Santa Monica shuts down sober living home; Neighbors fear it could reopen
Fear of possible patient trafficking in Santa Monica
City officials have shut down an unpermitted sober transitional living facility that suddenly housed more than 40 people in a luxury Ocean Avenue building last week, prompting alarm from neighbors who suspect “body brokering” was involved.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - City officials in Santa Monica have shut down an unpermitted sober transitional living facility that suddenly housed more than 40 people in a luxury Ocean Avenue building last week, prompting alarm from neighbors who suspect "body brokering" was involved.
The operation began quietly just before Thanksgiving, with vans shuttling in residents — many reportedly flown in from states including Alabama and Virginia, according to witnesses.
"I was completely shocked. I had to see it for myself," Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete said.
She visited the site after photos surfaced and watched another van unload about 10 more people.
"No one could tell me the name of the facility or who was running it," Negrete said.
By Sunday, the building was cleared after city inspectors declared it unsafe and operating without permits. The same property had been proposed two months earlier as housing for people with severe mental illness — a plan halted by Los Angeles County following strong neighborhood opposition over a lack of communication.
Residents now fear the new use was an attempt to skirt regulations through body brokering, an illegal practice in which treatment providers recruit out-of-state addicts with cash or other incentives, then bill their insurance for profit.
"I'm very familiar with body brokering. It's unfortunately all too common," Negrete said. "They bring folks in from other states, offer money, and exploit a vulnerable population."
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Nearby resident Cort Wagner approached some of the new arrivals and shared their concerns. "They're using these humans as pawns to occupy a sub-par building that's nasty inside," Wagner said. "Everybody feels it will happen again."
Wagner called the situation "cat and mouse" between the operator and the city, adding: "A private company fills a building with people the city doesn't know about, then the city has to react and pull them out. It's Santa Monica."
The city says the building must remain vacant due to code violations, but neighbors remain skeptical it will stay empty for long.