County Studies Housing Plan for Mentally Ill

Moving to expand housing for Ventura County’s mentally ill, the Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to hold a study session next month to hash out who will build and pay for the new beds.

Although supervisors agree that more housing is needed, they also want more information on how much it would cost before giving the go-ahead to build. That information should come during a January public hearing, supervisors said.

Tuesday’s debate centered on how the county should use 58 acres it owns on Lewis Road. Advocates for the mentally ill would like to see apartments and town homes for more than 200 mentally ill residents built there.

Supervisors on Tuesday gave conceptual approval to a proposal for a 51-bed supervised living center, but that and other plans will have to be fleshed out next month.

Any proposal for the land promises to come with a hefty bill. Early estimates are that water, sewer and other improvements could cost $8.4 million. The county could also be on the hook for additional mental health services that the residents would need, officials said.

“That’s an awful lot of money,” said Supervisor John Flynn, who sits on the county’s mental health board. “But we will find the money to do this. We have to.”

Some of the land is already home to two mental health housing and treatment complexes. But more beds are needed, advocates say.

County officials sifted through a number of development proposals and recommended that supervisors approve 51 new beds. Supervisors also agreed to save 12 acres of undeveloped land for future government offices and to set aside two acres for potential development by the Assn. for Retarded Citizens.

But supervisors backed away from a proposal to build a 32-bed home for foster youths between the ages of 18 and 21 after the operators of a nearby children’s shelter said it might be unsafe to mix the diverse age groups.

Steve Elson, executive director of the Casa Pacifica shelter, said transitional housing for foster teens should be built farther away.

Supervisors will revisit the foster youth home issue at their January meeting. They will also attempt to answer some larger questions, such as whether the county should turn development of the entire 58-acre plot over to a private developer.

The board will also consider a rival proposal to include housing for homeless veterans at the site.

Mental health advocates praised supervisors for starting the process of building more housing, calling it a “good first step.”

Dr. David Gudeman, chief of the county’s Behavioral Health Department, said he also is pleased, even though the board’s action falls short of a larger mental-health campus he envisions.

“This is like three steps in a thousand-mile journey,” he said.