Armory May Again Be Homeless Shelter

A bill approved by the Assembly this week would open the National Guard armory in Oxnard for city or county use as a homeless shelter during cold weather while guaranteeing reimbursement of local governments for the cost of running the shelter.

The bill, by Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), would affect 31 armories around the state. It could prompt the reopening of the Oxnard armory, which housed the homeless at night during the coldest weather for eight years.

Citing the cost, Ventura County shifted its program to the Camarillo campus of Cal State Channel Islands two years ago, and it was offered at the Camarillo Airport this year.

Jackson expects the bill to pass the state Senate, partly because it was coauthored by Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-San Luis Obispo). Also, Gov. Gray Davis has put the bill’s annual $530,000 cost into his proposed budget, she said. The program is temporary and would expire in 2003.

The bill calls for the state to pick up the $450-a-night cost the state Military Department charges local governments for the use of an armory.

Kathy Jenks, who heads Ventura County’s housing program for the homeless, said the armory probably would not be used by the county, partly because problems occur when Ventura and Oxnard homeless populations are mixed. But it could help the city of Oxnard, which contributes to a Salvation Army program that cares for about 100 people a night.