Attachment 1 - Revised Draft - Camarillo Homelessness Strategic Plan

CITY OF CAMARILLO
Homelessness
Strategic Plan
Camarillo's Aspirational Roadmap
to Reducing Homelessness
December 2025

PREPARED BY
LeSar Development Consultants
DRAFT
Table of Contents
3 How to Interpret and Utilize This Plan
4 Executive Summary
6 Introduction
7 Where We Are Now: Homelessness and Housing in Camarillo 7 Housing
7 Homelessness
8 Strengths
9 Opportunities
12 What is Needed: Understanding the Challenge
13 The Vision: A Pathway to Housing for All Camarillo Residents 14 How We’ll Get There: A Two-Phase Strategic Approach
18 Strategic Plan: Goals, Strategies, and Action Steps
18 Preparing the Landscape
19 Goal 1: Maximize External Funding Opportunities
21 Goal 2: Reduce Barriers to Affordable Housing
25 Goal 3: Expand Local Capacity
29 Goal 4: Strengthen Regional Partnerships
33 Goal 5: Increase Citywide Engagement and Understanding 36 Goal 6: Utilize Data-Driven Decision Making
40 Working to Reduce Homelessness
41 Goal 7: Develop Permanent Housing Solutions
44 Goal 8: Bolster Non-Congregate Interim Housing Opportunities 46 Goal 9: Prevent Homelessness Before It Begins
49 Goal 10: Establish Flexible Funds
50 Goal 11: Strengthen Workforce Development for People Experiencing or Exiting Homelessness
55 Appendices
56 Appendix 1: Methodology
57 Appendix 2: State and Federal Funding Sources
62 Appendix 3: Local Tools and Resource Strategies
64 Appendix 4: Housing & Homelessness Organizational Structure, Vision, and Purpose 66 Appendix 5: Camarillo's Homelessness Response Team (Project H.O.P.E.) 67 Appendix 6: City of Camarillo Housing & Homelessness Response Background Report 139 Appendix 7: Glossary
141 Appendix 8: Core Outcome

HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
3 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
This Homelessness Strategic Plan is intended to
serve as a guiding framework aimed at providing
a roadmap for how the City of Camarillo can
strengthen its housing and homelessness response
over time. It reflects the City’s commitment
to thoughtful, data-informed planning while
acknowledging the realities of fiscal constraints,
staffing capacity, regional dynamics, and broader
economic and policy conditions. Indeed, it is
designed to provide the City with a forward-looking
orientation that supports strategic decision-making,
rather than a set of obligations or mandates.

Importantly, this document does not supersede any
existing City policy, workplan, or Council direction.

It aligns with and builds upon existing planning
documents, including the City’s adopted 2021-
2029 Housing Element. While the Housing Element
will continue to follow the State’s eight-year
update cycle, the recommendations in this Plan
may be revisited and incorporated as applicable
in both the ongoing General Plan Update and
future Housing Element cycle, and only when
consistent with broader City priorities and statutory
requirements.

The strategies outlined in this document should
be understood as aspirational, informed
recommendations that identify areas where the
City can focus its efforts, rather than requirements
or predetermined actions. They represent a
culmination of thinking from data analysis,
stakeholder engagement, community input,
and national best practices that have been
tailored to Camarillo’s local context. They are
intended to shape future discussions, helping the
City assess opportunities, anticipate needs, and
explore potential approaches. This Plan does not
assume that each strategy will be implemented or
evaluated individually, nor does it commit the City
to pursuing all strategies in whole or in part. Instead, it outlines reasonable and actionable pathways the
City may adapt, scale, reconsider, or sequence
over time based on feasibility and resource
availability.

Timelines included throughout the document
are intended as guideposts that illustrate logical
sequencing, not as deadlines or expectations.

Actual pacing of implementation will depend
on factors that extend beyond the City’s control,
including:
• The reliability and availability of State and
Federal funding streams, many of which are
competitive and subject to shifting State or
Federal priorities;
• The strength and capacity of regional
partnerships, including the County, the CoC,
the Housing Authority, service providers, and
upstream systems;
• Market conditions, including land costs,
construction timelines, interest rates, and
regulatory changes;
• Local staffing levels, administrative bandwidth,
and other capacity considerations;
• Community readiness, public understanding,
and support for proposed approaches.

Because homelessness is shaped by regional
housing gaps, economic trends, health system
constraints, and broader policy environments, the
Plan is intentionally adaptive. It provides structure
without rigidity, enabling the City to respond to
emerging needs, apply lessons learned, and
capitalize on opportunities as they arise. The
recommendations are designed to offer clarity and
purpose, yet flexible enough to preserve full local
discretion.

This Plan should therefore be read as a starting
point for long-term strategy, not a prescription. It
is designed to support informed decision-making,
align partners, strengthen internal coordination,
and guide investments, while allowing the City
to determine the right timing, scale, and scope
of action. It reflects Camarillo’s commitment to
responsible, community-centered governance
and offers a thoughtful foundation for reducing
homelessness and strengthening housing stability
for all residents.

A NOTE TO READERS
How to Interpret
and Utilize This Plan
4 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
The City of Camarillo’s Homelessness Strategic Plan
lays out a clear and actionable roadmap for a
durable, housing-focused system that is well placed
to address and prevent homelessness. Developed
in 2024–2025 by LeSar Development Consultants
(LDC) in close collaboration with City staff, this
Plan draws on comprehensive data analysis,
engagement with people with lived experience,
and input from service providers, County agencies,
housing developers, business leaders, and
community members. It is both data-informed and
community-driven, providing a phased approach
to meet immediate needs while building long-term
capacity.

Where We Are Now
Like many cities throughout the US, Camarillo
faces significant housing affordability pressures,
with extremely low- and very low-income renters
experiencing the highest cost burdens and a
shortage of affordable rental homes. Homelessness
has also increased over the past five years, with
90 individuals counted in 2025, 88% of them
unsheltered, and inflows into homelessness
exceeding exits into stable housing.

The City has built a strong foundation for further
progress. Strengths include committed partnerships,
effective outreach through Project H.O.P.E.,
targeted housing investments, competitive funding
awards, and strong political will. Opportunities
remain including closing the affordable housing
gap, expanding access to external funding,
expanding prevention programs, strengthening
capacity, deepening regional coordination, and
increasing community understanding and support.

What is Needed
Projections suggest that homelessness will continue
to impact Camarillo residents between 2025
and 2030. To meet this challenge, the City is well-
positioned to focus on two priorities:
• Interim and permanent housing for Camarillo
residents who are already experiencing
homelessness – By expanding both permanent
housing as well as interim options, Camarillo
can grow its ability to address the needs of
those experiencing homelessness today and
tomorrow.
• Permanent housing to address upstream causes
of homelessness among residents of Camarillo –
By expanding affordable housing, particularly for
very low-income residents, as well as launching
targeted prevention strategies, the City will be
better equipped to prevent its residents from
becoming homeless.

To assist with developing its investment strategies
and related goals, the City is well-positioned
to use its robust By-Name List and other data
to continually adjust strategies so they remain
responsive and aligned with evolving needs. An
enhanced focus on supporting those who have
been experiencing homelessness the longest
and/or those who have the most serious health
needs will help to further refine the City’s strategy.

Additional analysis to determine predictors of
homelessness will further support Camarillo’s
response to preventing homelessness.

The Vision
The Plan envisions a thriving, abundant Camarillo
where every Camarillo resident has a safe, stable
home, where older adults can age in place,
workers can live near their jobs, young adults can
remain in their community, and families can resolve
housing crises quickly. Achieving this vision requires
scaling solutions to match the size of the need,
investing in permanent housing, and building a
system that seeks to make homelessness rare, brief,
and nonrecurring.

Executive Summary
5 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Two-Phase Strategic Approach
• Phase One: Preparing the Landscape – Maximize
external funding opportunities, reduce barriers
to housing production, expand local capacity,
strengthen partnerships, engage the community,
and enhance data systems.
• Phase Two: Working to Reduce Homelessness
– Deliver housing at scale, expand interim
options, implement prevention strategies, and
use flexible funds to quickly remove barriers to
housing for its residents.

Goals
The Plan sets 11 interconnected goals:

1. Maximize external funding opportunities

2. Reduce barriers to affordable housing

3. Expand local capacity

4. Strengthen regional partnerships

5. Increase citywide engagement and
understanding

6. Utilize data-driven decision making

7. Develop permanent housing solutions

8. Bolster non-congregate interim housing
opportunities

9. Prevent homelessness before it begins

10. Establish flexible funds

11. Strengthen Workforce Development for People
Experiencing or Exiting Homelessness
Meeting these goals will require sustained
investment and collaboration. The City can act as
a strategic gap funder, leveraging state, federal,
and regional resources to unlock housing and
services at the required scale.

This Plan is a starting point, not an endpoint. It is
designed to adapt to evolving conditions while
keeping focus on the outcomes that matter most
when addressing homelessness: more permanent
housing, more people prevented from becoming
homeless, and faster, sustained exits from
homelessness into stability for Camarillo residents.

Based on circumstance, the City may modify or
forgo plan actions as needed. While the City will
continue to drive efforts, success will also depend
on coordinated action with county, regional, state,
and federal partners to secure the housing, services,
and resources needed to meet the full scale of the
challenge. With sustained leadership, community
support, and deep partnerships, Camarillo can build
a housing system that reduces homelessness and
expands stability for Camarillo residents.

CORE OUTCOME:

By Year 5, Camarillo will reduce the
number of residents experiencing
homelessness by nearly two-thirds through
sustained annual increases in housing
placements and strong prevention efforts
that keep new inflows stable.1
How: This outcome reflects a realistic, data-
driven approach to reducing homelessness
through consistent, year-over-year progress.

If Camarillo continues to house residents
at roughly today’s rate and new inflow
only modestly increases due to expanded
investments in prevention, the total number of
people experiencing homelessness will steadily
decline as more residents are housed than
enter homelessness each year.

To continue making progress, the City will
need to expand housing supply, strengthen
prevention programs, and enhance service
coordination through the actions outlined
in Goals 7 through 9. Because new housing
and program expansions take time, planning
for Year 5 outcomes must begin in Year 1 to
ensure the City can maintain steady rehousing
rates through the duration of this plan.
1 Over the past year, it is estimated that 28 Camarillo residents experiencing homelessness moved into permanent housing
in the last 12 months (resulting in an estimated 31% housing rate for those actively homeless in Camarillo) and 88 residents remain homeless today (either on the streets or in interim housing). These numbers provide the baseline for this five- year plan to reduce homelessness in Camarillo. Please see the table found in the ‘Enhancing Camarillo’s Rehousing System: Ensuring that Outflow Outpaces Inflow’ section later in this Appendix.
6 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
From 2024 to 2025, the City of
Camarillo worked closely with LeSar
Development Consultants to develop
a Homelessness Strategic Plan that
creates an actionable path to reducing
homelessness, built upon its current
foundational investments. Recognizing
the combined challenges of
homelessness and housing affordability
both locally and regionally, the City
commissioned this Plan to develop
a roadmap to address critical needs
and deliver long-term housing and
homelessness solutions.

This plan draws from a comprehensive
review of quantitative and qualitative
data, input from people with lived
experience of homelessness, and
engagement with a broad range
of stakeholders, including service
providers, County agencies, housing
developers, business leaders, and
community members. The process
was rooted in best practice, ensuring
that Camarillo’s strategy is both data-
informed and community-driven.

This Plan is organized to provide a clear and logical
progression from context to action, including:
• Where We Are Now offers a snapshot of
Camarillo’s housing and homelessness
landscape, identifying key system strengths and
opportunities.
• What is Needed identifies the scale of the
challenge and the types of housing and
supports required.
• Our Vision lays out the City’s long-term
commitment to building a system of housing
abundance that reduces homelessness and
ensures it is rare, brief, and nonrecurring.
• How We’ll Get There explains the Plan’s two-
phase approach: first building local capacity
and alignment, then scaling housing and
services.
• The Strategic Plan details the City’s goals
across eleven core areas, including funding,
housing production, homelessness prevention,
and system coordination. Each goal includes
targeted strategies, specific action steps,
performance metrics, and implementation
considerations.
• Appendices provide additional resources,
including state and federal funding sources, and
the background analysis that shaped the Plan.

This Plan is an important starting point and will
require continued investment, coordination and
resolve. As the landscape evolves, so too must the
strategies embraced by the City and its partners to
ensure that every Camarillo resident has a safe and
stable place to call home.

Introduction
7 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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This section outlines a brief overview of the
Camarillo Homelessness Background Report. For
the full report, please see Appendix 6.

Housing
The City of Camarillo has significant affordable
housing needs. The typical home value is about
$895,000, and the average rent for a 1-bedroom
apartment is $2,379. To afford the rent for an
average priced 1-bedroom, an individual would
need to work three full-time, minimum wage jobs.
• Cost Burden by Income Level: Extremely
Low- (ELI) and Very Low-Income (VLI) renter
households experience the highest rates of
cost burden, with upwards of 75% of these
households spending more than 30% of their
income on rent. Additionally, more than 60% of
ELI and VLI households are spending more than
50% of their income on rent.
• Residential Housing Pipeline: The City of
Camarillo has a residential development
pipeline2 of 1,211 units, with 99 of those units
being affordable to low- or very low-income
households.
• Mobile Homes: Camarillo has an inventory of
1,020 mobile homes that account for over 4% of
occupied homes in the City, with four of the five
mobile home parks restricted to seniors who are
55 years of age and older.

Homelessness
Like many jurisdictions across the United States,
the City of Camarillo has seen a marked increase
in homelessness in the last 5 years. While 2020 to
2025 saw a 200% increase in the number of people
experiencing homelessness on any given night in
Camarillo, this growth rate has flattened to only a
1% increase from 2024 to 2025 due to expansive
efforts by the City. According to Camarillo’s 2025
Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, a total of 90 individuals
were identified as experiencing homelessness in
Camarillo, with 88% (79 individuals) experiencing
unsheltered homelessness. It is important to note that
homeless count data represents a snapshot of how
many people are homeless on any given night and
therefore does not provide data on the complete
number of people both becoming homeless and
resolving their homelessness each year.

Where We Are Now: Homelessness
and Housing in Camarillo
*In 2021, an unsheltered count was not conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic conditions.

DATA TREND: POINT IN TIME COUNT OVER FIVE YEARS
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 20
10 0
30 9089
78 49
2020 20252024202320222021*
8 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
As such, this plan also looks at other available
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)3
data to ascertain a more complete picture of
homelessness in Camarillo.
• Inflows vs. Outflows: In 2024, 161 people were
identified in HMIS as receiving homelessness
services for the first time, compared to 50 who
exited the homelessness response system with
verifiable outcome data. Of these exits, 49
were positive exits, meaning the individual
completed a program or moved into housing.

One additional exit was due to death. Other
recorded exits could not be verified as positive
or negative, which likely means those individuals
remain homeless. With improved data systems,
the City will be able to more accurately
distinguish between positive and negative exits
and better track who has left the homelessness
response system versus who remains. Reducing
the total number of people experiencing
homelessness requires both decreasing inflow
and increasing positive exits, particularly
placements into permanent housing.4
• Disability Status: Over the span of five years, 37%
of those experiencing homelessness receiving
services reported having a disability.
• Chronicity: Nineteen percent of those accessing
homelessness services reported experiencing
homelessness for more than 12 months.

Conversely, 15% of those enrolled in programs
indicated at the time of engagement that they
were newly homeless (within their first month).

Strengths
The following strengths were identified via the
collection and analysis of available quantitative
and qualitative data. A detailed description of the
methodology employed, including all stakeholder
engagement activities, is expounded on in
Appendix 6.

1. Commitment to Partnerships and Collaboration
Camarillo has built effective partnerships with
key stakeholders, including Camarillo’s Project
H.O.P.E., local churches, county agencies,
and other nonprofits. This collaboration has
helped extend the reach and effectiveness
of the City’s homelessness response efforts,
likely leading to the stabilization of the number
of people experiencing homelessness in
the last two years. The City’s commitment
to partnership is evident in the community’s
desire to provide their support, with many
stakeholders offering additional resources,
asking for invitations to key meetings and
events, and sharing their knowledge and
unique perspectives. Examples of this include
Autism Society Ventura County, the Ventura
County Continuum of Care (CoC), RAIN
Communities, Inc., United Way of Ventura
County, local churches and faith-based
communities. Nearly all entities engaged in this
process reported that there is a strong ethos
around joining together to better support
people experiencing homelessness.

2. Successful Outreach
Since 2023, Project H.O.P.E. has been
successfully serving those experiencing
homelessness in Camarillo through resource
linkages, the City’s motel voucher program,
and case management and behavioral
health support. A program funded by the
City of Camarillo, Project H.O.P.E. is led by
the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and
consists of a Homeless Liaison Senior Deputy, a
Community Services Coordinator from Ventura
County Behavioral Health, a Community
Services Coordinator through Whole Person
Care, and Camarillo staff. Project H.O.P.E.
has been able to build relationships and
rapport via outreach to those experiencing
homelessness, allowing for a real-time by-
name-list that indicates resources provided
and additional needs. Project H.O.P.E.’s
presence and response to homeless hotspots
has also assuaged the community at large
by ensuring regular touchpoints to mitigate
concerns. Team members of Project H.O.P.E.
have spoken highly of the City’s approach,
appreciating the recognition that supportive
services are effective in moving people out of
homelessness into more stable environments.

3. Infrastructure and Investments
The City of Camarillo has made significant
investments in bolstering their housing and
homelessness programs to meet the needs of
the community. With 1,211 units in the pipeline,
and 99 of those units set aside for low-income
and very low-income households, along with
the 988 deed-restricted affordable rental units,
the City has demonstrated a commitment to
providing affordable and available housing.

In tandem, the City has established the
motel voucher program that provides interim
9 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
housing to people experiencing unsheltered
homelessness and will soon be building PSH
and adding more motel vouchers to address
an encampment of almost 20 individuals
experiencing homelessness.

More recently, the City was also awarded
Encampment Resolution Funds (ERF) from the
State of California to house up to 17 individuals
currently residing in an encampment through
interim and permanent housing. Both funding
streams are extremely competitive, so the
City’s ability to secure these funds emphasizes
their successful approaches and allows for
service and resource enhancement for those
most in need.

5. Political Will and Support
The City has demonstrated their commitment
to addressing homelessness in a meaningful
and proactive way. Not only has this
dedication culminated in the creation of a
full-time homelessness response team (i.e.

Project H.O.P.E.) with external partners, but
City staff’s time is also deeply committed,
allowing for a flexible and proactive approach
to funding opportunities, client needs, council
requests, and community concerns. There is
also a willingness among elected officials and
segments of the public to support permanent
affordable and supportive housing, which
is often viewed by the public as a more
acceptable solution than temporary or interim
interventions. The decision to invest in this
needs analysis for the purpose of creating
a Homelessness Strategic Plan rooted in
community feedback while incorporating best
practices also exemplifies the City’s resolve to
addressing homelessness in a balanced and
evidence-based way.

Opportunities
The following opportunities were identified after
reviewing and analyzing all quantitative and
qualitative data. A detailed description of the
quantitative and qualitative data, including all
stakeholder engagement activities, is discussed in
Appendix 6.

1. Affordable Housing Shortage
Despite the investments made in affordable
housing, a gap remains. A range of challenges
contribute to underproduction, including
insufficient funding, limited availability of
developable land, certain restrictive land
use policies, community opposition to new
development, and broader supply chain
constraints.

