County of Ventura hosts Governor’s Senior Advisor on Homelessness

By Redaccion
[email protected]

On Tuesday, April 30, the County of Ventura hosted a visit from the Senior Advisor on Homelessness for Governor Gavin Newsom, Hafsa Kaka, and Deputy Regional Director, Vishesh Anand. The visit, which consisted of a presentation on County efforts to address homelessness and several site visits with local nonprofit partners, included participation from the Ventura County Continuum of Care, Ventura County Health Care Agency, Ventura County Human Services Agency, the Public Defender’s Office, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office,  Public Works Agency, and the Ventura County Fire Department as well as representatives from the cities of Camarillo, Ojai, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura.

“The remarkable collaboration between our County agencies, cities, community organizations and our shared dedication toward addressing homelessness in our community is impressive,” stated District 1 Supervisor Matt LaVere. “The participation of the agencies and cities that were at the table are a testament to the importance of strong partnerships and the hard work that is leading to actionable solutions. I am so pleased we were able to demonstrate this hard work to the Governor’s Office and showcase the success our county has achieved so far as we work to provide solutions to the challenges homelessness presents.”

Kaka has visited 25 counties throughout the state since beginning her tenure as the Senior Advisor on Homelessness for the Governor’s Office. The visit was prompted by interest from the Governor’s Office on ways to further support the work being done by counties to address homelessness. Staff from the County accompanied Kaka and Anand on tours of several successful supportive housing sites and the location for the upcoming Project Homekey site in the city of Ventura.

The County Board of Supervisor’s continues to focus on initiatives and actions that work to address homelessness in the region. The Board of Supervisors recently adopted Strategic Plan Priority to Address Homelessness provides a multifaceted approach to reducing homelessness and builds upon previous actions by the Board through the following focus areas:

• Application for up to $2.6 million in homeless housing, assistance, and prevention funding through the Ventura County Continuum of Care to support up to 500 households with stable housing.

• Addition of 15 full-time positions across the Human Services Agency, County Executive Office and Sheriff’s Office.

• Homeless and Housing Solutions Director positions to provide oversight, implementation guidance, and facilitate coordination between County government, cities and community partners.

• Expansion of the Homeless Liaison Unit within the Sheriff’s Office providing increased support to connect unhoused individuals with services, support social and health care workers on coordinated field outreach teams, facilitate cleanups, and actively engage with the community to educate and build relationships with most vulnerable populations.

For more information on the work being done to address homelessness in Ventura County, please visit the website for the Ventura County Continuum of Care at: venturacoc.org.