horvith, Lauren Miester, and Nir Zilverman: you get zero points for childish, amateurish publicity stunts, most especially when people’s lives and livelihoods lie in the balance. Use your time and energy to get people real help… Read more »
Tom Smart
8 years ago
Did you read the same article I did? It says Lauren Meister brought by food. It doesn’t say she was aware that people were sleeping there. As nearby residents, we thought he was handing out packaged food to the homeless. Cut the rhetoric.
Randy
8 years ago
Larry has a great suggestion. I hate seeing large buildings, not being used much. The city could also invest in portable showers/toilets, and park them next to these spaces. As far as Nir’s effort to use his storefront, or his personal home, let’s all be honest. We can find space for the homeless anywhere within the city limits, and people are going to complain (even with Larry’s suggestion for park buildings). That “they are too close to a trendy restaurant.” Or “too close to my home.” People talk with compassion, but a lot of them just want to push these… Read more »
Brad
8 years ago
JJ you have a good point. Is Lauren condoning the actions of turning this commercial district into a homeless area? If she has a relationship with the above and knows the city zoning laws that she is so picky on adhering to the general plan then how come she overlooks this obvious breach. Lauren is also in a position to bring an item forward to do something about the homeless, or perhaps at said above, opening a public facility. But in reality she will pander because this guy gets up and screams at her – where is your jewish star?
Concerned citizens – call, email, write your elected officials to – actually, forget it. Sorry to bother you about such things. No elected official will do anything about homeless people, who are also also citizens. Nothing has changed since I shared a street-side doorway in 1956 after my military service was done. Truly depressing….
Thank you, Thomas DeLorenzo.
One thing is for sure, my friends, my angels and Love NO Hate, got the city move into the right direction and much faster. the city finally taking actions, it’s a good start.
A huge homeless population are our veterans. As a Viet Nam era veteran I can attest to the fact we were not welcomed back and in fact scorned by some of society. I was lucky when I returned. My old job was more than just offered to me. But it was a small family business who always treated me as one of the family. My question is why we have even one veteran homeless when a huge V.A. campus exists in Westwood across the street fro the V.A. hospital. With its architecture reminiscent of military barracks it could be the… Read more »
It’s time the homeless problem is addressed in a manner that includes common sense. If one walks by or enters one of the many shelters in downtown L.A. they would find a very nasty environment within including a stench that few would desire to be around. Perhaps such a place worked many years ago but we are talking about today. There is a PATH facility adjacent to the Hollywood Freeway near Vermont Ave. It’s a nasty looking place with homeless encampments surrounding it. If they can’t even accommodate those within steps of them how can they accommodate those miles away?… Read more »
Oliver, I’m not sure that two “City Council members gave it credibility.” Once again, Meister might not have known there were people sleeping there, and may have only brought food for what she thought was a daytime operation. Even if they did know, to refer to this as a “publicity stunt” or say they were “political opportunists” gives them no benefit of the doubt. And as far as “theatrics” go, how, exactly did they do that? Is it at all possible that they were trying to HELP people, and not looking for political gain? I don’t understand your vitriol towards… Read more »
I live on the prairie of South Dakota. I served in the military for 20 years. I always wanted kids. I lost three and finally adopted a beautiful baby boy. He was my life. He was funny, smart and full of life. In High School he went to State every year for track, cross country and swimming. He sang in Europe with selected HS singers. He moved to the cities for college. His second year, someone told him sex would be better with Meth. He tried it once and that was it. He was hooked. He hates it but couldn’t… Read more »
How about an emergency usage of the big red PDC building’s empty floors, fully equipped with plumbing and heat?
Why on earth are two City Council members giving this illegal operation credibility? One of them is the Mayor?! This should have been shut down by County Health or the city before it had gotten out of hand. This is not how you go about caring for the homeless. They need health care workers are social workers. Not underwear peddlers and political opportunists. Lindsey Horvith, Lauren Miester, and Nir Zilverman: you get zero points for childish, amateurish publicity stunts, most especially when people’s lives and livelihoods lie in the balance. Use your time and energy to get people real help… Read more »
Did you read the same article I did? It says Lauren Meister brought by food. It doesn’t say she was aware that people were sleeping there. As nearby residents, we thought he was handing out packaged food to the homeless. Cut the rhetoric.
Larry has a great suggestion. I hate seeing large buildings, not being used much. The city could also invest in portable showers/toilets, and park them next to these spaces. As far as Nir’s effort to use his storefront, or his personal home, let’s all be honest. We can find space for the homeless anywhere within the city limits, and people are going to complain (even with Larry’s suggestion for park buildings). That “they are too close to a trendy restaurant.” Or “too close to my home.” People talk with compassion, but a lot of them just want to push these… Read more »
JJ you have a good point. Is Lauren condoning the actions of turning this commercial district into a homeless area? If she has a relationship with the above and knows the city zoning laws that she is so picky on adhering to the general plan then how come she overlooks this obvious breach. Lauren is also in a position to bring an item forward to do something about the homeless, or perhaps at said above, opening a public facility. But in reality she will pander because this guy gets up and screams at her – where is your jewish star?
Concerned citizens – call, email, write your elected officials to – actually, forget it. Sorry to bother you about such things. No elected official will do anything about homeless people, who are also also citizens. Nothing has changed since I shared a street-side doorway in 1956 after my military service was done. Truly depressing….