The community is also in need of various
affordable housing typologies, including
permanent supportive housing for those
experiencing homelessness with disabilities,
especially given the almost 50% of individuals
experiencing homelessness self-identified as
having some type of chronic condition.5 These
challenges are part of a broader regional and
statewide trend, where housing production—
particularly at the lowest income levels—has
not kept pace with need. This structural
underproduction has contributed to a supply
shortage that makes it increasingly difficult for
communities to meet affordability goals.

2. Financial Sustainability
While significant progress has been made
in acquiring additional funding, it is not
guaranteed, as both main funding sources
(Encampment Resolution Funds and Homeless
Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program)
are based on a competitive award process
through the state, and their use is restricted.

Additionally, shifting policy focuses under
the current administration make the status
of state and federal funding unknown.

To ensure sufficient resources to support
expanded interventions and strategies
(e.g., increasing affordable housing options,
creating prevention programming), the City
will need to strengthen its ability to pursue and
secure external funding, particularly multi-year
opportunities that offer greater stability.
10 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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3. Prevention and Early Intervention
When looking at inflows (e.g. people who
become homeless) to and outflows (e.g.
people who were homeless who then were
permanently housed) from the homelessness
response system (as indicated by the
increasing PIT Count numbers and HMIS
data), people are becoming homeless at a
higher rate than those leaving homelessness
into stable settings. This, when taken into
consideration with the 52% of renters who are
cost burdened and 24% who are extremely
cost burdened, indicates a need for more
interventions to keep people from falling into
homelessness in the first place. At the time of
this report, there are no significant targeted
homelessness prevention interventions
available to Camarillo residents at a local
level.

Should the City choose to apply for additional
funding, stand up new programming, and/or
embark on community education, all would
require more staff capacity than is currently
available. In their stakeholder interviews,
the Project H.O.P.E. team exhibited their
commitment to the work but described being
pulled in different directions with their various
roles and responsibilities.

5. Regional Coordination
Even with recent collaborative efforts,
there are more opportunities that the City
can pursue to enhance their reach and
services. The County of Ventura applauded
Camarillo’s recent commitment to joining
HMIS but indicated that there are additional
County resources on which the City could
capitalize. Countywide resources, such as
domestic violence services, the Area Agency
on Aging, community intervention courts, etc.
were mentioned, and other regional partners
indicated their eagerness to further engage
with the City. This collaborative model can also
help to increase funding opportunities while
expanding the scope of services available to
community members.

6. Fostering Informed Community Engagement
Despite support from many community
members, some residents shared concerns
about increasing services for people
experiencing homelessness. Questions
surfaced about whether expanding
programming could draw more people
to Camarillo, why some individuals do not
engage with services right away, and how
approaches such as Housing First function in
practice. From a trauma-informed lens, what
may appear as refusal is often a trauma-
based response shaped by safety concerns,
past negative experiences, or mistrust of
systems rather than a true unwillingness to
engage. These perspectives highlight the
need for continued communication about
how programs work, how people engage over
time, and what progress the City is making.

Ongoing community education that provides
accurate information and regular updates will
be important to strengthen understanding and
support.
11 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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2 Defined as the progression of housing projects at various stages of development, representing the potential future housing supply.
3 Note that HMIS data only includes information for people experiencing homelessness who 1) have been provided
services 2) recorded in the database, and 3) have a geo-tag connecting to Camarillo. As the City of Camarillo began using HMIS for their programmatic data a year ago and because those not accessing services would not be captured, these data may not reflect the full extent of homelessness in the City during a given year.
4 This data represents a snapshot in time and is intended to provide a general understanding of homelessness in Camarillo in 2024. Exit outcomes recorded in HMIS may be positive, negative, or unknown, and current data limitations make it difficult to fully distinguish between individuals who have left the homelessness response system and those who remain.

All figures are based on individuals who self-reported the City of Camarillo as their city of origin at the time they were experiencing homelessness.
5 This percentage is based on the average number of people experiencing homelessness surveyed who indicated at least a little impact in their daily lives from the following list: chronic health condition, physical disability, developmental disability, mental health, and/or substance use.
6 Housing First is an approach to serving people experiencing homelessness that recognizes a homeless person must first be able to access a decent, safe place to live that does not limit length of stay (permanent housing), before stabilizing, improving health, reducing harmful behaviors, or increasing income.
12 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
To effectively address homelessness, Camarillo
must first understand the scope of its need. The
City will experience ongoing inflows and outflows
of residents experiencing homelessness, creating
a dynamic challenge that requires sustained
attention and resources. This analysis begins with
residents currently identified on the City's By-
Name List and incorporates additional individuals
expected to enter homelessness based on
historical patterns.

Data shows that homelessness is predominantly
grounded in economic factors including the rising
cost of housing, a lack of affordable housing and
stagnant wages7. This is further compounded by
limited safety nets, health challenges, domestic
violence, aging out of foster care, family
dissolution, evictions, and the release of individuals
from institutional settings without adequate housing
plans. Conversely, people exit homelessness
through successful housing placements,
reunification with family, relocation to other areas,
or unfortunately, through hospitalization or death.

While inflows to and outflows from homelessness will
evolve and be influenced by a number of factors,
today’s data helps to establish both today’s needs
and to plan for the future challenges that the City
must be prepared to meet with flexible, responsive
strategies that can adapt to changing needs and
circumstances.

This plan highlights two central imperatives:
• Interim and permanent housing for Camarillo
residents who are already experiencing
homelessness – ensuring sufficient permanent
housing opportunities, interim options, and
targeted prevention and stabilization services.
• Permanent affordable housing to address
upstream causes of homelessness among
residents of Camarillo – producing more
affordable homes, particularly for very low-
income residents, so fewer households fall into
homelessness in the first place.

Meeting this challenge requires scaling housing
and services in proportion to the level of need.

While this section does not set explicit unit targets,
the City’s By-Name List and other local data
sources will provide the information necessary
to continually calibrate the number and type of
units required. In this way, the Plan ensures that
Camarillo’s housing strategies are responsive, data-
informed, and aligned with the evolving scale of
demand.

Ultimately, the task ahead is about expanding
housing and supports at a level that meaningfully
reduces homelessness and provides more residents
with a path to stability.

What is Needed:

Understanding the Challenge
7 Kushel, M., Moore, T., Birkmeyer,
J., Dhatt, Z., Duke, M., Knight, K.

R., Ponder, K. Y., & UCSF Benioff
Homelessness and Housing
Initiative. (2023). Toward a New
Understanding: The California
Statewide Study of People
Experiencing Homelessness.

University of California, San
Francisco.

HOW AFFORDABLE HOUSING REDUCES

INFLOW INTO HOMELESSNESS
Affordable housing is not just for people already experiencing homelessness — it is one of the City’s strongest tools for preventing homelessness in the first place. Both subsidized affordable units and naturally occurring lower-cost homes quietly keep seniors on fixed incomes, low-wage workers, people with disabilities, and families facing rent pressure housed and stable. Much of this impact goes unseen: many Camarillo residents who might have fallen into homelessness are securely housed today because these homes already exist.

By continuing to expand and preserve affordable housing, the City strengthens this invisible safety net and reduces future inflow by protecting long-time community members from being pushed into crisis.
13 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
The City of Camarillo is at an important turning
point. As homelessness grows regionally and
housing becomes less affordable across the
County, the City has an opportunity to build upon
its current efforts and chart a clear path forward to
slow inflows into homelessness and enhance exits
to permanent housing. This Homelessness Strategic
Plan is rooted in the core idea that to meaningfully
reduce homelessness, municipalities will need to
invest in a future where every resident has access
to a stable, affordable place to live.

That means scaling the City’s response to match
the size of the need of Camarillo residents. This
Plan represents a shift away from managing
scarcity and toward building a system of housing
abundance, one that can meet both the
immediate and long-term needs of the community.

It outlines the types of housing and services
needed and identifies where local investment and
action can have the greatest impact in reducing
homelessness in Camarillo.

The City has already laid the groundwork through
consistent leadership, meaningful partnerships,
targeted investments, a growing understanding
of who in the community is experiencing
homelessness, and what supports those individuals
need. Now, we must move to developing the
housing solutions to bring people home. This
Plan provides the roadmap, translating local
knowledge, data, and community input into a
bold, phased strategy for action. Even imperfect
progress brings Camarillo closer to a future where
everyone in Camarillo has a place to call home.

This Plan reflects the City’s commitment to real,
lasting solutions and a shared belief that housing
for all Camarillo residents is possible. It envisions a thriving, abundant Camarillo: a community where
older adults can age with dignity, where low-
wage workers and caregivers can live near their
jobs, where young adults can remain and work
in the city they grew up in, and where families
experiencing a temporary crisis can resolve housing
instability quickly.

The Vision: A Pathway to Housing
for All Camarillo Residents
PROJECT H.O.P.E TEAM SUPPORTING PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS 14 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
This Plan operates under a set of starting
conditions—the City of Camarillo has made
meaningful progress by allocating local resources,
securing state funding, and demonstrating strong
commitment to addressing housing needs.

While the Plan outlines specific actions, many
factors are outside the City’s direct control,
including the availability of external funding,
broader policy changes, and market and
economic conditions. The strategy focuses on
what the City can influence, while staying ready
to act when external opportunities arise, reflecting
Camarillo’s history of leadership and urgency.

The Plan is intentionally structured in two phases.

Phase One: Preparing the
Landscape
The first phase focuses on unlocking the conditions
for large-scale housing and service expansion.

These foundational efforts will enable Camarillo
to move from limited, one-time responses to a
sustained and locally led system. These include:
• Expanding the City’s ability to secure external
funding from State, Federal, and CoC sources
to support ongoing housing and homelessness
efforts
• Streamlining development processes and
removing barriers to accelerate housing
production and create more efficient pathways
for development
• Expanding staffing and implementation
capacity to support a more comprehensive and
proactive homelessness and housing strategy
that builds on existing efforts
• Strengthening data systems and cross-sector
alignment, including regional partnerships
• Engaging the community, ensuring public
understanding and support for housing solutions
Phase Two: Working to Reduce
Homelessness
Once the foundation is in place, the City can
shift decisively from preparation to delivery,
scaling the housing and services necessary to
meet community needs. Key actions in this phase
include:
• Producing permanent housing units in line with
current and future need
• Establishing additional interim beds or units for
short-term stabilization
• Standing up targeted prevention programming
to stop homelessness before it starts
• Expanding outreach and supportive services
that connect people to housing and help them
stay housed
• Supporting workforce development
opportunities that complement housing
strategies
This Plan is focused on action, not just process.

That means prioritizing what works, removing
unnecessary red tape, and focusing on
measurable progress toward meaningfully reducing
homelessness. It also reflects a broader vision for
the City, a shift toward housing abundance, where
Camarillo builds the homes and systems needed to
help ensure that no Camarillo resident is left without
a place to live.

How We’ll Get There:

A Two-Phase Strategic Approach
15 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
PHASE 1:

Preparing the Landscape
PHASE 2:

Working to Reduce Homelessness
YEAR
1 YEAR
2 YEAR
3 YEAR
4 YEAR
5 • Pursue external funding grants and opportunities
• Reduce barriers to housing
• Expand local capacity (staffing, partnerships, Project HOPE)
• Strengthen regional partnerships (CoC, County,
Housing Authority, neighboring cities)
• Increase community engagement and
understanding (dashboard, outreach, Council
updates)
• Build data systems to drive decisions (HMIS, By-Name
List, performance metrics)
• Develop permanent housing solutions (new units,
PSH, RRH/scattered-site)
• Bolster interim housing opportunities (motel-based
shelter, vehicular homelessness response)
• Prevent homelessness before it begins (prevention
program, preservation, shared housing)
• Establish flexible funds to reduce barriers to housing placements
• Strengthen workforce development to support
residents' long-term stability
16 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Holistic supportive services, sheltering, and
permanent housing remain critical to addressing
homelessness. To meet the full scope of need,
the response system must align as closely as
possible with the wide range of experiences of
people experiencing homelessness. The concept
of “service resistance” is important to examine,
because it often presumes that when someone
declines a resource, the resource is appropriate,
available, and accessible. Evidence shows that
program models that are low-barrier, responsive,
person-centered, and trauma-informed lead to
higher engagement rates and reduced refusal
(National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2020)1.

In practice, people experiencing homelessness
rarely reject help outright; most “no” responses are
shaped by safety concerns, limited options, fear, or
timing. Mental health professionals also note that
behaviors that look like refusal are often trauma-
based responses, not unwillingness.

Engagement takes time. Street outreach is
relationship-based, and people seldom engage
during the first conversation, especially when they
have experienced disappointment or harm in
the past. Repeated, predictable, and respectful
contact fosters trust and often eventually leads
to engagement. This principle, often described
as “connection before correction”, is especially
important for individuals who have been re-
traumatized within systems intended to support
them. Many individuals engage only after several
interactions, with reliability and follow-through
contributing to better outcomes. Outreach teams
consistently observe individuals changing their
minds once trust builds. With consistency and
patience, a “no” often becomes “not today,” and
then “yes.”
Many behaviors viewed as resistance actually
reflect exhaustion, mistrust, or past failed attempts
to access help. Many individuals who experience
homelessness carry significant trauma, and trauma-
informed care recognizes that people may avoid
shelters that feel unsafe, decline services that
require giving up pets, partners, or possessions, or
withdraw after negative encounters. These are
protective behaviors—not resistance. Individuals
who have experienced prior service failures or
harmful interactions are making decisions based
on experience, not a lack of willingness to receive
help. Individuals who seem most resistant are
often those with the highest levels of need; severe
trauma and mental-health conditions including
substance use, can make it difficult to navigate
complex service environments.

Engagement is also influenced by program design.

Many homeless service programs are not built for
everyone, which directly affects uptake. People
with unmet mental health needs, neurodivergence,
or medical fragility may struggle with structured
program requirements. A mental health episode,
a medical crisis, or even the pressure of meeting
basic survival needs can affect someone’s ability
to accept help at any given moment.

Program features that consistently improve uptake
and long-term stability include:
• Low-barrier shelters, which have higher
engagement than high-rule shelters
• Mobile medical and behavioral health teams,
which improve participation
• Housing First programs, which dramatically
reduce returns to homelessness
• Client choice and safety-centered approaches,
which promote longer-term stability
Understanding Resistance to Care
Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
1 National Alliance to End Homelessness. (2020). The Case for Housing First. National Alliance to End Homelessness & National Low Income Housing Coalition. https://endhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Housing-First-Research-NAEH-NLIHC-Handout.pdf 17 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Reframing “service resistance” as a person’s current engagement stage—"not ready,” “service mismatch,” or “trust-building needed”— reduces stigma and aligns with the Stages of Change model. This model recognizes that engagement builds gradually and at different paces. Centering engagement on where a person is today helps staff match the right intervention to the right moment, strengthen trust, and ultimately connect more people to effective, lasting solutions.

Source: Daniel Lock Consulting
18 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Preparing the Landscape
Phase One: Preparing the Landscape details
measurable goals that set the City up for
successful program implementation. Phase One
goals are as follows:

1. Maximize External Funding Opportunities

2. Reduce Barriers to Affordable Housing

3. Expand Local Capacity

4. Strengthen Regional Partnerships

5. Increase Citywide Engagement and
Understanding

6. Utilize Data-Driven Decision Making
Strategic Plan: Goals, Strategies,
and Action Steps

19 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
GOAL 1: MAXIMIZE EXTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
How will this address homelessness?
To achieve the goals laid out in this Homelessness Strategic Plan, intentional and strategic funding is necessary. Increasing funding and diversifying fundings sources sets the City up for a comprehensive and adaptable financial portfolio dedicated to homelessness programming and services.

Goal 1: Maximize External Funding Opportunities

STRATEGY

1.1 Apply for state and federal competitive grants and/ or funding opportunities

JUSTIFICATION
The City has demonstrated success with accessing state funding, such as ERF and HHAP. The experience gained through the application, implementation, and reporting processes can be directly utilized for other funding opportunities. Additionally, state and federal funding is often available in larger sums, allowing for a full range of interventions to be funded.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Review State and
Federal Funding Sources
(Appendix 2)
• Identify funding sources
for which Camarillo is best
suited to apply
• Identify specific
community needs
funding will address
• Review funding schedules
at both the state and
federal level to ensure
timeliness and capacity
• Apply for funding for
which Camarillo is eligible
• Number of new
competitive grants/
funding opportunities
applied for
• Number of new
competitive grants/
funding opportunities
awarded
• Number of competitive
grants/ funding
opportunities reapplied
for
• Number of competitive
grants/ funding
opportunities re-awarded
• Amount awarded
Year 1: Identify eligible
funding options and
map out funding source
timeline
Years 1-5: Apply for
funding for which
Camarillo is eligible
• Shifting policy focuses
under the current
administration make
the status of state and
federal funding unknown
• Staff time is required to
research and submit
funding applications,
which often have
comprehensive
submission processes
• State and federal
funding often has strict
parameters on how the
funds can be used
• Comprehensive reporting
processes are typically
required
20 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 1: Maximize External Funding Opportunities

STRATEGY

1.2 Access CoC/ County funding available to cities

JUSTIFICATION
The City has successfully procured funding through the CoC/ County’s ESG and HHAP funding streams, supporting RRH and motel voucher programming. Camarillo can continue to capitalize on these successes by reapplying. In addition, the City can increase funding opportunities by identifying new RRH and/ or PSH projects to submit for HUD’s Annual NOFO.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Identify potential projects
that could be funded
through HUD’s Annual
NOFO (Note: priority is
placed on RRH and PSH
projects)
- Create eSNAPS profile
- Submit application(s)
for project(s)
- Reapply and/or apply
for new projects on an
annual basis
• Reapply for ESG funds as
they are made available
• Reapply for HHAP funds
as they are made
available
• Number of new projects
funded
• Number of existing
projects renewed
• Amount of funding
awarded through HUD’s
Annual NOFO
• Amount of funding
awarded through ESG
• Amount of funding
awarded through HHAP
Year 1: Identify potential
projects to fund through
HUD’s Annual NOFO
Years 1-5: Apply for
County/ CoC funds as
they are made available
• CoC and/ or County
funding often has strict
parameters on how the
funds can be used
• Comprehensive reporting
processes are typically
required
• Funding amounts are not
always sufficient to fully
fund projects and/ or
throughputs into housing
21 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
GOAL 2: REDUCE BARRIERS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING
How will this address homelessness?
Reducing barriers to affordable housing can expedite the work, increasing opportunities for housing development and acquisition and reducing the length of time people experience both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness.

Goal 2: Reduce Barriers to Affordable Housing

STRATEGY

2.1 Unlock publicly-owned land

JUSTIFICATION
Two principal barriers to increasing affordable housing production are the high cost of development and the lack of suitable land. Using publicly-owned land for affordable housing development can overcome these two barriers: first, using City-owned land can reduce or eliminate the project’s land cost; second, a public agency can provide suitable land it owns in a way that enables the affordable housing development to avoid the complex process of land acquisition.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Explore potential publicly-
owned land (including
land already owned by
the City of Camarillo,
the County of Ventura,
or the Pleasant Valley
School District, among
others) for development
opportunities
• Consider including
affordable housing a
part of appropriate City
developments (e.g.
libraries, community
centers)
• Explore City acquisition
of key opportunity sites
identified in Housing
Element
• Sites/ acres made
available for affordable
housing development
• Affordable homes
permitted/ built on City-
owned land
Year 1: Conduct inventory
of City owned land;
identify top-priority
opportunity sites (including
Housing Element sites)
Year 2: Evaluate feasibility;
determine ownership/
ground lease strategy;
initiate site planning
Years 3–5: Make at
least one site available
for affordable housing
development; track
entitlement progress and
potential partnerships
• City should consider
whether its priority
is to retain direct
ownership and control
of affordable housing
on City-owned land,
implement a ground
lease arrangement,
or to dispose of sites
entirely. A ground lease
arrangement enables
permanent affordability
and can be structured to
reduce the City’s liability,
but the site remains a City
asset.
22 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 2: Reduce Barriers to Affordable Housing

STRATEGY

2.2 Consider land use and zoning changes to support affordable housing production

JUSTIFICATION
Local land use regulations are a powerful tool to incentivize affordable housing production.

