VENTURA : City Seeks Agency for Homeless Program
With funding for the homeless assistance center in Ventura set to run out on July 31, the Ventura City Council tonight will consider asking nonprofit agencies to administer a new, city-funded program.
Established days after the Ventura River flooded river-bottom campers in January, the Homeless and Emergency Relocation Operation center has served nearly 300 people.
Through health, job placement and other services, the HERO center seeks to re-integrate homeless people into society. To date, the center has served 110 former river-bottom dwellers, as well as 175 others.
In an effort to make the center a permanent resource for the disadvantaged, city officials are seeking a nonprofit group to take over the program’s administration. The council has set aside $105,000 to pay for the center.
The program requires a director to coordinate the overall program, solicit labor contracts, raise private contributions and continue running a temporary housing program that has helped dozens of flood victims.
Tonight, the council is expected to approve advertising for management proposals from Ventura-area organizations that already serve the homeless population.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
