Armory Opens for Homeless as Temperatures Drop

With meteorologists predicting near-freezing temperatures and a good chance of rain Saturday night, the Oxnard National Guard Armory opened its doors to the homeless for the fourth time this winter.

Temperatures were expected to drop to the low 30s with a 70% chance of rain, a spokesman for the National Weather Service said. For the armory to open, the temperature must be 40 degrees or below, or less than 50 degrees with a 50% chance of rain.

The building in the 300 block of South K Street opened at 7 p.m., and officials expected to provide dinner and a small breakfast to about 20 homeless people, said Brian Bolton of the Red Cross, which helps staff the armory shelter.

Since the armory began serving as a backup shelter for the area in early December, it has housed an average of about 20 men and women the four nights it has been open. On Friday night, 22 people stayed at the armory, Bolton said.

This will be the third year the County Board of Supervisors has ordered the armory to provide shelter, requesting that it be open on cold nights until March 31.

The Salvation Army of Oxnard, Food Share and other volunteers assist the Red Cross in feeding and housing as many as 100 people when the winter grows rougher, Bolton said.