Changes to local land use and zoning regulations could be considered to further bolster the City's affordable housing production in alignment with the City Housing Element Programs 4, 11, and 16.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Explore potential areas
of City for local zoning
overlays or zoning
changes to spur housing
production
• Consider implementing
changes to support more
housing production,
especially to enable
multifamily housing, in
line with Housing Element
Programs 4, 11, and 16.
• Consider reducing
parking requirements in
infill and low-VMT areas
• Consider reducing RV
parking minimums for
affordable and infill
housing
• Consider scaling
common space
requirements to
encourage development
of various unit sizes
• Consider increasing
flexibility for exceptions to
development standards,
including setbacks
• Affordable homes
permitted and built
(currently required as part
of Housing Element APR)
Year 1: The City has
recently initiated a
comprehensive update to
its General Plan. While a
full update to the Housing
Element will follow the
8-year cycle in alignment
with State requirements,
the City will evaluate
pertinent recommended
Homelessness Strategic
Plan actions as part of the
General Plan update.

Year 2: Conduct
community engagement
Year 3: Adopt and
implement updated
zoning ordinances while
ensuring consistency with
the General Plan update
and in line with adopted
Housing Element Programs;
analyze additional
strategies as part of the
development of the next
Housing Element update.

Years 4–5: Monitor
outcomes and pursue
refinements as needed
• Zoning changes typically
face local political
opposition. Deep
community outreach and
engagement can help
an increasing number
of residents understand
the local need for
more housing and the
realistic impact of zoning
changes
23 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 2: Reduce Barriers to Affordable Housing

STRATEGY

2.3 Streamline development approvals

JUSTIFICATION
Reducing the length of time required for development approvals can incentivize housing production. By streamlining the approval of affordable housing developments and expanding by-right approvals of such projects, more affordable housing can become feasible in Camarillo.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Continue to prioritize
approval of housing
developments with units
affordable to ELI and VLI
households.
• Consider expanding
by-right approvals for
projects that include
substantial affordable
and moderate-income
housing
• Approval timelines for
affordable housing
(currently required as part
of Housing Element APR)
Year 1: Review current
permitting and entitlement
timelines for affordable
housing; identify process
barriers
Years 2–5: Monitor
outcomes, continue
refining approval
pathways in response to
developer feedback
• Zoning changes can
enable more by-right
multifamily housing
development
24 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 2: Reduce Barriers to Affordable Housing

STRATEGY

2.4 Increase ADU opportunities

JUSTIFICATION
Accessory Dwelling Units are a relatively low-construction-cost housing type that can be accommodated in existing single-family residential neighborhoods. Statewide, ADUs represent about a quarter of all new housing being permitted and typically represent a higher share of new housing in high-cost coastal communities where land prices and rents are particularly high.

Supporting ADU construction can help provide more housing that can serve lower-income residents, especially aging seniors and multigenerational households.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Consider amending
the City zoning code to
allow ADU development
on properties owned by
faith-based institutions.

The intent of this would
be to enable such sites
to be used for small-
scale, lower-cost housing
development.
• Identify opportunities
for ADU development
in partnership with local
faith-based organizations,
for example, through
placing vetted tenants
in ADUs that rent for an
affordable price. (See
Multnomah County’s A
Place for You program.)
Homeowners who have
built new ADUs can
be connected with
previously homeless
residents, or those at-
risk of being unhoused,
through local faith-
based organizations who
work closely with this
population. In exchange,
the homeowners can
be provided some sort
of guaranteed rent or
one-time incentive to
rent to this population.

This program can begin
as a pilot program and
expand when shown to
be successful
• Individuals/ households
housed
• Homeowners
participating
Year 1: Explore pilot
ADU tenant-matching
program with local
churches or nonprofits;
identify standard
plan collaboration
opportunities,
Draft faith-based ADU
municipal code update
for consideration by
decision makers.

Year 2: Launch pilot
program and regional
standard plan partnership;
begin homeowner
education campaign
Years 3–5: Scale successful
ADU initiatives and track
housing placements tied
to homelessness reduction
• ADUs typically face the
least political and Not In
My Backyard opposition
of all housing typologies,
especially when being
built as single units by
homeowners
• Identifying willing
homeowners to rent
units at a low price to
previously unhoused
or people at risk of
homelessness can be
challenging
25 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
GOAL 3: EXPAND LOCAL CAPACITY
How will this address homelessness?
Expanding the local capacity of Camarillo’s homelessness response staff ensures comprehensive service and program coverage, moving from managing homelessness to ensuring everyone has a path to stability.

Goal 3: Expand Local Capacity

STRATEGY

3.1 Build dedicated City leadership to drive homelessness strategy

JUSTIFICATION
As Camarillo’s housing and homelessness response system is bolstered, increased demand will be placed on current staff. Expansion of services and programming will benefit from having knowledgeable leads, dedicated solely to implement its housing and homelessness strategy.

Dedicating lead positions connotes a commitment to meaningfully reducing homelessness.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators
• Shift planning and administration of homelessness
programming (i.e. Project H.O.P.E. and associated
initiatives) directly under City management (see Appendix 4 for suggested organizational chart)
• Continue close partnership with County Sheriff’s office for continuity of care, outreach coordination and assistance, and unsheltered strategies
• Establish Housing Division within the Community
Development Department comprised of existing
Community Development staff members devoted to
housing (See Appendix 4 for Housing Division scope)
• Expand leadership role within the City to focus solely on homelessness initiatives, coordinating regional partnerships, pursuing homelessness funding, and aligning with housing initiatives (see “Homelessness Initiatives Manager” position and associated org chart in Appendices 5 and 6)
- Determine if new position will be created or if a current role will be expanded to encompass additional
responsibilities (e.g., Senior Management Analyst position could be adjusted to Homelessness Initiatives Manager
position, overseeing Project H.O.P.E. initiatives
• Create two Management Assistant positions: one for the new Housing Division and one to support homelessness
under City Manager's Office
• Ensure City leadership staff has the subject matter expertise necessary to design and administer homelessness initiatives, building in routine training opportunities
• Augment unmet needs and skillsets with external expertise to assist (e.g., consultants)
• Explore how homelessness lead can focus exclusively on homelessness initiatives, with other, non-homelessness work reassigned where possible
• Housing Manager and Homelessness Initiatives
Manager positions created and filled
• Creation of and hiring of two Management
Assistants
• Number of professional development activities
completed (e.g., trainings, conferences)
• Number of external expert sources leveraged
• Number of non-homelessness/housing related
initiatives redistributed to other staff where possible 26 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 3: Expand Local Capacity

STRATEGY

CONTINUED

3.1 Build dedicated City leadership to drive homelessness strategy Timeline Considerations
Year 1: Reclassify current Senior Planner position to Housing Manager within Community Development Department's
Housing Division; Reposition homelessness team under
City Manager’s office; secure continued partnership with County Sheriff’s office through MOU; expand dedicated City leadership positions for housing and homelessness strategies; to support development and implementation of housing and housing programs, initiatives, and grants
Years 2-5: Build subject matter expertise; augment unmet needs and skillsets; identify process for dedicated leadership positions to exclusively focus on homelessness and housing initiatives
• Shifting homelessness programming under City
management better aligns these initiatives with
their social service mission while expanding access
to federal, state, and philanthropic funding sources
specifically designated for housing and human
services. This organizational change enables
better integration with existing municipal social
infrastructure while positioning the City as taking a
compassionate, community-focused approach to
homelessness.
• Sufficient staff time and budget are required to
ensure dedicated City leadership is appropriately
resourced
• Clear scope of role and authority parameters
need to be set out in advance to avoid confusion
and overlap
• Securing external expertise to augment unmet
needs (e.g. consultants) can be costly and time
consuming
• Ensuring the Homelessness Initiatives Manager
leadership position is focused on homelessness
related initiatives requires other departmental staff
to take on additional tasks
• The City will assess the need for additional
positions, including their scope, timing, and funding
sources, as part of the comprehensive budget
study conducted during the annual budget
development process.
27 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 3: Expand Local Capacity

STRATEGY

3.2 Ensure coverage across all system components, including unsheltered strategies, interim housing/ housing navigation, homelessness prevention, flexible funds, and permanent housing/ permanent supportive housing

JUSTIFICATION
Capacity building equips staff with the necessary tools and strategies to navigate the challenges associated with homelessness across various system components, improving the quality of services while fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning within the sector.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Increase capacity
and coverage
by encouraging
programmatic
specialization (see
Appendix 5 for suggested
Project H.O.P.E. staffing
chart); consider
additional positions as
needed and as grant
funding allows:
- Interim Housing staff
- Homelessness
Prevention/ Flexible
Funds staff
- Permanent Housing
(RRH) staff
• Hire staff strategically
based on timeline of
program expansion or
program creation
• Ensure staff has the
subject matter expertise
necessary to operate
each intervention type,
building in routine training
opportunities
• Augment unmet needs
and skillsets with external
expertise to assist (e.g.
consultants)
• Ensure caseloads
for each program
component is at best
practice levels and
has strong connective
linkages to each other
(i.e. 1:15 for higher acuity
clients)
• Identify funding stream(s)
to increase staffing on an
annual basis
• Number of full-time staff
allocated to Interim
Housing
• Number of full-time
staff allocated to
Homelessness Prevention/
Flexible Funds
• Number of full-time staff
allocated to Permanent
Housing (RRH)
• Number of professional
development activities
completed (e.g. trainings,
conferences)
• Number of external
expert sources leveraged
• Number of clients
assigned per staff (i.e.
caseload)
Year 1: Identify funding
stream(s) and begin
to plan for hiring of
additional staff; map out
potential hiring timeline for
additional staff
Years 1-5: Create
positions for and hire for
programmatic capacity
by system component;
Build subject matter
expertise; augment unmet
needs and skillsets
• Increasing the
number of staff and
coverage across system
components requires
a recurring budgetary
commitment
• Projected hiring timeline
of staff may require
adjustments based on
funding procurement,
program start dates, etc.
• Securing external
expertise to augment
unmet needs (e.g.
consultants) can
be costly and time
consuming
• Maintaining best practice
caseload levels requires
significant budgetary
commitment to ensure
appropriate staff
coverage
28 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 3: Expand Local Capacity

STRATEGY

3.3 Prioritize contracted service providers for frontline service delivery when appropriate

JUSTIFICATION
Exploring opportunities with local community-based organizations to augment existing case management services can allow the City to expand program staffing and services quickly and cost-effectively.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Focus City efforts on
system leadership and
oversight
• Expand opportunities
with local, experienced
service providers to
deliver direct outreach,
housing navigation, and
supportive services to
clients
- Homelessness
Prevention/ Flexible
Funds: contracted
service provider
- Permanent Housing
(RRH): contracted
service provider
• Number of contracted
local community-based
organizations
• Number of contracted
homeless service positions
Years 1-5: Create
positions for and hire for
programmatic capacity
by system component,
contracting with external
service providers when
appropriate
• Contracting directly
with external service
providers moves some of
the programmatic-level
controls away from the
City
• Contracting directly with
external service providers
is typically cost-saving
and enhances response
timeliness
29 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
GOAL 4: STRENGTHEN REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
How will this address homelessness?
By eliminating silos, reducing inefficiencies, and increasing collaboration, regional partnerships help build a more equitable and effective homelessness response system—one that meets people where they are and supports long-term stability.

Goal 4: Strengthen Regional Partnerships

STRATEGY

4.1 Strengthen participation in regional coordination efforts

JUSTIFICATION
To fully leverage and utilize all available services and supports for the Camarillo community, it is recommended that the City continue to engage with the CoC and regional stakeholders. While Camarillo has made significant strides in accessing funds, launching programming, and addressing homelessness at a City-level, homelessness could be greatly impacted with additional supports and coordination. Regional participation and coordination can facilitate:
• Joint applications for funding opportunities
• Joint advocacy for increased funding, streamlined regulatory requirements, consistency across state/ federal programs, and reduction of barriers
• A uniformed approach for those experiencing homelessness throughout the region, making the system easier to navigate
• More upstream supports for people at risk of homelessness in jails, correctional facilities, foster care, hospitals, and behavioral health institutions
• Coordination with the Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura (AHACV) to secure Project-Based Vouchers (PBVs), align PSH development with subsidy availability, and strengthen referral pathways from the By-Name List to voucher programs
Action Steps
City Level Coordination
• Solicit neighboring cities’ interest in strategic regional coordination: Oxnard, Santa Paula, Moorpark, Port Hueneme, Thousand Oaks, etc.
• Identify opportunities for joint applications for funding • Identify opportunities for joint advocacy at the regional, county, state, and federal level • Establish recurring meetings with partnering cities to share data, best practices, and lessons learned County Level Coordination
• Identify opportunities for increased usage of County-/ CoC- available funds and resources, including HUD CoC and ESG program funds
• Identify gaps in current local service provision that the County/ CoC partners could help to fill (e.g. Camarillo lacks a full scale landlord engagement strategy, so the City could strategically partner with United Way to leverage their Landlord Engagement program; many people experiencing homelessness have disabilities, so the City could partner with Autism Society of Ventura County to help facilitate individualized housing planning that meets the direct accommodation/ modification needs)
• Leverage County’s and Sheriff’s office’s relationships with upstream services to incorporate into housing planning, preventing homelessness through systematic data usage (e.g. identify mechanism to receive alerts from jails and correctional facilities, hospitals, foster care, and/or behavioral health institutions to identify who is soon to be released and ensure a housing plan is in place)
• Engage new County/ CoC partners to meet community needs • As a member of the Ventura County CoC Alliance, continue to participate in quarterly membership meetings • Identify CoC advisory committee for participation (i.e. Housing and Services Committee) to stay informed of regional coordination opportunities, advocate on behalf of the City of Camarillo, and be aware of residential and non-residential programs, services, and existing permanent housing resources Housing Authority Coordination
• Establish regular coordination meetings with AHACV to align PSH pipeline and voucher opportunities • Continue to identify PSH developments and coordinate with AHACV availability and timelines • Continue collaboration on streamlined referral pathways from the By-Name List to AHACV voucher programs (e.g. HCV) • Explore joint funding applications that bundle PBVs with services 30 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 4: Strengthen Regional Partnerships

STRATEGY

CONTINUED

4.1 Strengthen participation in regional coordination efforts Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations
City Level
• Number of cities approached for regional
coordination
• Number of joint funding applications with neighboring cities
• Number of joint advocacy opportunities participated
in with neighboring cities
• Number of regional initiatives embarked on with
neighboring cities
• Number of recurring meetings scheduled with
neighboring cities
County Level
• Amount of funding procured through HUD CoC and
ESG program funds
• Number of county-level partners engaged to fill local gaps in service coverage
• Number of CoC quarterly meetings attended
• Advisory committee participation
Housing Authority
• PBVs awarded to Camarillo-based PSH projects
• Number of By-Name List referrals placed via AHACV
voucher programs
• Joint or aligned funding applications submitted
Year 1: Approach
neighboring cities for
partnership coordination;
identify potential funding
streams being made
available and apply;
connect with CoC and
additional County partners
to ensure service gap
coverage; continue
attending quarterly CoC
meetings; establish regular
coordination meetings with
the Housing Authority
Years 2-5: Continue
working with all partners
(nearby municipalities,
CoC, County partners,
and Housing Authority),
identifying opportunities for
joint funding applications,
participating in regular
coordination meetings,
expanding service reach
through partnerships, and
becoming further involved
in planning on a regional
level
• Neighboring cities,
county partners, and City
of Camarillo may have
differing priorities and/
or strategies to reduce
homelessness
• Consistent staff time
is required to fully
participate in regional
coordination
• PBV availability is subject
to HUD caps and AHACV
administrative priorities
31 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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8 The Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) released their 2025 provider directory in January, giving the full list of health care providers and the services they offer in Ventura County. CS providers can be found starting at page 421, while ECM providers can be found starting on page 428. https://res.cloudinary.com/dpmykpsih/raw/upload/gold-coast-site-258/media/r/ cdcc569bd17c4c16b6ac739fb1547a8a/20250606_june_provider_directoryp.pdf Goal 4: Strengthen Regional Partnerships

STRATEGY

4.2 Leverage existing system and supports

JUSTIFICATION
With the launch of CalAIM’s Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports (CS) programs in January 2022 came an influx of services geared toward housing and homelessness from the healthcare community. The City can leverage these services to strategically fill operational/ and service funding gaps for programs, addressing the needs of the community on multiple fronts (e.g. health and housing).

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Identify current ECM
and CS providers serving
the Camarillo area,8
review the list of providers
contracted with the
Gold Coast Health Plan
(GCHP) that provide
ECM and CS services in
Camarillo or adjacent
cities
• Identify proper protocols
to refer GCHP members
to ECM/ CS services
through relevant
providers
• Identify additional service
providers in Camarillo
that would be willing to
contract with GCHP to
provide ECM/ CS services
• Engage the Camarillo
Health Care District
to assist with health
insurance counseling and
enrollment for homeless
individuals to connect to
Medicare/ Medicaid
• Number of referrals to
ECM/ CS services
• Number of Camarillo
based service providers
contracting for ECM/ CS
• Number of individuals
connected to Medicare/
Medicaid through
Camarillo Health Care
District
Year 1: Identify current
ECM/ CS providers
in Camarillo; begin
coordination to identify
referral processes
Years 2-5: Identify
additional service
providers to become
local ECM/ CS providers;
engage Camarillo Health
Care District for health
insurance
• Contracting as an ECM/
CS provider requires a
thorough knowledge
of Medicare/ Medicaid
billing, which can be
difficult for smaller, local
non-profits to implement
32 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 4: Strengthen Regional Partnerships

STRATEGY

4.3 Explore opportunities for workforce development to expand employment for people experiencing homelessness or recently housed

JUSTIFICATION
Workforce development is crucial for addressing homelessness as it helps individuals gain the skills and support needed to secure stable employment and housing, ultimately leading to self-sufficiency and breaking the cycle of poverty. By focusing on skills training, job placement, and supportive services, workforce development programs empower people experiencing homelessness to achieve economic independence and improve their overall well-being Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Identify Camarillo
businesses interested
in supporting Project
H.O.P.E. participants to be
trained and employed
• Partner with the
Economic and Business
Development Division
to identify opportunities
to match Project
H.O.P.E. participants with
appropriate employers
and opportunities
• Identify other training
programs and on-the-job
training opportunities that
may be leveraged to
support Project H.O.P.E.
participants re-enter the
workforce or find more
economically sustainable
jobs
• Identify opportunities
to provide career
counselling to Project
H.O.P.E. participants
• Provide required clothing,
tools, and materials
needed to be successful
in the workforce
• Number of businesses
participating in
workforce development
opportunities
• Number of Project
H.O.P.E. participants
participating in career
counselling
• Number of Project
H.O.P.E. participants
placed in jobs
• Number of Project
H.O.P.E. participants
who increased income
through workforce
development
opportunities
Year 1: Meet with
Economic and Business
Development Division
to design program;
Identify other training
opportunities in region;
Identify businesses who are
interested in hiring Project
H.O.P.E. participants; Pilot
program with a small
number of businesses to
identify opportunities and
additional needs.

