OXNARD : Armory Is Turning Away Homeless

Volunteers at the National Guard Armory in Oxnard have been forced to turn away homeless people because demand for shelter has overwhelmed the facility, Red Cross officials said Monday.

The shelter had been averaging about 90 people per night until last month’s floods. On Feb. 25 after 156 homeless people showed up seeking shelter, Red Cross officials set a limit of 120 beds at the armory, said Mike Goth, Red Cross shelter coordinator.

About a dozen people were turned away Feb. 25 and another dozen or so Friday, Goth said, adding that the shelter was closed Sunday because volunteers needed a day off.

In addition to flood victims, the armory is serving several homeless people from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Riverside counties, Goth said.

Except for the Oxnard armory--which received a special dispensation from the state government because of the floods--all other armory shelter programs closed Friday. The Oxnard armory will remain open until March 31.

Goth said the Red Cross lacks funding to open a second shelter for the growing number of homeless people who show up at the armory.

“We’ve been working with these people since November and after a while, you get to know them on an individual basis,” Goth said. “So it’s very difficult for us to tell them there is no room. But we have to do it out of health and safety considerations.”