OXNARD : Armory to Serve as Shelter for Homeless
Ventura County’s homeless population will once again be able to find shelter this winter in the Oxnard National Guard Armory.
The County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday authorized the use of the armory. The shelter could open as soon as Nov. 22 and run through March 31, depending on the weather. County officials expect to provide beds, showers and food to about 800 people this year.
The total operation is expected to cost more than $79,000 this year. It will be funded by contributions from the county, the cities of Oxnard and Ventura, the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Under state guidelines, the shelter can remain open for 90 days in a row between Dec. 15 and March 15. At all other times, the temperature must drop below 40 degrees in dry weather, or 50 degrees when it is rainy, for the shelter to open.
The supervisors also approved a contract allowing the American Red Cross to continue running the shelter and urged the agency to begin looking for alternatives to the armory. The state program allowing counties to use armories as temporary shelters will end after the winter of 1994-95.
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