Years 2-5: Scale program
including businesses
and Project H.O.P.E.
participants participating.
• People on SSI/SSDI and
seniors may have limited
ability to work
• Promoting workforce
development will require
sustained outreach to
businesses in order to
promote hiring of Project
H.O.P.E. participants
• People linked to
employment will require
case management
supports to help
navigate the challenges
and opportunities
experienced in the
workplace.
33 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
GOAL 5: INCREASE CITYWIDE ENGAGEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING
How will this address homelessness?
Citywide engagement and understanding create the social foundation for meaningful action on homelessness, turning the community into a partner in building a system that is compassionate, coordinated, and effective.

Goal 5: Increase Citywide Engagement & Understanding

STRATEGY

5.1 Strengthen public's understanding of the
root causes of homelessness and City's response

JUSTIFICATION
Education and strategic communication are foundational to building the public's understanding of, and support for, the City's multifaceted homelessness response. Clear, consistent information can ground community dialogue, thus fostering a deeper understanding of the complex causes of homelessness and the evidence-based approaches used to address it. By increasing transparency around goals, progress, and outcomes, the City can foster informed engagement and shared understanding about how its homelessness response functions.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Identify data to be included
in dashboards on City
website for widespread
transparency
• Explore dashboard
programming costs,
maintenance requirements,
and user friendliness;
consider widely accessible
options such as Power BI
and leverage staffing for
data analysis
• Conduct semi-regular
community engagement
opportunities, identifying
educational topics aimed
to increase awareness of
causes and impacts of
homelessness, the City’s
ongoing efforts to reduce
homelessness
• Collect regular feedback
from people experiencing
homelessness to incorporate
into educational
campaigns, ensuring
topics are rooted in local
experiences and expertise
• Collect individual stories
of successful outcomes to
localize and contextualize
homelessness in Camarillo
• Selection of dashboard
programming
• Regularly updated
homelessness services
dashboard available on
City’s website
• Number of community
education seminars
• Feedback collected from
people experiencing
homelessness
• Homelessness services
collateral
• Homelessness response
system community
engagement collateral
• Number of individual
stories of successful
outcomes collected
Year 1: Identify and
select dashboard
programming; begin
building out dashboard
Year 2: Identify
educational topics
for community
engagement; begin
hosting; Conduct
regular feedback
surveys with people
with lived experience
and begin to collect
individual stories
Years 3–5: Continue
hosting educational
community series,
collecting Lived
Experience feedback,
and individual stories;
incorporate individual
stories into collateral
• Regular data can be
difficult to collect
• Community engagement
requires planning and
participation from
multiple City departments
(e.g. Marketing &
Communications, Project
H.O.P.E.)
• Regular and accurate
data is necessary to build
community trust
34 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 5: Increase Citywide Engagement & Understanding

STRATEGY

5.2 Ensure City Council engagement

JUSTIFICATION
Consistent communication on the state of homelessness within the City, challenges in achieving goals or milestones, and potential solutions to reduce homelessness allows stakeholders to coordinate efforts, share information, and respond to crises in a timely and informed manner.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Continue conducting
annual presentations of
City’s PIT data to City
Council
• Facilitate regular City
Council presentations on
Homelessness Strategic
Plan goals, milestones,
and potential solutions to
encountered challenges
• Annual presentation of
PIT data in community
settings
• Regular City Council
presentations
Year 1: Give initial
presentation to City
Council on collected data;
map out Homelessness
Strategic Plan presentation
schedule
Years 2-5: Continue
annual presentations on
PIT data; facilitate regular
City Council updates on
Homelessness Strategic
Plan
• Council composition
affects engagement due
to varied priorities among
constituents, with turnover
potentially disrupting
consistency
• Time constraints reduce
opportunities for
comprehensive training
or updates during Council
meetings or in staff
schedules
• Policy landscape
changes at the state
level can influence
Council perspectives and
decision-making
35 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 5: Increase Citywide Engagement & Understanding

STRATEGY

5.3 Improve awareness of and access to homelessness and housing stabilization services

JUSTIFICATION
Community and stakeholder feedback indicated that residents were often unclear about what homelessness-related services are available, how those services can be accessed, what eligibility may be required, and how individuals or organizations can meaningfully engage in local efforts. Improving clarity around available services and engagement options helps ensure resources are used appropriately, reduces confusion, and supports more coordinated participation across the community. Clear, accessible information enables residents to better understand where to seek assistance and how to support local homelessness efforts.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Update collateral that
details available services
for those experiencing
homelessness
• Update collateral that
details how the general
community can engage
with and assist in the
homelessness response
system
• Create mechanism for
community members
to donate funds on a
one-time or ongoing
basis directly toward
homelessness initiatives
• Homelessness services
collateral
• Homelessness response
system community
engagement collateral
Year 1: Identify necessary
collateral needed to
educate community and
people experiencing
homelessness
Years 2-5: Produce and
regularly update service
awareness collateral
• Services and the
homelessness response
system pivot and change
as funding, policies, or
requirements shift, which
can make it difficult to
keep collateral regularly
updated
36 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
GOAL 6: UTILIZE DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING
How will this address homelessness?
Data-driven decision-making can transform the homelessness response system to be a more coordinated and accountable, enabling the City to act with clarity and continuously improve.

Goal 6: Utilize Data-Driven Decision Making

STRATEGY

6.1 Ensure full integration into HMIS and Coordinated Entry System (CES)9

JUSTIFICATION
Full utilization of HMIS allows for communities to assess individual needs, coordinate care, and track outcomes. Referrals can be streamlined from one service provider to another, maximizing timeliness and efficiency and reducing the amount of time a client waits for services.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Require all local homeless
service providers where
possible to utilize HMIS
to record all program
services, referrals, and
outcomes for City-funded
contracts
• Conduct reviews to
ensure regular updates
are occurring
• Ensure Project H.O.P.E.
homelessness programs
are fully utilizing HMIS
• Number of local service
providers utilizing HMIS
• Number of reviews
completed
• Number of Project
H.O.P.E. homelessness
programs entered into
HMIS
Year 1: Identify providers
not yet fully utilizing
HMIS/CES; outreach to
incentivize
Years 2-5: Regular reviews
to ensure full utilization
• Service providers are
required to pay a
licensing fee to the CoC
to participate in HMIS
• Consistent staff time is
required to regularly
update data in HMIS
• There are limited options
to ensure full HMIS
utilization
• Some entities are
required to enter data in
other data systems (e.g.
healthcare)
9 A Coordinated Entry System (CES) is a process designed to streamline how people experiencing homelessness access housing and support services. It aims to ensure fair and equal access, quickly identify needs, and connect individuals and families to appropriate resources in a timely and efficient manner. Coordinated Entry is mandated by the Federal Government and is administered in Ventura County by the County itself.
37 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
10 To minimize data entry duplication, Project Hope could consider creating a “City of Camarillo” or “Project Hope” specific program in HMIS through which much of this information would be tracked. Depending on HMIS policies and procedures, following this model would likely allow Project Hope to pull reports from HMIS that serve as the foundation for the BNL and case conferencing. Alternatively, the City could conduct case conferencing and copy/paste any housing plan notes to HMIS notes for person on their BNL.

Goal 6: Utilize Data-Driven Decision Making

STRATEGY

6.2 Maintain and strategically use the By-Name-List (BNL)10

JUSTIFICATION
The Project H.O.P.E. team has already put forth significant effort to build and maintain a By- Name List (BNL), ensuring data is collected for each person with whom they engage. By having this information, the Project H.O.P.E. team can strategically use it to make informed decisions on a client-level, ensuring individual needs are met. Collecting additional data points will allow for more informed decision-making on a client level.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Ensure regular updates from all
Project H.O.P.E. staff to the BNL
• Identify all information to be
collected in BNL; expand
to encompass additional
information to help inform
decision-making (e.g. VI-SPDAT
scores, client documentation
needs, disability status, veteran
status, chronicity, pets)
• Use BNL to conduct case
conferencing to identify
potential interventions and
strategies on a client-level (e.g.
if client is a veteran, identify
veteran-specific resources and
services that may be available
to them)
• Use BNL to identify population-
level needs (e.g. number
of clients with a disability
who experienced chronic
homelessness to calculate an
estimated need for PSH units)
• Ensure BNL always includes
those who may not be
accessing services yet
• Number of engagements
documented on BNL
• Number of individuals
documented on BNL
• Data points per individual
collected on BNL
• Number of clients
discussed in case
conferencing to identify
housing solutions
Year 1: Identify all
information to be
collected through
BNL; identify
collection and
update process;
begin using BNL as
foundation for case
conferencing
Years 2-5: Review
data trends to
identify population-
level needs
• Consistent staff time is
required to regularly
update BNL
• Clients can be hesitant
to provide all requested
information if trust and
rapport is not established
first, resulting in delayed
data
• Case conferencing
requires the participation
of both internal and
external stakeholders
working with the client
for a comprehensive
approach
38 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 6: Utilize Data-Driven Decision Making

STRATEGY

6.3 Adopt and track system performance metrics (SPMs)

JUSTIFICATION
Using the same measurements and tools utilized by CoC, state, and federal levels allows for a direct comparison and can inform Camarillo’s housing and homelessness policies in a data- driven way.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • In alignment with CoC and
HUD federal standards, collect
and monitor key system-
performance measures (SPMs)11
- Length of time persons
remained homeless (by
intervention type)
- Extent to which persons
exited homelessness to
permanent housing returned
to homelessness within
6, 12, and 24 months (by
intervention type)
- Number of homeless persons
(by intervention type)
- Employment and income
growth for homeless persons
(by non-employment cash
income, total income, and
earned income)
- Number of persons who
became homeless for the first
time (by intervention type)
- Homeless prevention and
housing placements of
persons defined by category
3 of HUD’s homeless definition
(by intervention type)
- Successful placement
from street outreach and
successful placement in
or retention of permanent
housing
• Number of key system
performance measures
collected
- Length of time persons
remained homeless
- Extent to which persons
exited homelessness
to permanent
housing returned to
homelessness within 6,
12, and 24 months
- Number of homeless
persons
- Employment and
income growth for
homeless persons
- Number of persons who
became homeless for
the first time
- Homeless prevention
and housing
placements of persons
defined by category
3 of HUD’s homeless
definition
- Successful placement
from street outreach
and successful
placement in or
retention of permanent
housing
Year 1: Create
process for collecting
and monitoring SPMs
Years 2-5: Collect
and monitor SPMs
across all program
types
• Consistent staff time is
required to regularly
collect and update SPM
data
• Coordination with the
County/ CoC may
be required to ensure
data is collected in a
coordinated way across
the region
11 HUD Exchange. System Performance Measures Table Shells- 2018 Version. https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/ System-Performance-Measures-Table-Shells.pdf
39 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 6: Utilize Data-Driven Decision Making

STRATEGY

6.4 Project future needs and establish goals

JUSTIFICATION
HMIS, BNL, and SPM data can be used to guide funding and resource allocation. If consistently collected, HMIS data can support needs analyses and justify funding requests, identify priorities for funding based on what programs have been most effective, evaluate effectiveness of various programs and interventions, provide concrete evidence to support policy recommendations, and analyze historical trends to allow for better forecasting of future needs.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Analyze HMIS, BNL, and SPM
data to identify utilization rates,
successful exit rates, service
and housing outcomes, etc. on
a quarterly basis
• Analyze data strategically to
identify and address inequities
related to protected identities
such as gender, race, ethnicity,
age, sexual orientation,
documentation status, etc.
• Use analysis findings to
inform decision making and
forecast future housing needs,
expanding on successful
models and interventions
and bolstering strategies that
successfully connect individuals
to permanent housing options
• Set time-bound goals for
program expansion, housing
development, resource
reallocation, and staffing
requirements
• Reassess projections annually to
adjust to changing conditions
• Number of quarterly
reviews of data
• Number of quarterly
reports on trend analysis
• Number of time-bound
goals set
• Number of annual
projections reassessed
Year 1: Identify
baseline data trends
and outcomes
across all program
types
Years 2-5: Analyze
data quarterly
against baseline and
previously collected
data; identify trends
to forecast and set
programming goals;
annually reassess
projections
• Analysis is not doable
without consistent data
collection
• Staff capacity is required
to review data on a
regular basis
• Findings may differ from
community perspectives,
making it difficult for
elected officials to come
to clear policy decisions
40 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Working to Reduce Homelessness
Phase Two: Working to Reduce Homelessness sets
measurable goals that build upon Phase One to
directly impact homelessness through program
creation and expansion. Phase Two goals are as
follows:

7. Develop Permanent Housing Solutions

8. Bolster Non-Congregate Interim Housing
Opportunities

9. Prevent Homelessness Before It Begins

10. Establish Flexible Funds

11. Strengthen Workforce Development for People
Experiencing or Exiting Homelessness
CORE OUTCOME:

By Year 5, Camarillo will reduce the
number of residents experiencing
homelessness by nearly two-thirds through
sustained annual increases in housing
placements and strong prevention efforts
that keep new inflows stable.12
How: This outcome reflects a realistic, data-
driven approach to reducing homelessness
through consistent, year-over-year progress.

To continue making progress, the City will
need to expand housing supply, strengthen
prevention programs, and enhance service
coordination through the actions outlined
in Goals 7 through 9. Because new housing
and program expansions take time, planning
for Year 5 outcomes must begin in Year 1 to
ensure the City can maintain steady rehousing
rates through the duration of this plan.
12 Over the past year, it is estimated that 28 Camarillo residents experiencing homelessness moved into permanent housing
in the last 12 months (resulting in an estimated 31% housing rate for those actively homeless in Camarillo) and 88 residents remain homeless today (either on the streets or in interim housing). These numbers provide the baseline for this five- year plan to reduce homelessness in Camarillo. Please see the table found in the ‘Enhancing Camarillo’s Rehousing System: Ensuring that Outflow Outpaces Inflow’ section later in this Appendix.
41 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
GOAL 7: DEVELOP PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS
How will this address homelessness?
Permanent housing solutions are essential to meaningfully reducing homelessness, providing stability, reducing costs, improving health, and creating the foundation for communities to thrive. Without permanent housing, homelessness will continue to grow.

Goal 7: Develop Permanent Housing Solutions

STRATEGY

7.1 Increase permanent housing production to meet goals

JUSTIFICATION
As with many cities, meeting Camarillo’s extremely low-, very low-, and low-income housing needs may require subsidy. In addition, industry best practices emphasize the critical role of deeply affordable, permanent housing in reversing homelessness inflow. A systems-oriented approach must blend traditional and innovative models to accelerate development, acquisition, and rehabilitation of units accessible to ELI and VLI households.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Continue to work to
meet goals for housing
affordable to very
low- and low-income
households through new
construction, acquisition,
rehab, and innovative
models
• Prioritize the identification
and control of
developable or
acquirable sites, including
infill parcels and publicly
owned land
• Advance multiple
development pathways
in parallel, including new
construction, acquisition/
rehab, and adaptive
reuse
• Continue to apply
for competitive and
entitlement-based
funding sources to fill
capital gaps
• Continue to require
affordability covenants
and homeless set-asides,
where appropriate,
in City-supported
developments to ensure
housing access for those
most at risk
• Number of new
affordable units entitled
or funded
• Number of units targeted
for people experiencing
homelessness
Year 1: Gap analysis,
site identification, pre-
development support
Year 2: Secure funding,
entitlements, and permits if
a suitable site is identified
Years 3–5: Begin
construction and monitor
project pipeline progress
• Site control is critical
to attract developer
partners
• Regulatory streamlining
will accelerate timelines
42 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 7: Develop Permanent Housing Solutions

STRATEGY

7.2 Expand Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

JUSTIFICATION
PSH is the gold standard intervention for individuals with disabling conditions and long histories of homelessness. Evidence shows it reduces returns to homelessness and lowers public costs in health, crisis, and justice systems. A dual-track PSH development approach—scattered-site (e.g. apartments in existing developments) and project based (e.g. building devoted to permanent supportive housing) —is needed to meet the need and to operationalize housing placements at scale. Without PSH, this population will remain unhoused or cycle through emergency systems.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • If grant funding is available, identify
a local provider who has experience
with landlord recruitment and
engagement to lead a strategic
landlord campaign to identify
scattered-site PSH opportunities
with risk mitigation and property
management supports (e.g. United
Way of Ventura County)
• If grant funding is available, identify
a local provider who has experience
with master leasing to secure master
lease agreements with willing
landlords and property owners to
reduce time-to-housing and expand
system capacity (e.g. Gold Coast
Veterans Foundation). Master leasing
is a housing intervention in which a
service provider leases units in bulk
from a property owner and then
subleases them to clients, allowing for
faster placements, reduced landlord
risk, and greater system control over
available housing
• Consider conducting a feasibility
assessment for single-site PSH
development, prioritizing motel
conversions or modular construction
with minimal site prep requirements
• Partner with the County and health
system providers to secure service
funding and wraparound supports
aligned with CalAIM and best
practices
• Prioritize individuals on the Camarillo
By-Name List with disabling
conditions and chronic homelessness
histories for placement
• Embed trauma-informed and
universal design principles in all PSH
development to enhance long-term
stability and usability
• Number of PSH units
under contract or under
development
• Number of chronically
homeless individuals
placed in PSH
• Retention rates at 12-
and 24-months post-
placement
Year 1: If grant
funding is available,
launch a master
leasing and
feasibility analysis
for new PSH site
Year 2: Explore
funding at least
one PSH project
Years 3–5: Place
high-acuity
individuals into
operational PSH
units
• Long-term success
depends on securing
braided funding
streams (e.g.

Medicaid, CalAIM
ECM/CS, CoC) to
support services and
operations; housing
alone is insufficient
• Master-leased PSH
can be costly and
requires strong
coordination with
property managers,
service providers,
and tenants to
prevent eviction and
improve housing
retention
• Community
acceptance of
single-site PSH may
require substantial
public outreach
• PSH delivery
timelines are often
longer than RRH
or scattered-
site models—
early pipeline
development is
essential to meet
time-sensitive
housing needs
43 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 7: Develop Permanent Housing Solutions

STRATEGY

7.3 Strengthen Rapid Rehousing (RRH) and scattered-site housing options

JUSTIFICATION
National research confirms that rapid rehousing (RRH—short term rental assistance and temporary case management) and flexible subsidy models are effective for households that do not require intensive services but face affordability barriers. For the households projected to need non-PSH support, RRH paired with master leasing and shallow subsidies provides a scalable path to housing stability. Units must be secured in advance to match need and prevent time delays in placement.

