Board OKs Funds for River Homeless
County supervisors on Tuesday agreed to spend $15,400 to help homeless people camping along the bottoms of the county’s two main rivers reenter society.
The move comes as about 100 people are forced to vacate their makeshift camps in the Santa Clara and Ventura river bottoms this week.
County officials want to avoid dangerous and costly rescue efforts during heavy rains expected this winter.
A coalition of city and county officials and nonprofit agencies have planned a $225,000 effort to funnel river dwellers into needed social services, jobs and temporary housing at the former Camarillo State Hospital through March.
The county will bear the brunt of the cost by reallocating social workers, mental health experts and other county employees to the effort. The remaining $46,200 in funding is being split three ways, with the cities of Oxnard and Ventura and the county each paying $15,400.
Homeless must vacate their river dwellings by Friday or face arrest.
County flood control officials will then move in to clear the riverbeds in time to handle winter flooding.
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