Countywide : Oxnard Armory to Be Used for Shelter

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized the use of the Oxnard National Guard Armory as a free shelter for the homeless on cold or rainy nights this winter, officials said.

Under contract with the county’s Public Social Services Agency, the Red Cross will operate the armory at 351 S. K St. in Oxnard. The facility, which can shelter 120 people, will be open on selected nights through March 31, said Linda Wilson, administrative assistant for the adult services division of the PSSA.

County officials will use weather forecasts to determine by 11 a.m. each day whether the shelter will open that night. The facility will be open on clear nights when temperatures are expected to fall below 40 degrees, or below 50 degrees when there is at least a 50% chance of rain.

Anyone interested in staying in the armory can find out whether it will open by calling 654-5000, extension 8901, each day.

“We believe that it’s essential that this basic human service of shelter be available during times of cold weather, to prevent the possibility of someone dying or their health being affected,” said Brian Bolton, executive director of the Ventura County Chapter of the Red Cross.

On nights the armory opens, the homeless are allowed in at 7 p.m. and asked to leave by 7 a.m. the next morning. Inside, they are given a hot meal, a shower and a bed. Coffee and fruit or rolls are usually provided for breakfast the next morning, Wilson said.

Last year, the armory was open for 113 nights and provided 9,420 nights of shelter to 803 people.

The average cost per night to operate the facility was $603.43, or $7.24 per person, per night.

Financial support for the shelter comes from a variety of sources. The Red Cross plans extensive fund-raising in an effort to keep the armory open every night, regardless of weather, between Dec. 15 and March 15.

This year, the county will pay $7,000, the city of Oxnard $8,261 and the city of Ventura $7,000 to support the shelter. Red Cross officials expect to know by early next year how much the Federal Emergency Management Agency will contribute to the effort.