Action Steps Key Performance Indica-
tors Timeline Considerations
• Consider conducting a focused analysis
of existing market-rate rental stock to
identify units viable for RRH and shallow
subsidy programs
• If grant funding is available, secure units
through direct lease negotiations, or
master leasing. Negotiate affordability
covenants in new and existing
developments as opportunities arise
and based on available funding
• Expand landlord incentive programs,
identifying various strategies that the
City can utilize, including holding
fees, damage mitigation funds, and
case management support to de-risk
participation
- Landlord incentive strategies could
be provided by the City or through
a partnership with a local service
provider; City should work to identify
which strategies are most needed
based on local renting practices
to house people experiencing
homelessness efficiently and
expediently (e.g. it may be common
for landlords to not accept rental
subsidies—in this instance, landlord
mitigation funds may prove most
beneficial)
• Align referral pathways across Project
H.O.P.E., HMIS, and ESG/HHAP-funded
programs to ensure coordinated entry
and quick match
• Consider using time-limited subsidies
with graduated rent share models to
support long-term affordability without
overextending program budgets
• Track housing stability and rental
burden at regular intervals to inform
policy adjustments and long-term
affordability planning
• Number of non-PSH
units secured for use
• Number of individuals
housed through RRH or
similar programs
• Retention and housing
stability at 6-, 12-, and
18-month benchmarks
Year 1: Consider
the identification
and securing
of units; launch
landlord
engagement
strategy
Year 2: Begin
placements and
track housing
stability outcomes
Years 3–5: Maintain
and evaluate
RRH portfolio as
applicable; iterate
based on outcome
data
• High rent
environments may
limit RRH program
effectiveness unless
paired with shallow
subsidy models or
rent buy-downs
• Many households will
need longer than the
standard 3–6 months
of assistance; rigid
time limits should be
avoided in favor of
flexible duration tied
to client progress
• Master leasing can
overcome stigma
or credit barriers but
places administrative
and financial risk on
the City or service
provider; insurance
and contingency
reserves may be
necessary
• RRH success requires
tight coordination
between
outreach, housing
navigation, subsidy
administration, and
landlord relations
to prevent drop-off
between enrollment
and move-in
• Coordination with
Flexible Housing Fund
(Goal 10) supports
unit retention and
quick move-ins
44 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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GOAL 8: BOLSTER NON-CONGREGATE INTERIM HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES How will this address homelessness?
Bolstering non-congregate interim housing fills a critical gap between unsheltered homelessness and permanent housing, improving health, engagement, and outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations, while helping systems respond with more flexibility, equity, and compassion.

Goal 8: Bolster Non-Congregate Interim Housing Opportunities

STRATEGY

8.1 Expand interim housing supply

JUSTIFICATION
Motel-based non-congregate sheltering offers the fastest and most cost-effective approach to meeting interim housing needs. It eliminates the capital development costs, land acquisition barriers, and lengthy approval processes associated with building new interim facilities. This model allows for immediate deployment of units, supports client privacy and safety, and is better aligned with community feedback, which favors investments in permanent housing over temporary infrastructure
Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Confirm the need for non-
congregate units, including
emergency placement units, using
By-Name List data
• Based on available funding,
establish formal motel partnerships
through block-room agreements
that guarantee unit availability and
secure favorable long-term rates
• Ensure emergency units
are available for immediate
placement, even if temporarily
unoccupied
• Develop clear referral and eligibility
protocols for both general and
emergency placements
• Coordinate closely with Project
H.O.P.E. outreach teams to ensure
all placements are integrated with
case management and housing
navigation
• Initiate individualized housing plans
promptly and prioritize rapid exits
to permanent housing
• Monitor unit utilization, length of
stay, and exit outcomes using
HMIS and conduct regular
case conferencing to support
throughput
• Pursue and maintain sustainable
funding from HHAP, ERF, ESG, and
local sources to support operations,
staffing, and wraparound services
• Number of non-
congregate units secured
and utilized
• Occupancy rate of
emergency units
• % of participants exited
to permanent housing
• Average length of stay
• Operational funding
secured
Year 1: Consider
expansion of motel
program, secure
agreements,
implement referral
system
Years 2–5: Monitor
utilization, sustain
funding, adjust
model as needed
• Motel availability and
pricing may fluctuate
seasonally
• Requires strong service
coordination to
prevent long stays
• Ongoing funding
is critical to sustain
program capacity
45 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 8: Bolster Non-Congregate Interim Housing Opportunities

STRATEGY

8.2 Improve health, safety, and service access for
individuals experiencing vehicular homelessness

JUSTIFICATION
Enhancing safety, sanitation, and service connections for individuals living in vehicles provides low-cost, harm-reduction interventions. These programs can serve as an access point to case management and housing navigation services while addressing immediate health and safety concerns.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Continue to identify
areas where vehicular
homelessness is most
visible or persistent
and formally assess
environmental health and
engagement needs
• Continue to conduct
consistent, services-based
outreach that centers
trust-building, voluntary
services, and housing
navigation
• Provide limited, needs-
based investments—
such as waste removal
or hygiene access—to
reduce health and safety
risks while engagement
occurs
• Offer voluntary incentives
(e.g. motel vouchers,
flexible funds, or vehicle
buyback programs)
for individuals ready to
transition into interim
housing
• Monitor outreach
outcomes, incentive
uptake, and participant-
defined success to inform
future iterations of the
model
• Number of individuals
engaged in vehicle
settings
• Number of individuals
transitioned into interim
and permanent housing
• Number of incentives
issued
• Improvement in
environmental conditions
at priority locations
Year 1: Conduct focused
needs assessment on
vehicular homelessness;
identify hotspots and
service gaps
Years 2-5: Launch
targeted, services-first
outreach campaign; pilot
environmental clean-up
and hygiene supports;
expand outreach teams
and incentive options (e.g.
motel vouchers, vehicle
buyback)
• Some individuals may not
view vehicle habitation
as a problem to be
solved
46 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
GOAL 9: PREVENT HOMELESSNESS BEFORE IT BEGINS
How will this address homelessness?
Preventing homelessness before it begins is the most cost-effective solution, keeping people housed and preventing trauma, reducing the burden on the homelessness response system, and helping communities focus on more long-term stability rather than short-term survival.

Goal 9: Prevent Homelessness Before It Begins

STRATEGY

9.1 Establish a homelessness prevention program

JUSTIFICATION
Local prevention programs for those who are not yet experiencing homelessness but are at risk or are unstably housed are a cost-effective intervention that reduce the trauma and expense of homelessness. Flexible financial support, combined with housing navigation, mediation, and problem-solving, can stabilize households before they are pushed into the crisis response system.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Analyze the potential
design of a homelessness
prevention program that
offers financial assistance,
problem-solving, and
housing navigation
• Establish eligibility criteria
focused on housing
instability and risk—not
strict documentation or
income thresholds
• Identify a lead provider
and set up referral
pathways from 2-1-1,
outreach teams, City
staff, and community-
based organizations
• Allocate $100,000
annually for a prevention
fund supporting direct
financial assistance,
housing navigation,
and flexible supports for
households at imminent
risk of homelessness
• Ensure rapid response
timelines from application
to support
• Track program outcomes
and use data to refine
eligibility and targeting
over time
• Households served
through prevention
• % stably housed at 6 and
12 months
• Average time from
referral to support
Years 1–2: Analyze the
potential design of
program structure, set
eligibility criteria, establish
referral pathways, and
identify lead provider;
explore funding options
Years 3–5: Launch
program once funding is
secured; begin referrals
and assistance
• Allowing flexible use of
funds (e.g. car repair,
medical bills) increases
effectiveness
• $100K annual budget
offers a catalytic start;
additional leveraged
funds can increase reach
47 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 9: Prevent Homelessness Before It Begins

STRATEGY

9.2 Preserve housing stock

JUSTIFICATION
Preserving at-risk housing—especially older, naturally affordable units—is a key long-term homelessness prevention strategy. Supporting acquisition by mission-driven buyers or purchase by the City can prevent displacement and protect affordability for existing residents.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Conduct a local
inventory of unsubsidized
affordable housing
and identify properties
at risk of market loss or
redevelopment
• Engage affordable
housing developers
and nonprofit partners
to assess acquisition
capacity
• Explore adoption of a
Right of First Offer (ROFO)
or Right of First Refusal
(ROFR) ordinance to
facilitate preservation
• Align housing
preservation with funding
sources and long-term
affordability planning
• Number of at-risk units
preserved
• Policy adoption and
implementation progress
• Partners engaged in
acquisition efforts
Years 1–2: Inventory at-risk
units, assess preservation
opportunities, and explore
ROFO/ ROFR policy
Years 3–5: Implement
preservation strategies;
track outcomes and align
with anti-displacement
goals
• ROFO/ROFR policy must
be tailored to local
market dynamics and
tenant protections.
• Public messaging
should highlight housing
stability and long-term
affordability benefits.
48 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Goal 9: Prevent Homelessness Before It Begins

STRATEGY

9.3 Encourage Shared Housing

JUSTIFICATION
Investing in shared housing opportunities increases access to housing for people experiencing homelessness, especially in high-cost neighborhoods—areas often difficult to access in typical tenant-based rental assistance programs. This strategy is a cost-effective way to rapidly increase affordable housing options.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Explore current shared
housing strategies
available on a regional
level (e.g. County
run programming,
local service provider
programming)
• Consider whether current
programming can be
expanded into the City of
Camarillo; if not possible,
research needed
resources to stand
up a shared housing
strategy locally (either
through service provider
partnerships or through
the City)
• Identify ways to
encourage shared
housing strategies within
the City of Camarillo
• Number of shared
housing programs
available throughout the
region
• Number of Camarillo
residents participating in
shared housing
• Number of local residents
willing to opt-in to shared
housing
Year 1: Explore current
shared housing
programming and
ways for expansion into
Camarillo;
Years 2-5: Expand shared
housing opportunities
available in Camarillo
• Currently existing shared
housing programming
may not be available in
City of Camarillo
• Should the City
choose to create their
own shared housing
programming, the set
up and maintenance of
a new program requires
administrative capacity
that does not currently
exist in the City’s staffing
49 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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GOAL 10: ESTABLISH FLEXIBLE FUNDS
How will this address homelessness?
Access to flexible funding allows for service providers to immediately address barriers to housing, such as covering rent or utility arrears, paying application fees and/or security deposits, or assisting with relocation fees to access a new housing opportunity.

Goal 10: Establish Flexible Funds

STRATEGY

10.1 Bolster the flexible housing fund

JUSTIFICATION
The availability of flexible funding for people actively experiencing homelessness to cover unexpected, one-time, and/or time-sensitive costs is crucial to every aspect of housing— acquiring, stabilizing, and maintaining.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Identify funding source(s) for flexible
housing funds to secure funding to cover
operations and identify usage pattern
• Establish eligibility criteria for flexible funds
access (e.g. one-time use per person,
certain amount per person)
• Expand qualifying uses of flexible
funding to include traditional housing
and housing adjacent costs (e.g. rental
assistance, security deposits, move-in
costs, furniture, rental or utility arrears,
relocation assistance, reimbursement to
landlord for housing damage/repair)
• Identify referral process (e.g. self-referral,
homeless service provider referral,
upstream referral such as healthcare
staff, school district, criminal justice
system)
• Create internal referral collection and
payment process, ensuring payments
can be made quickly and efficiently
• Build into educational campaign to
ensure knowledge and understanding
of available funding for local service
providers and community members
• Collect data on demographics, usage,
and outcomes to inform future policy
and programming decisions
• Reassess after funding has been spent
down to identify utilization rates,
significant outcomes, etc. to determine if
funding should be renewed; use data to
project future funding needs
• Amount of funding
procured
• Eligibility, referral, and
internal processes
created
• Public awareness
campaign for available
funds
• Amount of funds utilized
• Number of individuals
assisted
• Number of individuals
kept from or moved out
of homelessness
• Number of individuals
that acquired housing
• Number of individuals
that maintained housing
Year 1: Identify
funding source
for Flex Funds
program; establish
all program
criteria (eligibility,
qualifying uses,
referral process,
and internal
processes); create
educational
campaign to
market program to
community
Year 2: Operate
flex funds
programming;
collect data
Year 3: Assess
usage and
outcomes to
determine success
and need for
renewal
• Set aside funding
for the flexible
housing fund will
be necessary to
consistently offer
this program
• The set up and
maintenance
of a new
program requires
administrative
capacity that
does not currently
exist in the City’s
staffing
• Engagement
will be required
from multiple
City departments
to ensure
timely payment
processing and
communitywide
education of the
resource
• Detailed record
keeping is
required to
ensure eligibility
criteria, usage,
and outcomes
are tracked
50 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Goal 11: Strengthen Workforce Development for People Experiencing or Exiting HomelessnessSTRATEGY

11.1 Align workforce pathways with local opportunities

JUSTIFICATION
Connecting residents to jobs tied to Camarillo’s economy creates more direct career pathways and offers training, leading to roles with clear career progression.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Partner with Economic
and Business
Development Division
to identify industries
and roles with long-term
demand
• Establish partnership
with Ventura County
Workforce Development
Board and Camarillo
Library (Russell Fischer
Business Collection)
• Develop list of specific
businesses to outreach to
• Map training programs
and apprenticeships
aligned with these
industries
• Share findings with
service providers to guide
placements
• Local labor scan
completed
• Career pathways
identified
• Residents placed into
identified roles
Year 1: Conduct labor
scan
Years 2–5: Refresh annually
• Focuses on jobs that
can realistically support
stability in Camarillo
GOAL 11: STRENGTHEN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR PEOPLE

EXPERIENCING OR EXITING HOMELESSNESS
How will this address homelessness?
Employment can support stability for people experiencing and exiting homelessness, especially when these positions provide sustainable wages, training, and accessible pathways. While not everyone will be able to pursue work due to their age and/or disability, workforce development can play an important role when paired with affordable housing solutions.
51 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 11: Strengthen Workforce Development for People Experiencing or Exiting HomelessnessSTRATEGY

11.2 Partner with employers to reduce hiring barriers

JUSTIFICATION
Employers can expand access to quality jobs while strengthening their own workforce.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Convene employer
roundtable with chamber
and major businesses
• Provide education
on City supports
(e.g., Flexible Funds
for uniforms, tools,
transportation)
• Pilot hiring events tied to
actual openings
• Offer liaison support
between employers and
service providers
• Number of employer
partners
• Placements per quarter
• 90- and 180-day retention
rates
Year 1: Launch roundtable
and pilot event
Years 2–5: Expand
employer participation
• Participation should
emphasize quality and
retention over volume
52 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Goal 11: Strengthen Workforce Development for People Experiencing or Exiting HomelessnessSTRATEGY

11.3 Support readiness and benefits-safe employment

JUSTIFICATION
Readiness supports and part-time or accommodated roles can expand options without jeopardizing stability.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Create list/matrix of
job readiness services
available to Camarillo
residents
• Partner with service
providers to expand
job readiness (resume
prep, digital literacy,
documentation)
• Use Flexible Funds to
cover work-related costs
• Promote part-
time, seasonal, or
accommodated roles
with employers
• Ensure benefits
counseling is built into
workforce programs
• Residents receiving
readiness support
• Benefits-safe or part-time
placements
• Retention at 6 and 12
months
Year 1: Integrate readiness
supports and benefits
counseling
Years 2–5: Scale
placements
• Protect residents from
losing SSI/SSDI or other
supports
53 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Goal 11: Strengthen Workforce Development for People Experiencing or Exiting HomelessnessSTRATEGY

11.4 Pilot transitional job opportunities

JUSTIFICATION
Short-term, supported roles can help residents build experience and transition toward longer- term employment.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Identify City-hosted or
contracted transitional
roles (e.g., maintenance,
beautification,
administrative support)
• Provide coaching and
clear pathways to
unsubsidized jobs
• Provide intensive supports
for workers who require
more training and support
as they re-enter the
workforce
• Track outcomes to assess
effectiveness
• Transitional job slots
created
• % converting to
unsubsidized employment
• Average placement
duration
Year 1: Launch pilot (10–15
slots)
Years 2–5: Assess and
expand
• Transitional roles should
complement, not
replace, existing staff
functions
54 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Goal 11: Strengthen Workforce Development for People Experiencing or Exiting HomelessnessSTRATEGY

11.5 Engage business community as housing partners

JUSTIFICATION
Employers benefit when their workforce can afford to live locally; linking workforce and housing needs can strengthen both.

Action Steps Key Performance Indicators Timeline Considerations • Consider the formation
of a Business & Housing
Alliance with local
chamber
• Educate employers
on the link between
housing affordability and
workforce stability
• Facilitate employer letters
of support for affordable
housing projects
• Explore voluntary
employer contributions to
housing-related programs
• Employers signed onto
Business & Housing
Alliance
• Employer support for
housing projects
• Contributions secured
Year 1: Consider the
launch of the Business &
Housing Alliance
Years 2–5: Expand
participation and
advocacy
• Builds employer
alignment with both
workforce and housing
strategies
Appendices

HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
56 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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This strategic plan builds on findings from the Camarillo Homelessness Background Report (Appendix 6), which combined quantitative data analysis with community and stakeholder input to assess local needs and system gaps.

Quantitative methods included analysis of PIT Count data, HMIS records from 2019–2024, and local housing data sources such as the City’s Housing Element, CHAS data, and RHNA targets.

Community engagement involved a public survey, a lived experience survey, a community input session, and targeted focus groups and interviews with nearly 50 stakeholders—including service providers, City and County staff, and individuals with lived experience.

Findings from all sources were synthesized to identify trends, align perspectives, and inform the recommendations in this plan.

Appendix 1: Methodology
57 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Appendix 2: State and Federal
Funding Sources
Appendix 2: State and Federal Funding Sources
SOURCE
State of California
Program Use Funds Available to City
Prohousing Incentive
Pilot Program (California
Department of Housing and
Community Development)
Applicants receive a base award
derived from the population and can
receive additional funds beyond the
base. Funds can be used for a variety
of planning and implementation
activities. In addition to direct
assistance to developments, the funds
can be used for capitalized reserves
for services connected to Permanent
Supportive Housing.a
The City can investigate whether to pursue
a prohousing designation. To pursue
a prohousing designation would allow
Camarillo to receive priority processing or
funding points when applying for several
funding programs, including:
• Affordable Housing & Sustainable
Communities (AHSC)
• Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG)
• Transformative Climate Communities
(TCC)
• Solutions for Congested Corridors
• Local Partnership Program
• Transit Intercity Rail Capital Program
(TIRCP)
• Sustainable Transportation Planning
Grant Program (STPG)
Local governments with a prohousing
designation are also eligible to apply for
the Prohousing Incentive Program (PIP).

Community Services Block
Grant Program (California
Department of Community
Services and Development)
Funds efforts that seek to reduce
poverty, including homeless services
and housing services. Housing
assistance can include temporary
shelter, affordable housing places,
eviction and foreclosure prevention,
and other housing-related activities.

The State received $33,847,608 in CSBG
funding from the federal government
for 2025, a 50% reduction over 2024. The
Community Action Agency of Ventura has
received funding in the past.

The City can investigate whether to apply
for apply for funding through this program.

As with all federal funding, the status of
the CSBG Program is uncertain.

Encampment Resolution
(California Department of
Housing and Community
Development)
Grants to provide services and
supports to people living on the streets
in encampments that are being
removed. Eligible uses include rapid
rehousing, operating subsidies, street
outreach, services, prevention and
shelter diversion, interim housing, and
improvements to existing emergency
shelters.

Competitive application process with the
next application round expected in the
Summer of 2025. The FY 2025-26 budget
includes $100 million for grants throughout
the State. The program is subject to
annual appropriation.

Camarillo has successfully accessed this
funding source and received a $7.3 million
grant in 2025.

The City should continue to apply for this
funding source.
58 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Appendix 2: State and Federal Funding Sources
SOURCE

CONTINUED
State of California
Program Use Funds Available to City
CalHome Program (California
Department of Housing and
Community Development)
First-time homebuyer and housing
rehabilitation assistance, homebuyer
counseling, and technical assistance.
$143.1 million was available for award
under the HCD Homeownership Super
NOFA with applications due in March
2025. Like other HCD administered
programs, funding is subject to
appropriation. The current budget
proposal does not include additional
funding for this program.

The City should monitor this funding source
to see if additional funding becomes
available.

HomeKey+ (California
Department of Housing and
Community Development)
Funding for the acquisition,
construction, and rehabilitation of
Permanent Supportive Housing for
veterans and individuals with mental
health or substance use disorder.

Limited operating subsidies for
supportive services and operating
expenses.

Local governments are the eligible
applicants.

Applications for future funding are being
accepted over the counter through June
2025, with rolling award announcements
beginning in May. Funding is subject to
appropriation. Currently there are no
funds in the State’s proposed FY 25-26
budget.

The City should monitor this funding source
to see if additional funding becomes
available.

Homelessness Challenge
Grant (California Department
of Housing and Community
Development)
One-time grants and technical
assistance to local jurisdictions to
address and end family homelessness.

Funds must address families with
dependent children with uses that
include rapid rehousing, operating
subsidies, street outreach, services, and
interim housing.

A total of $40 million was appropriated for
this program over two rounds. Currently,
no future funding is available.

The City should monitor this funding source
to see if additional funding becomes
available.

Guaranteed Income
Pilot Program (California
Department of Social Services)
Grants to nonprofit and local
government agencies to provide
guaranteed income payments of $500
monthly to eligible recipients. The first
pilot was targeted to foster youth and
pregnant women. The second pilot will
target older adults (60+).

Funding is included in the State’s FY 24-25
budget for the Guaranteed Income for
Older Californians Pilot. Applications under
this pilot are due on April 18th. Of the initial
pilot funded by the State, one of seven
grantees was a local government (the
City and County of San Francisco).

The City should monitor the results of
these pilot programs and future funding
opportunities.
59 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Appendix 2: State and Federal Funding Sources
SOURCE

CONTINUED
State of California
Program Use Funds Available to City
Homeless Housing, Assistance,
and Prevention (HHAP)
Grant Program (California
Department of Housing and
Community Development)
Flexible funding to prevent and end
homelessness. Eligible uses include
rapid rehousing/rental subsidies,
operating subsidies and services
for permanent and interim housing,
capital for permanent housing,
prevention and diversion, navigation
centers, motel/hotel vouchers, and
more.

Camarillo has been awarded $735,983 in
HHAP funding. Round 6 was announced
in February 2025. Applications are due in
August 2025.

The City should continue to apply for this
funding source.

Permanent Local Housing
Allocation (PLHA) Program
(California Department of
Housing and Community
Development)
Entitlement grant awards to local
jurisdictions for a variety of housing
activities, including affordable housing
production and homeownership
programs that assist unmet community
needs.

PLHA provides formula allocations to
jurisdictions. The first five years of PLHA
have been received and are being
utilized in the City’s Workforce Housing
Downpayment Assistance Program
The City can continue to apply for funding
through this program, as it becomes
available in future rounds.

Funding comes from SB 2, so there are
potentially additional funds that could
be available in future years. 70% of SB 2
funding is allocated to this program.

Local Housing Trust Fund
Program (California
Department of Housing and
Community Development)
Matching grants to local and regional
housing trust funds that meet specific
requirements. Funds can be used
for permanent housing (including
homeownership), interim housing, and
emergency shelter.

Eligible Housing Trust Funds must be
organized as a 501c3 and have an
ongoing source of revenue.

The City can investigate whether to apply
for apply for funding through this program.
60 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Appendix 2: State and Federal Funding Sources
SOURCE
Federal
Program Use Funds Available to City
PRO Housing (Pathways
to Removing Obstacles to
Housing)
Grants to communities that are actively
seeking to remove obstacles to the
development and preservation of
affordable housing. Funds can be used
to develop, evaluate, improve, and
implement policy plans and strategies,
and to facilitate affordable housing.

The City should monitor this funding source
to see if additional funding becomes
available.

Continuums of Care Funding for homeless housing and
services.

Each year, the Ventura County Continuum
of Care (CoC) applies for funding from
HUD to fund housing and services for
homeless residents. The Ventura County
CoC Alliance serves as the Collaborative
Applicant, managing the application
process and submitting the final
application to HUD.

In FY23-24 and FY24-25, Camarillo
received no funding from the CoC.

In FY25-26, Camarillo entered into an
agreement with Ventura County to
receive $56,666 over the next two years to
be used toward rapid rehousing services
through ESG funds.
*Note that it is likely that funding that went
to Ventura County projects also served
Camarillo residents.

The City has an opportunity to increase
the amount of CoC funding for Camarillo-
specific projects and programs in future
years. The City might want to evaluate
how the funds awarded outside of
Camarillo benefit the City to ensure that
the funds are fairly distributed.

Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) Program
Provides block grants to local
governments and States to implement
activities that benefit low- and
moderate-income residents, prevent
and eliminate blight, and address other
community development needs.

The City should continue applying for
funds through this funding source.

Like all federal funding sources, program
funding in future years is unknown.
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Appendix 2: State and Federal Funding Sources
SOURCE

CONTINUED
Federal
Program Use Funds Available to City
Housing for People with AIDs
(HOPWA) Program
Provides block grants to local
governments and States to support
the housing needs of people living
with HIV/AIDs. Eligible applicants are
MSAs with more than 500K people
and at least 2,000 cases of HIV/AIDs.

Eligible activities include acquisition,
rehabilitation, or new construction
of affordable rental housing, rental
assistance, payments to prevent
homelessness, and delivery of
supportive services.

The City can investigate whether to apply
for apply for funding through this program.

Like all federal funding sources, program
funding in future years is unknown.

Emergency Shelter Grants
(ESG) Program
Formula block grants to local
governments and States to fund efforts
to engage homeless people living
on the streets and in encampments,
support emergency shelters, including
operations, provide essential services,
and rapid rehousing and prevention
activities.

In FY25-26, Camarillo entered into an
agreement with Ventura County to
receive $56,666 over the next two years to
be used toward rapid rehousing services
through ESG funds.

This funding source is flexible and has
been used towards OPRI, rapid rehousing,
case management, and other activities. In
future years, the City may want to analyze
the current use of funds to see if they are
being directed to priority homelessness
initiatives and programs.

Like all federal funding sources, program
funding in future years is unknown.
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Appendix 3: Local Tools
and Resource Strategies

REVENUE
SOURCE
Philanthropy/Corporate Giving
Partnerships with local employers, foundations, and philanthropic organizations can provide flexible, one-time or project-specific funding that does not create ongoing tax obligations. These contributions can support targeted initiatives, pilot programs, or capital needs, depending on local interest and philanthropic/corporate presence.

Impact Challenges Jurisdiction
Examples Uses in Practice
Significant Not all regions
have comparable
corporate presence
or philanthropic
infrastructure. Access
varies by local
economic base.
• Dignity Moves –
Santa Barbara
County (CA –
Pop. Size: 444k)
Philanthropic funding supported the Dignity Moves
interim housing site in Santa Barbara by filling the
remaining capital gap for construction and project
amenities. The County contributed $600,000 toward
construction and committed to covering operations,
while Dignity Moves is raising an additional $800,000
in private funds. This approach demonstrates how
corporate and philanthropic contributions can close
capital gaps and accelerate project delivery when
paired with public operating commitments.

REVENUE
SOURCE
Surplus Land
Cities may use surplus public land for housing development or dedicate a portion of sale proceeds to a housing trust fund. This tool provides a high degree of local discretion, within state surplus land regulations.

Impact Challenges Jurisdiction
Examples Uses in Practice
Moderate Sale proceeds could
be directed to other
pressing needs,
creating trade-offs
for policymakers.
• Santa Rosa
(CA – Pop. Size:
177k)
• Fullerton (CA
Pop. Size: 139k)
Cities such as Fullerton and Santa Rosa have used
publicly owned or surplus land to advance affordable
housing by making sites available at low or no cost. In Fullerton, the City activated a city-owned parcel at
1600 W. Commonwealth for a 65-unit affordable housing
development by securing site control and partnering
with Meta Housing. In Santa Rosa, the City declared the former Bennett Valley Senior Center site surplus and sold it for $1, using the land value as a subsidy to help finance a 62-unit affordable housing project.
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REVENUE
SOURCE
Fee Reductions
Fee reductions do not raise revenue but lower overall project costs for affordable housing. Many cities reduce or waive fees to improve feasibility for nonprofit or mission-driven developments without committing new ongoing funding.

Impact Challenges Jurisdiction
Examples Uses in Practice
Moderate Reduced fee
revenue may affect
funding available for
parks, transportation,
or civic facilities.
• Palo Alto (CA –
Pop. Size: 67k)
• Fremont (CA –
Pop. Size: 229k)
• Sacramento
(CA – Pop. Size:
525k)
The City of Palo Alto exempts qualifying affordable
projects from parkland, traffic, and other public facility fees, lowering overall development costs.

REVENUE
SOURCE
IFDs, EIFDs, and Other Redevelopment Replacement Options Infrastructure Financing Districts (IFDs), Enhanced IFDs (EIFDs), and similar tools allow cities or counties to invest in infrastructure and community improvements, including housing, by capturing a portion of future property tax growth within a designated area.

Impact Challenges Jurisdiction
Examples Uses in Practice
Varies
depending
on district
size and
structure.

Setting up a district
requires forming
a new entity
and negotiating
tax-sharing
arrangements, and
may reduce revenue
growth for other
taxing agencies.
• West
Sacramento
(CA – Pop. Size:
55k)
• Placentia (CA –
Pop. Size: 53k)
• La Verne (CA –
Pop. Size: 30k)
Cities such as Placentia and La Verne have established
Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts to reinvest future property tax growth into improvements within
designated areas, without creating new taxes or
fees. These districts help cities fund priority public
improvements that support long-term revitalization
around key transit and commercial areas, laying
the groundwork for future private investment and
development activity. By securing a dedicated revenue
stream for multi-year improvements, EIFDs give cities
an additional local tool to strengthen neighborhood
infrastructure and create conditions that can support
broader community development goals.
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As the City of Camarillo expands its housing and
homelessness response, clear organizational
structure and role definition become essential
to implementing the Strategic Plan. This
appendix brings together two closely connected
components:

1. The vision, purpose, and rationale for
establishing a dedicated Housing Division within
the Community Development Department; and

2. The suggested organizational structure for the
City’s homelessness response, including Project
H.O.P.E. and related staffing functions.

Together, these components reflect the City’s
continued transition toward a more coordinated,
proactive, and capacity-aligned system—one that
supports the development of affordable housing,
strengthens local response efforts, and improves
pathways to stability for Camarillo residents.

Housing Division and Purpose
The City of Camarillo currently maintains a
dedicated Housing Team within the Community
Development Department that is organizationally
separate from the Planning Division. The purpose
of this document is to outline the vision, purpose,
and benefits of reclassifying the City’s existing
Housing Team to a standalone Housing Division.

The establishment of a Housing Division with a
stated vision and purpose would support and
further formalize the City’s goals as they relate to
affordable housing.

Appendix 4: Housing &
Homelessness Organizational
Structure, Vision, and Purpose
Vision
To support the development of affordable housing
in Camarillo by facilitating development in line with
the City Council’s goals for the future, expanding
affordable housing opportunities, and partnering
with the City’s homelessness response team to
create pathways to housing for the homeless, all
while helping to improve the overall quality of life
within the City. The Housing Division supports a
vision of the community where thoughtful housing
development facilitates a better quality of life for
all of Camarillo’s current and future residents—so
that all who call our City home can thrive.

Purpose
• Guide housing development to align with the
City’s Council’s vision for the future of the City
• Support affordable housing development
• Provide tools and housing resources to assist
Project Hope in housing Camarillo’s homeless
population
• Ensure the City’s housing stock is adequate to
meet the City’s economic and social needs
Key Benefits of the Proposed Change
• Provides vision and focus for the implementation
of the City’s Affordable Housing and Housing
Element Goals
• Formalizes the current functional and
organizational separation between Housing and
Planning.
• Improves transparency and accountability in
budgeting and performance tracking.
• Enables more effective advocacy for resources
and grants.
• Aligns with best practices and state
expectations for housing administration.
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Homelessness Response Suggested
Organizational Structure
Project H.O.P.E.
• ERF Case Manager to begin Fall 2025.
• Homelessness Initiatives Manager reclassified
from the Senior Management Analyst position
in response to additional homelessness initiative
responsibilities.
• New Mngt Asst. position created.

Community Development
• New Housing Division created within Community
Development Department in response to
additional housing scope.
• Housing Manager reclassified from the Senior
Planner (Housing) position in response to
additional Housing responsibilities.
• New Mngt Asst. position created.
• Supports potential scaling of housing programs
and staffing as mandates increase, especially in
light of recent intensive changes in state housing
law and landscape.
• Clarifies responsibilities and improves intra- and
interdepartmental coordination.
• Reinforces the City’s commitment to addressing
housing needs.
• Supports Community Development Department
long-term professional development
• Expands local capacity
• Provides additional structure to facilitate
affordable housing development
• Supports Project Hope’s efforts in finding housing
for unhoused Camarillo residents
= Reclassified staffing positions
= New staffing positions
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• The proposed order of hiring is indicated by their numbered label. • Homelessness Initiatives Manager is the Senior Management Analyst position adjusted to have full homelessness initiatives responsibilities only.

Appendix 5: Camarillo's
Homelessness Response Team
(Project H.O.P.E.)
= Reclassified staffing positions
= New staffing positions
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Appendix 6: City of Camarillo
Housing & Homelessness
Response Background Report
Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants
March 2025

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Table of Contents
City of Camarillo Homelessness Response System: Background Report ................. 2 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 2 Methodology ............................................................................................................... 2 Existing Conditions ....................................................................................................... 4 Demographics ......................................................................................................... 4 Organizational Structure and Staffing .................................................................. 8 Programs and Investments ................................................................................... 10 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................. 17 Homelessness ......................................................................................................... 17 Housing ................................................................................................................... 23 Homelessness Budget ........................................................................................... 31 Strengths ..................................................................................................................... 33

1. Commitment to Partnerships & Collaboration ............................................... 33

2. Successful Outreach ......................................................................................... 33

3. Infrastructure & Investments ............................................................................. 34

4. Funding Procurement ....................................................................................... 34

5. Political Will & Support ....................................................................................... 34 Opportunities ............................................................................................................. 35

1. Affordable Housing Shortage .......................................................................... 35

2. Financial Sustainability ...................................................................................... 35

3. Prevention and Early Intervention ................................................................... 36

4. Capacity Alignment with Growing Service Needs ........................................ 36

5. Regional Coordination ..................................................................................... 36

6. Fostering Informed Community Engagement ............................................... 37 Homelessness Strategic Planning Activities ............................................................ 38 Stakeholder Feedback ......................................................................................... 38

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City of Camarillo Homelessness Response
System: Background Report
Introduction
In 2024, the City of Camarillo engaged LeSar Development Consultants (LDC) to support the development of a Homelessness Strategic Plan aimed at building a roadmap for how it will address homelessness now and in the future. LDC developed this background report to provide a comprehensive overview of Camarillo’s current homelessness response system, which will be used to inform the development of the forthcoming Homelessness Strategic Plan.1 This background report includes data on demographic and housing trends, analyses of existing programs and services, and feedback gathered through stakeholder interviews, focus groups, community surveys, and a lived experience survey gathered in late 2024 and early 2025.

By compiling and analyzing this information, the report aims to support data- informed planning and decision-making. While challenges exist, the scale of homelessness in Camarillo is such that, with targeted investment, coordination, and sustained attention, meaningful reductions in homelessness are achievable.

Methodology
This report was developed using a combination of quantitative data analysis and qualitative input gathered through community and stakeholder engagement. The goal of this approach was to provide a comprehensive understanding of homelessness in Camarillo and to support the development of a data-informed and community-driven Homelessness Strategic Plan.

Quantitative Data
Several sources of quantitative data were reviewed and analyzed to understand the scope of homelessness in the City of Camarillo and the broader context of housing affordability and need.
• Point in Time (PIT) Count: The Ventura County Continuum of Care (CoC) provided PIT Count data for 2025, offering a snapshot of individuals experiencing homelessness in Camarillo. This included data on sheltered

1 Planned release date is fall 2025.
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and unsheltered individuals. The percent change from 2019 to 2025 was also calculated to understand overall trends.
• Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): HMIS data for people served via the homelessness response system covering 2019 through early 2024 were analyzed to understand trends in homelessness entries and exits, demographic characteristics, chronicity, and service utilization among individuals who self-reported Camarillo as their city of origin. • Housing Data: Housing data were obtained via the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element (2021–2029), CHAS data, RHNA targets, and locally available market data. These data helped assess affordability challenges, gaps in affordable housing supply, and the pipeline of new housing developments.

Community Engagement
The project team conducted a series of engagement activities to gather local perspectives on strengths, gaps, and priorities related to homelessness in Camarillo.
• Community Input Surveys: A public-facing survey was launched on December 6, 2024, and remained open through February 7, 2025. It was promoted through the City’s website, social media, email listservs, CableCast Channel, and other communication platforms. The survey included both multiple-choice and open-ended questions and collected a total of 92 responses. An additional public-facing survey was open through June 2025, which included both multiple-choice and open- ended questions and received 82 responses.
• Lived Experience Survey: Between January 14 and February 11, 2025, members of the Project H.O.P.E. team conducted surveys with individuals currently experiencing homelessness in Camarillo. A total of 40 responses were collected, representing nearly half of those counted in the 2024 PIT Count. The survey asked questions about housing history, health needs, interest in shelter and housing types, and perceptions of the City’s current response.
• Community Input Session: A public session was held on December 5, 2024, at the Camarillo Library, with participation from approximately 50 individuals, including those experiencing homelessness in Camarillo. The 71 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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session included a presentation from City and County staff, followed by facilitated small-group discussions on key topics such as interim housing, outreach services, prevention, and supportive services. Notes were collected and incorporated into this report.
• Focus Groups and Interviews: Nearly 50 individuals participated in targeted focus groups and interviews conducted in January and February 2025. Participants included City staff, County partners, local service providers, members of the business community, faith-based organizations, and elected and appointed officials. These conversations focused on identifying system strengths, challenges, and recommendations for improvement.

Data Review and Synthesis
Feedback and data from all sources were reviewed and analyzed to identify common themes and trends. Where possible, input from lived experience and community members was cross-referenced with administrative data to identify areas of alignment or difference. This comprehensive approach ensured that the findings reflect both the lived experiences of residents and the broader system dynamics.

Existing Conditions
Demographics
The City of Camarillo has a population of more than 70,000 residents and 26,000 households. The median household in Camarillo earns about $109,000 per year, but this income varies widely by race/ethnicity. This section provides an The Homelessness Strategic Planning team was made up of the following departments and/or roles:
• City of Camarillo’s Project H.O.P .E. Team
• City of Camarillo’s Community Relations Division
• City of Camarillo’s Community Development Department
• City of Camarillo’s Public Works Department
• City of Camarillo’s City Manager’s OHice
• Lived Experience Advisors from the City of Camarillo
• Ventura County SheriH’s OHice
• LeSar Development Consultants’ Homelessness Solutions Team 72 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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overview of the City’s basic demographic information, including its housing costs, racial/ethnic composition, and income.

While Camarillo’s overall population is expected to decline slightly in the coming decades, the number of households in Camarillo is expected to grow by about 13% by 2050. This indicates a general trend toward more households that are smaller, implying the need for housing typologies that meet this specific need (e.g. apartments, condos, etc.). The graph below shows the current and future projection of population and households in Camarillo.

Figure 1. Camarillo Current and Future Projected Population and Households2, 3

The table below shows that the majority of Camarillo’s households are homeowners, with more than three-fifths owning their home.

Table 1. Camarillo Households by Tenure4
Homeowner households 16,801 64%
Renter households 9,267 36%

2 U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates: 2019-2023, Table DP05 3 Southern California Association of Governments. (2016). 2016-2040 RTP/SCS Final Growth Forecast. https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-
attachments/2016_2040rtpscs_finalgrowthforecastbyjurisdiction.pdf?1605576071 4 U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates: 2019-2023, Table DP04. -
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
2022 2050 (projection)
Total population Total household
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Among the City’s more than 9,000 renter households, however, more than 50% are considered cost burdened, meaning they are spending more than 30% of their income on rent. Nearly a fourth of all renters are severely cost burdened, meaning they are spending more than 50% of their income on rent.5 The high rates of cost burden and severe cost burden in Camarillo are primarily because of the high cost of housing and shortage of affordable rental housing, detailed in a later section.

Table 2. Renter Cost Burden in Camarillo6
Total Number of Cost Burdened Renter Households 4,735
Percent of Renter Households that are Cost Burdened 52% Total Number of Severely Cost Burdened Renter
Households
2,215
Percent of Renter Households that are Severely Cost
Burdened
24%

The following table provides an overview of Camarillo’s race/ethnicity data and associated income disparities. Those that identify as Hispanic had the lowest average per capita income (with less than half the average per capita income compared to other groups) yet represent a third of Camarillo’s population. Such disparities impact the ability of these households to afford housing in Camarillo and remain housed.

5 United States Census Bureau. (2024). Nearly Half Renter Households are Cost-Burdened, Proportions Differ by Race. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/renter-households-cost-burdened- race.html
6 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2024). Consolidated Planning/CHAS Data: 2017- 2021. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/cp.html
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Table 3. Population and Average Income by Race/Ethnicity in Camarillo7

RACE/ ETHNICITY

CATEGORY

NUMBER OF

RESIDENTS

PERCENT OF

POPULATION
AVG. PER CAPITA
INCOME
RACE
White non-Hispanic 35,301 50% $66,595
Hispanic 21,646 31% $32,974
Black 3,900 6% $63,593
Asian 9,610 14% $76,358
Other or Multiple
Races
14,391 20% $34,461

ETHNICITY
Hispanic or Latino 21,646 31% $32,974
TOTAL POPULATION 70,244 N/A8 $56,144

The City’s typical home value is about $895,000, and the average rent for a 1- bedroom apartment is $2,379 per month. For a household of low wage workers, this has made buying a home extremely difficult and requires nearly three full- time minimum wage workers to afford renting the average-priced 1-bedroom apartment. The following table provides an overview of housing costs, the income needed to afford those costs, and the number of full-time minimum wage workers needed to afford these costs.

7 Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates: 2018-2022, Tables DP05 and S1902. Note that people can identify as Hispanic as well as any of the racial groups; therefore, the number of residents adds up to more than the total in the City, and the percents add up to more than 100%. 8 Note: Race and ethnicity are reported as separate identifications. For example, individuals identifying as Hispanic or Latino may also identify as White, Black, Asian, or another race. Categories are not mutually exclusive, resulting in totals that exceed 100%. “Other or Multiple Races” includes individuals identifying with more than one race or with a category not shown separately. Additional race and ethnicity categories were excluded from this table due to small population sizes, and the categories presented were selected based on their relative significance in the local population. 75 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Table 4. Housing Cost by Type in Camarillo
HOUSING TYPE HOUSING COST9

INCOME NEEDED TO
AFFORD10

NUMBER OF FULL-

TIME MINIMUM

WAGE WORKERS

NEEDED TO
AFFORD11
For-sale home $894,782 $217,440 6.3
Studio apartment $1,991 $79,640 2.3
1-bed apartment $2,379 $95,160 2.8
2-bed apartment $2,814 $112,560 3.3
3-bed apartment $3,847 $153,880 4.5

Most households who make minimum wage or are cost-burdened find themselves precariously housed; despite having the necessary employment, they are weighed down by housing costs that make affording other basic necessities like food, healthcare, etc. difficult to prioritize. This traps people in a cycle of housing instability and poverty, increasing their risk of homelessness.

Organizational Structure and Staffing
The City of Camarillo’s homelessness response is led via a coordinated structure that includes City staff and key County partners. The central team responsible for direct outreach and engagement is Project H.O.P.E., a multi-agency effort that began in 2013.

Project H.O.P.E. is led by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office (which provides the City of Camarillo law enforcement services on a contract basis) and is designed to provide outreach and connections to services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The team includes:
• Senior Deputy through County Sheriff’s Office: provides safety and security to outreach teams in the field
• Community Services Coordinator through Ventura County Behavioral Health: connects individuals experiencing homelessness to mental health services and supports

9 For-sale home cost is based on the Zillow Home Value Index for Camarillo, November 2024, and the rent prices are based on average rents from Apartments.com, December 2024. 10 The income needed is based on rent being 30% of household income, and homeownership costs being 35% of income, with the monthly cost based on the monthly mortgage with a 20% down payment, 7% interest rate, and includes property tax and insurance cost. 11 This assumes a $16.50/hour minimum wage, working 2080 hours per year. 76 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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• Community Services Coordinator through Whole Person Care: provides case management, especially to those enrolled in the motel voucher program
• Senior Management Analyst through the City Manager’s Office: serves as the City liaison and focuses on administrative tasks, such as grants and contract management, building partnerships, etc.
• Intern I through City Manager’s Office: supports the Project H.O.P.E. team in the field and with administrative tasks
The role of Project H.O.P.E. is to assess individuals’ needs, particularly behavioral and physical health, and to coordinate with other agencies to support service access and potential interim and permanent housing placements. The team also responds to concerns from local residents and businesses.

On the City side, homelessness coordination is managed by a Senior Management Analyst, who serves both as the primary point of contact for Project H.O.P.E. and supports local planning and program alignment. Additional staff in the Community Development Department contribute through work related to affordable housing development, code compliance, and land use planning. These staff do not work full-time on homelessness but contribute in areas relevant to housing and neighborhood stability. All City staff involved in homelessness response report to the City Manager’s Office, which provides internal coordination across departments.

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Figure 2. City and County Organizational Structure and Staffing, 2025

Programs and Investments
Housing Element
The City of Camarillo conducts a wide range of activities to address the housing needs of its population, particularly of those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This section includes an overview of the key elements of the City’s approach to housing, particularly as described in the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element.

The City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element update to its General Plan covers the planning period of 2021 to 2029. The plan was adopted and ultimately accepted by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development in April 2023. This plan includes numerous goals, policies, and programs and implements the legal requirement for the City to plan for the development of specific units affordable to very low-income and low-income households over an eight-year period.

The Housing Element has three goals and three policies which collectively address the City’s overall approach to housing.

Goal 1: Protect the qualities that have created a highly desirable living environment in the City.

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Goal 2: Encourage the availability of a variety of housing designs, tenures, and prices to meet the needs of present and future City residents.

Goal 3: Ensure that the quality of residential development is adequate to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of all City residents, and promote housing opportunities for all households.

Policy 1: Preserve the high quality of the City's existing housing stock and residential environment.

Policy 2: Meet the City's local housing needs commensurate with its fair share of regional needs, including housing that is affordable to all income groups, to the maximum feasible extent.

Policy 3: Promote accessibility to housing opportunities by all households, regardless of income, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, familial status, disabilities/medical conditions, source of income, sexual orientation, or any other classes protected by local, state, and federal fair housing laws.

While the Housing Element’s three goals and three policies have some connection to homelessness, some are more directly related to supporting the housing needs of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Specifically, Goals 2 and 3 relate more to the need for more affordable housing. In addition, Policies 2 and 3 relate to following a legal obligation related to housing: Policy 2 indicates a commitment to ensure enough land is zoned for affordable housing, and Policy 3 indicates a commitment to follow Fair Housing laws and principles.

To achieve these goals and implement these policies, the Housing Element has a set of 21 policies, some of which directly address housing needs for people experiencing and at risk of homelessness. A full description of the Housing Element’s goals and implementation actions is detailed on pages 7-110 through 7-135. Of the plan’s 21 programs, 17 address the housing needs of people experiencing and at risk of homelessness to some degree. Generally, these programs address these housing needs by a) Producing more affordable housing, b) Preserving existing affordable housing, c) Helping stabilize low- income households, especially renters.

The table below is a full list of the 17 programs considered to address the housing needs of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, which 79 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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category of outcomes it is considered to be in, and more detail about how it addresses these housing needs.

Table 5. Housing Element Programs

HOUSING

ELEMENT

PROGRAM CATEGORY HOW IT ADDRESSES HOMELESS HOUSING NEEDS

1. Density
Bonus and
Other
Incentives for
Affordable
Housing
Produce Existing City policy provides state-required density bonuses for housing developments that include
affordable units. In mixed income developments, the
City also requires a wide range of other requirements
to ensure affordable units are similar to market rate
units. This program ensures new affordable housing
that is created as part of market rate developments
is well-suited for the lower-income households they
serve.

2. Affordable
Housing Bonus
Points Under
Residential
Development
Control System
Produce State law preempts the current City Code that limits residential development. This will ensure housing
development can occur, especially for households
experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

4. Affirmatively
Furthering Fair
Housing
Produce,
Preserve,
Stabilize
The Housing Element’s AFFH analysis identifies
important Fair Housing Issues and Meaningful Actions
the City can undertake to overcome those issues.

Specific to addressing the needs of people
experiencing or at risk of homelessness, this includes
actions to encourage more housing options, to
promote housing rehabilitation, to prevent housing
discrimination, all with an emphasis on how these
steps can impact lower-income households, who are
at greater risk of experiencing homelessness.

5. Nonprofit
Housing
Organizations
Produce,
Preserve
The City will support nonprofits that produce and
preserve affordable housing by potentially assisting in funding applications and other efforts to increase
the amount of affordable housing.

7. Affordable
Housing
Preservation
(Ownership
Units)
Preserve Maintain City’s stock of owner-occupied affordable housing by ensuring when such units are sold, they
remain affordable, which ensures these units remain
available to lower-income households.

8. Housing
Choice
Vouchers
Payment
Standards
Stabilize By supporting efforts to petition for increases in Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, the
City can help stabilize lower-income renters who
receive the subsidy.
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9. Inclusionary
Housing
Produce The City Council has a long-standing Inclusionary Housing policy and is committed to maintaining it,
ensuring many new housing developments include a
share of affordable units.

10. Adequate
Sites
Produce The City is committed to ensuring land is available for the development of more housing for lower-income
households.

11. Design
Flexibility
Produce The City allows changes to development standards as an incentive available for housing for lower-
income households, which helps increase project
feasibility and thus increase the number of such
homes being built.

12. Housing
Rehabilitation
Assistance
Preserve,
Stabilize
The City committed to a goal of funding
rehabilitation of six aging homes per year. This will
ensure homes owned by lower-income households
are well-maintained and the residents can remain
stably housed.

13. Seek Grant
Funding to
Support
Affordable
Housing
Activities
Produce,
Preserve,
Stabilize
The City is committed to pursuing available grant
funding to support housing activities, including
accessing entitlement funds.

14. First Time
Homebuyer
Down Payment
Assistance
Loans
Stabilize This program supports lower-income, moderate- income and some above-moderate earning
households to purchase homes, helping these
households attain greater long-term stability.

16. Zoning
Ordinance
Amendments
Produce The City is committed to revising its zoning ordinance to ensure compliance with state laws. This will ensure
housing options are able to increase.

17. Homeless
Strategic Plan
Produce,
Stabilize
The Housing Element committed to this process of
developing a Strategic Plan for providing
emergency and transitional housing for people
experiencing homelessness in Camarillo, which will
help increase the availability of such housing and
stabilize the existing population of people
experiencing homelessness.

18. City-
Initiated
Affordable
Housing
Projects
Produce The City has initiated two affordable housing
developments, each of which include homes for
very low-income households, and is committed to
identifying future opportunities to do so. This program will increase the availability of affordable housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

20. Affordable
Housing
Preserve The City will work with housing nonprofits to prevent at-risk affordable housing from converting to market
rate. This can help ensure the City’s existing supply of 81 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Preservation
(Rental Units)
affordable housing does not drop, and thus continue
to serve households at risk or experiencing
homelessness.

21. By-Right
Affordable
Housing
Projects
Produce Several sites in the city are designated for by-right development at threshold densities, provided 20% of
the proposed units are affordable to lower-income
households. This will encourage those sites to include
homes for households more likely to experience
homelessness.

Homelessness Programs
In addition to efforts outlined in the Housing Element, the City of Camarillo implements several programs aimed at addressing the needs of individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These programs are primarily focused on providing short-term shelter, facilitating service connection, and supporting coordination among local and county agencies.

Camarillo Motel Voucher Program
Funded through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant, this program provides short-term motel stays for individuals experiencing homelessness. In addition to funding motel vouchers, the program includes:
- A mitigation fund to cover potential property damages - Funding for Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) licenses - One full-time Community Services Worker based at the Ventura County Health Care Agency
In total, the program served 31 individuals, with two entering transitional housing and 15 securing permanent housing. At the time of writing, the project had 11 active clients, with six scheduled to transition to permanent housing spring of 2025. It functions as a short-term intervention to provide temporary shelter while individuals are connected to additional services. Services include targeted case management, referrals, healthcare and behavioral health connections, and additional assistance to reduce barriers to housing.

Project H.O.P.E.

Project H.O.P.E. is a collaborative initiative led by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, operating through the Camarillo Police Department. The program assigns a Deputy to engage with individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The team also includes:
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- A full-time Community Services Coordinator from Ventura County Behavioral Health
- City of Camarillo staff
- A full-time Community Services Coordinator from Ventura County Health Care Agency – Whole Person Care
The team conducts outreach, identifies service needs, including mental and physical health, and coordinates with relevant agencies to support housing placement and service access. The program also responds to community concerns related to homelessness through outreach, coordination, and, when necessary, enforcement.

Camarillo’s homelessness response is supported by a multi-layered infrastructure involving the City Council, Ventura County agencies, and local service providers. The City Council has prioritized funding and program development, including support for Project H.O.P.E. and the motel voucher program. Ventura County contributes behavioral health services, case management, and law enforcement support through the Sheriff’s Department. Local service providers— such as Rain Communities, Interface Children and Family Services, Food Share, and St. Vincent de Paul—offer a range of services including outreach, motel assistance, food distribution, and case management. City departments, including Community Development and Code Compliance, play a coordinating role in connecting individuals to services, managing public health and safety concerns, and supporting affordable housing development.

Encampment Resolution: Pleasant Valley Road & Calle San Pablo In 2024, the City of Camarillo applied and was granted Encampment Resolution Funds (ERF) through the State Department of Housing and Community Development to address a well-known encampment along the 2000 block of Pleasant Valley Road and Calle San Pablo. These funds will be utilized for long term strategies to address housing stability, including outreach and engagement, interim housing, and permanent, affordable housing strategies.

Outreach & Engagement: Up to 29 individuals within the identified geographic area will be engaged with a dedicated case manager and provided targeted referrals, healthcare and behavioral health connections, and ongoing assistance to help address the residents’ housing barriers. This dedicated case manager will work with the existing Project H.O.P.E. team to ensure a seemly transition through interim and into permanent housing.
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Interim Housing: A key component of this program is the provision of interim housing through motel vouchers, providing an immediate housing placement for people currently living unsheltered and allowing for quick stabilization. During their stay in interim housing, participants will be required to engage with Project H.O.P.E. to receive case management and access wraparound services.

Affordable Housing Construction: To facilitate long-term housing solutions, this program will support the development of nine affordable housing units on a vacant city-owned lot at 264 Arneill Rd. Additional space will be included for Project H.O.P.E. and other service providers to meet participants 1-on-1 on site.

The City will retain full ownership of the project and property.

Barry Street Temporary Homes
In 2023, the City purchased a tax default property at 2361 Barry Street for the use of affordable housing. In 2024, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was released for the construction and/or installation of six self-contained units. After selecting the applicant drafted plans for the units to be manufactured off-site and delivered fully assembled to site. All units will be equipped with an efficiency kitchen and sanitary facilities, with five measuring at 120 square feet and 1 measuring at 180 square feet and meeting ADA compliance. Supportive services will be provided to the residents by Project H.O.P.E. staff with intensive case management, financial counseling, and housing navigation services. These temporary homes will serve as short- to medium-term housing options as a throughput to permanent housing. The initial installation of the temporary homes is expected in mid-2026.

Rapid Rehousing
Using Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds through the CoC, the City is increasing their capacity to serve single adults experiencing unsheltered homelessness in a low barrier, Housing First rapid rehousing program. To ensure the program is low barrier, the only program qualifications for entry are that the participants actively seek permanent housing and that they demonstrate financial need. To move participants into permanent housing rapidly, financial assistance will be provided for:
• Rental application fees
• Security deposits
• Landlord incentives
• Emergency rental assistance
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The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce returns to homelessness through sustained, individualized support.

Data Analysis
This section presents a high-level overview of key data sources and findings related to homelessness and housing in the City of Camarillo. On the homelessness side, this analysis draws from the 2024 Point in Time (PIT) Count and data from the Ventura County Continuum of Care’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) covering the years 2019 to 2024. On the housing side, this analysis includes data from the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), the City’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), current affordable housing stock and pipeline developments, and budget data.

Together, these data points help to build a picture of the scope of housing need in Camarillo, the characteristics of the homeless population, and the City’s current resources.

Homelessness
Point in Time Count
Like many jurisdictions across the United States, the City of Camarillo has seen a marked increase in homelessness over the last five years. From 2020 to 2025, the number of people experiencing homelessness on any given night rose by 200%, including a 450% increase in sheltered homelessness and a 182% increase in unsheltered homelessness. By comparison, Ventura County as a whole experienced a 14% increase during the same period, showing that Camarillo’s rate of growth has been substantially higher.

More recently, this trend has begun to stabilize. From 2024 to 2025, the overall count increased by only 1%, suggesting that the City’s expanded efforts are beginning to have an impact.

According to the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, 90 individuals were identified as experiencing homelessness in Camarillo, with 88% (79 individuals) living unsheltered. PIT data reflects a one-night snapshot, and while it does not capture the full scale of homelessness over time, it provides an important measure of progress.

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Table 6. 2025 Point in Time Count

LOCATION SHELTERED UNSHELTERED TOTAL
City of Camarillo 11 12% 79 88% 90
County of Ventura 716 36% 1,274 64% 1,990

Camarillo’s homeless population represents about 5% of the Ventura County total. While smaller in scale than the County overall, the City’s numbers remain significant and call for continued investment in solutions.

Table 7. Point in Time Count: 5 Year Trend (2020 to 2025)

SHELTERED UNSHELTERED TOTAL
2020 2025 %
Change
2020 2025 %
Change
%
Change
City of
Camarillo
2 11 +450% 28 79 +182% +200%
County of
Ventura
478 716 +50% 1,265 1,274 +7% +14%

Taken together, the data shows that homelessness in Camarillo, particularly unsheltered homelessness, has grown sharply since 2020, even as the pace of growth has slowed in the past year. These trends highlight both the progress of recent efforts and the need to further scale up investments in affordable housing, prevention, interim housing, and supportive services to sustain momentum and reduce future increases.

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
The following data were obtained from Ventura County’s CoC Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) based on those experiencing homelessness who self-reported the City of Camarillo as their city of origin. These data are unduplicated, meaning that each client is represented only once, regardless of repeated entries into or exits from the homelessness response system. An entry refers to the point at which an individual begins participation in a homelessness program, such as outreach, shelter, or housing, while an exit marks the end of that program enrollment. Exits can result in a range of outcomes, including positive housing destinations (such as permanent housing or reunification with family), negative outcomes (such as returning to homelessness, leaving services without securing housing, or disengaging from the system), or other outcomes where data are insufficient to verify the result. 86 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Table 8. HMIS Entries/Exits by Year

YEAR ENTRIES EXITS
2019 113 63
2020 136 128
2021 89 81
2022 170 139
2023 186 106
2024 161 76
TOTAL 694 593

As shown above, from 2019 to 2024 there have been more entries into the homelessness response system than exits. This signals that more people are becoming homeless than those who are resolving their homelessness. Without increased investments in homelessness prevention and affordable housing supply, the imbalance between entries and exits will likely lead to continued increases in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the City of Camarillo.

Table 9. HMIS Demographics for People Experiencing Homelessness Accessing Services: Gender
*1 entry was left blank
Unlike many other communities, the City of Camarillo has a notably high proportion of individuals experiencing homelessness accessing services who identify as female—approximately 59% of all individuals reflected in HMIS data from 2019 to 2023. This gender distribution highlights the importance of tailoring services—such as outreach, interim housing, and permanent housing —to better meet the specific needs of women, including those who may be mothers or part of family units. In addition, as the City works to shape public discourse around homelessness, emphasizing the high percentage of women accessing services could help shift perceptions on needs.

YEAR FEMALE MALE TRANSGENDER NON-BINARY TOTAL
2019 69 44 0 0 113
2020 78 58 0 0 136
2021 49 39 0 0 88
2022 106 61 1 2 170
2023 104 81 1 0 186
TOTAL 406 283 2 2 693
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Table 10. HMIS Demographics for People Experiencing Homelessness Accessing Services: Race

Black/ African American individuals make up 8.8% of those accessing services from Camarillo’s homelessness response system, compared to just 3.5% of the City’s general population.12 This overrepresentation reflects a broader trend seen across California, where Black residents are disproportionately impacted by homelessness due to a variety of factors.

12 United States Census Bureau. (2024). Quick Facts: Camarillo City, CA. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/camarillocitycalifornia/PST045224

YEAR WHITE
BLACK,

AFRICAN

AMERICAN,

OR AFRICAN

ASIAN OR
ASIAN

AMERICAN

INDIAN,
ALASKA

NATIVE, OR

INDIGENOUS
NATIVE

HAWAIIAN
OR

PACIFIC

ISLANDER
(RACE) NOT

COLLECTED/
BLANK/

DOESN'T
KNOW/

REFUSED TOTAL
2019 93 14 2 1 0 3 113
2020 109 15 3 4 0 5 136
2021 78 3 2 2 2 2 89
2022 140 20 4 2 1 3 170
2023 145 9 3 1 1 27 186
TOTAL 565 61 14 10 4 40 694
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Table 11. HMIS Demographics for People Experiencing Homelessness Accessing Services: Ethnicity

Hispanic/ Latino individuals represent 41.9% of those accessing services from Camarillo’s homelessness response system, compared to 30.8% of the general population.12 This overrepresentation is likely due, in part, to the relatively low salaries and rental cost burden as shared above and highlights the need for services to be culturally responsive and tailored to meet the needs of Hispanic/ Latino households, including ensuring access to services for Spanish-speaking individuals.

Table 12. HMIS Demographics for People Experiencing Homelessness Accessing Services: Chronicity

YEAR HISPANIC/LATIN(A)(O)(X)
NON-

HISPANIC/NON-

LATIN(A)(O)(X)

DATA NOT

COLLECTED/

CLIENT REFUSED/

BLANK/ CLIENT

DIDN'T KNOW TOTAL
2019 54 58 1 113
2020 57 78 1 136
2021 41 47 1 89
2022 69 93 8 170
2023 70 84 32 186
TOTAL 291 360 43 694
YEAR
ONE
MONTH
(THIS IS THE
FIRST
MONTH)
2-6
MONTHS
7-12
MONTHS
MORE
THAN 12
MONTHS

UNKNOWN/
NOT

COLLECTED/

PREFERRED
NOT TO

ANSWER TOTAL
2019 17 5 4 21 66 113
2020 12 25 7 22 70 136
2021 15 18 3 18 35 89
2022 29 21 11 24 85 170
2023 32 19 14 49 72 186
TOTAL 105 88 39 134 328 694
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Nineteen percent (19%) of individuals accessing services from Camarillo’s homelessness response system have been experiencing homelessness for more than 12 months, indicating a likely need for long-term supportive solutions such as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). At the same time, 15% of those enrolled in services are newly homeless—reporting their first month of homelessness — suggesting this group may be more easily connected to services and rapidly rehoused. These differences in chronicity highlight the importance of having a flexible and adaptive system that can respond to a wide range of needs, from early intervention and prevention to long-term housing with supportive services.

Table 13. HMIS Demographics for People Experiencing Homelessness Accessing Services: Veteran & Disability Status

YEAR VETERAN DISABILITY
2019 8 33
2020 10 57
2021 7 33
2022 20 70
2023 14 67
TOTAL 59 260

The City of Camarillo has a number of individuals experiencing homelessness who formerly served in active duty in the US military (8.5%), making them potentially eligible for targeted support through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, including housing programs such as Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) or HUD-VASH. In addition, a significant portion of those served by homeless programs report having a disability (37%), indicating a likely need for longer-term supportive housing interventions, such as PSH, to ensure housing stability and successful outcomes.

Table 14. HMIS Exit Outcomes by Year

YEAR

POSITIVE
EXITS

NEGATIVE

EXITS OTHER TOTAL
2019 24 2 37 63
2020 60 6 62 128
2021 44 9 28 81
2022 80 16 43 139
2023 68 7 31 106
2024 49* 3 24 76
TOTAL 325 43 225 593
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In 2024, HMIS recorded a total of 76 exits from the homelessness response system. Outcome data were verifiable for 50 of these exits: 49 were positive, meaning the individual completed a program or moved into housing, and one was due to death. The remaining exits were categorized as negative or other, where the outcome could not be confirmed as a positive housing placement.

This aligns with the inflows/outflows analysis above, which highlights the importance of strengthening data quality to more clearly distinguish between positive and negative exits and to better understand how individuals are moving through or leaving the system.

Between 2019 and 2024 overall, 55% of clients with exit data had a positive outcome, 7% had a negative outcome, and 38% fell into other or unverifiable categories. Strengthening how exits are defined and tracked would provide the City and County with better insight into system performance and programmatic needs.

Housing
Housing Needs
The City of Camarillo has significant affordable housing needs. Quantifying housing needs can be done through various means, with this analysis focusing on two means: first, quantifying the City’s number of households most vulnerable to experiencing homelessness, and second, relying on the City’s remaining Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).

To determine a realistic estimate of the gap in available, affordable housing to households most vulnerable to experiencing homelessness, this analysis focuses on the number of cost burdened renter households. Cost burdened households are particularly vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. Cost burdened is defined as a household spending more than 30% of its gross income on housing costs; severely cost burdened refers to a household spending more than 50% of its gross income on housing. Research shows that when a household spends more than roughly 30% of its gross income on housing costs, its likelihood of experiencing homelessness increases significantly. Very low- and extremely low- income households are in an especially precarious state, as these households have less income and savings to weather a financial shock such as job loss, health emergency, major car repair, etc.

Renter households are also a focus of this analysis because of the more unstable tenure that comes with renting housing. There are various measures in place to 91 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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help homeowners remain in their homes, most significantly the stability in housing cost; most homeowners with a mortgage pay a fixed monthly rate, and California’s Proposition 13 requires a homeowner’s annual property taxes to increase no more than 2%. With a fixed-price mortgage and only a 2% increase in property taxes, homeowners’ housing costs remain stable over time. Renters on the other hand can experience more drastic changes to their housing costs.

Renter households can not only be forced to move from their home as a result of missed rent payments, but other factors outside of their control, such as the property owner deciding to renovate the property or move into the unit themselves, can also force a renter household out of their home and into homelessness.

As noted, extremely low- and very low-income renter households are in the most precarious state and likely to experience homelessness. As shown in the graph below, these two income groups experience the highest rates of cost burden, with upwards of 75% of these households spending more than 30% of their income on rent. Moreover, upwards of 60% of extremely low-income and very low-income households are spending more than 50% of their income on rent.

Figure 3. Renter Household Cost Burden by Income Level13

To better understand the connection between housing affordability and homelessness, this analysis looks at the number of extremely low- and very low- income renter households who are cost burdened. Households in these categories, particularly those spending more than half of their income on rent,

13 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2024). Consolidated Planning/CHAS Data: 2017- 2021. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/cp.html
76%
83%
75%
52%
67%
62%
17%
24%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Extremely Low Income Very Low Income Low Income All Income Levels % Cost Burdened % Severely Cost Burdened
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are at the highest risk of housing instability and potential homelessness. The table below provides an estimate of renter households in Camarillo experiencing these cost burdens, illustrating the scale of vulnerability among renters most at risk.

Table 15. Estimated Cost-Burdened Renter Households (ELI and VLI) Extremely Low-Income Renter Households Experiencing Cost Burden 1,205 Very Low-Income Renter Households Experiencing Cost Burden 1,110 Total Cost-Burdened ELI and VLI Renter Households 2,315

Among the most important ways of understanding local housing needs is through the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), particularly the share that is affordable to very low-income households (which includes extremely low- income households). RHNA establishes the number of homes a city must plan for over an 8-year cycle—in Camarillo’s case, from 2021 to 2029.

The City of Camarillo is working, through the implementation of its Housing Element, to meet its RHNA planning obligations. Progress is tracked annually, and to date, the City has permitted a portion of the homes in the income categories most closely tied to housing affordability and homelessness risk. The dashboard below illustrates this progress.

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Figure 4. Camarillo Regional Housing Needs Allocation Progress through 202314

As is the case in many communities, Camarillo’s RHNA for extremely low- and very low-income households is lower than the number of renter households in these income groups who are cost burdened. It should be noted that Figure 4 and the accompanying data reflect 2023 conditions and may not fully represent the City’s current housing progress, particularly for above moderate-income units, where more recent development has outpaced what is shown here. While RHNA represents a legal planning requirement, the data also provide important context for understanding the broader scale of housing affordability challenges facing the City’s most vulnerable households.

Affordable Rental Housing
This section reviews Camarillo’s current inventory of affordable housing along with its pipeline of new affordable developments.

Camarillo has the following deed-restricted affordable rental housing.

14 California Department of Housing and Community Development. (2024). Housing Element Implementation and APR Dashboard. www.hcd.ca.gov/planning-and-community-development/housing-element- implementation-and-apr-dashboard

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Table 16. Deed Restricted Affordable Rental Housing

PROJECT ADDRESS UNIT TYPE
YEAR
BUILT
TOTAL

AFFORDABLE
UNITS

AFFORDABILITY

PERIOD ENDS
Avalon - Mission
Oaks*
Corte Bocina Unknown 2000 32 2021
Ponderosa Village Ponderosa Drive Seniors 1977 91 2029
Park Glenn Glenn Drive Non-
Targeted
1999 150 2029
Bradford
Apartments
Calle La Sombra Non-
Targeted
1971 26 2031
Hillary Ling (2088
Restaurant Bldg.)
Ventura
Boulevard
Unknown 2004 1 2034
Avalon - Camarillo Flynn Road Unknown 2006 37 2038
Courtyards (Village
at the Park)
Westpark Court Large
Family
2008 33 2038
AMLI Spanish Hills Spring Oak
Road
Unknown 2014 75 2044
Adagio Stonegate Road Work
Force/Fami
ly
2016 60 2046
Andorra Mike Loza Drive Unknown 2018 24 2048
Springville Seniors Camino Tierra
Santa
Seniors 2019 103 2049
Mira Vista Village Ponderosa Drive Seniors 1990 305 2061 Meadowbrook Calle La Roda
Drive
Large
Family
2008 13 2071
Park Glenn Seniors Holly Seniors 1999 18 2083
Casa Velasquez Barry Street Large
Family
1994 13 2117
Casas De Sueno Raemer Street Large
Family
2000 10 2117
Raemere Street
Duplex
Raemere Street Unknown 1953 2 NA
Ellis Terrace Temple Avenue Family 1990 27 NA
Total Affordable Rental Housing Units 988
(*) = Property that lost its affordability restrictions.

Source: Camarillo’s Housing Element, 2021-2029.

These 18 deed-restricted developments together contain 1,020 affordable rental homes. However, since 2021, when these units were provided in Camarillo’s Housing Element, one development and 32 units lost their affordability 95 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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restrictions. The 17-remaining deed-restricted developments together contain 988 affordable rental homes. These units constitute nearly 4% of Camarillo’s total occupied housing stock of 24,797 units, and nearly 12% of Camarillo’s total renter occupied housing stock of 8,270 units.15
Among the City’s stock of affordable rental housing, about 27%, or 268 units are at risk of losing their affordability restrictions, meaning their affordability covenant is set to expire within the next 10 years. Some are at even higher risk— 241 units have restrictions set to expire within five years.

Pipeline of Interim and Affordable Housing
To eventually add to this stock, Camarillo has entitled the following housing developments. A subset of these projects includes units affordable to very low- or low-income households.

Table 17. Housing Development Pipeline

PROJECT LOCATION

PROJECT
APN(S)
UNITS
LI OR
VLI
MOD OR
ABOVE

MOD TOTAL
Vista
Campanario
Barry Street
(Former Stockyard
Lumber Site)
162-0-023-030 67 1 68
Camino Ruiz, LLC Camino Ruiz and
Verdugo Way 160-0-093-195 20 365 385
City (Arneill
Mixed-Use) Arneill Road
162-0-012-210,
-280, -290, -
300, -310
9 0 9
Camarillo Village
Homes, LLC
Pleasant Valley
and Lewis Road 229-0-070-240 3 21 24
Palmera
(Camarillo
Pleasant Valley
and Lewis Road 229-0-070-240 0 285 285

15 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates: 2018-2022. https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP04?g=040XX00US06_160XX00US0610046&tid=ACSDP5Y20

23.DP04
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PROJECT LOCATION

PROJECT
APN(S)
UNITS
LI OR
VLI
MOD OR
ABOVE

MOD TOTAL
Village Homes,
LLC)
Shea Homes Somis Road/
Upland Road
163-0-017-275
and -185 0 281 281
Lennar Homes US 101 and
Springville Drive 157-0-020-210 0 159 159
Total Units 99 1,112 1,211
Sources: Camarillo’s Housing Element, 2021-2029; City of Camarillo Development Activity Report, December 2024 & April 2020. *After the development of this report, 60 units of the Vista Campanario and all 281 units of the Shea Homes have been constructed.

The City’s residential housing pipeline includes projects totaling over 1,200 units, with a portion designated as affordable to low- or very low-income households.

The largest share of low-income housing is provided by Vista Campanario, the 68-unit infill development on Barry Street, which includes 60 rental units and 8 for- sale townhouses for families and disabled households. Of the 60 rental units, 15 units or 25% were set aside for those with incomes at or below 30% of the AMI.16 Interim Housing
Interim housing, an umbrella term for various temporary housing typologies, is another element of the City’s stock of housing resources for people experiencing homelessness. While interim housing is a key aspect of the homelessness response system, it is not intended to replace permanent housing solutions. Rather, it serves as a temporary placement until permanent housing can be acquired. The County of Ventura partnered with Casa Pacifica to recently renovate three of its residential cottages in Camarillo through the State’s Homekey program. This, in turn, created 27 units for transition-aged youth, including extensive on-site services.17

16 An income level at or below 30% of the area median income (AMI) is often used as a qualifying criteria for permanent supportive housing units.
17 For this project, transition-aged youth is defined as young adults 18-25 who are former foster youth, probation youth, or youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 97 HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
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Table 18. Transition-Aged Youth Interim Housing

PROJECT

NAME ORGANIZATION

PROJECT

ADDRESS
ROOM
S
TARGET

POPULATION
Casa Pacifica
(Stepping
Stones)
Casa Pacifica
Centers for
Children & Families
Lewis Road 27 Transition-
Aged Youth

The County of Ventura had also been working with RAIN Communities to provide the RAIN Transitional Living Center (TLC), which included 22 rooms for families and singles in Camarillo. In April 2024, however, the County changed its service model to a bridge housing model and will be placing homeless families in motels and scattered site leased apartments, instead of at the RAIN TLC, which is now permanently closed.

Mobile Homes
Finally, it is important to assess the inventory of mobile homes in Camarillo.

Mobile homes are an important housing typology to analyze because, even when not deed restricted as affordable housing, mobile homes tend to be more affordable to lower-income households. Camarillo’s inventory of 1,020 mobile homes accounts for over 4% of occupied homes in the City. The mobile homes are across five mobile home parks, four of which are restricted to seniors at or over 55 years of age; these senior-restricted units make up 3% of the City’s total occupied housing stock.

Camarillo has the following mobile home parks.

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Table 19. Mobile Homes
Name Address Target
Population Spaces
Camarillo Springs Mobile
Home Park
Camarillo Springs
Road Seniors (55+) 261
Rancho Adolfo Mobile Home
Park Adolfo Road Seniors (55+) 250
Lamplighter Camarillo MHC
LP Via Rosal N/A 227
Camarillo Mobile Home Park Ventura Boulevard Seniors (55+) 135 Casa Del Norte Mobile
Home Community Central Avenue Seniors (55+) 135
Total Mobile Homes 1,008
Homelessness Budget
The City of Camarillo, through the Project H.O.P.E. team members, has had a significant impact on the lives of those experiencing homelessness within the community with a very limited homelessness solutions budget. The table below shows the four separate funding streams the City receives to address homelessness specifically, broken down by fiscal year.

Table 20. Current and Projected Homelessness Budget
FUNDING SOURCE FY 23-24 FY 24-25
FY 25-26
(Projected)
FY 26-27
(Projected) TOTAL
Homeless Housing
Assistance and
Prevention
Program (HHAP)
$358,001 $377,982 - - $735,983
Encampment
Resolution Funds
(ERF)
- - $3,652,646 $3,652,646 $7,305,292
Emergency
Solutions Grant
(ESG)
- - $28,333 $28,333 $56,66618
City General Fund $344,777 $627,277 $647,277 $647,277 $2,266,608 TOTAL $702,778 $1,005,259 $4,328,256 $4,328,256 $10,364,54 9 18 Funding is projected through FY 27/28.
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Funding sources and amounts were projected for fiscal years 25-26, 26-27, and 27-28 based on annual costs and expenditure requirements for state provided funding (i.e. ERF). It is important to note that HHAP and ERF funds are awarded through a competitive process, which means additional funding is not guaranteed. Thus, while the City may choose to apply for additional HHAP or ERF rounds in the future, those applications have not yet been submitted, so those funds were not accounted for in the projections.
• HHAP: The City has used and allocated the remaining HHAP funds for their motel voucher program, providing interim housing and wraparound supportive services to a total of 31 individuals at the time of the report. • ERF: Recently awarded, the City has plans to construct 9 permanent supportive housing units, provide motel vouchers and wraparound supportive services, and engage through outreach with 17 individuals currently residing in the selected encampment.
• ESG: Recently rewarded, the City will provide rapid rehousing services to quickly move individuals from homelessness to permanent housing through targeted case management and financial assistance, with the ultimate goal of reducing returns to homelessness.
• City General Fund:
o Ventura County Behavioral Health: Through this funding, a full-time ride-along Community Services Coordinator serves on the Project H.O.P.E. team.
o Ventura County Sheriff’s Office: Through this funding, a Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to make contact with residents experiencing unsheltered homelessness serves as a member of the Project H.O.P.E. team.
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Strengths
The following strengths were identified by LeSar Development Consultants after reviewing and analyzing all quantitative and qualitative data. While quantitative data is examined above, a detailed description of the qualitative data, including all stakeholder engagement activities, is expounded below.

1. Commitment to Partnerships & Collaboration
Camarillo has built effective partnerships with key stakeholders, including Camarillo’s Project H.O.P.E., local churches, county agencies, and other nonprofits. This collaboration has helped extend the reach and effectiveness of the City’s homelessness response efforts, likely leading to the stabilization of the number of people experiencing homelessness in the last two years. The City’s commitment to partnership is evident in the community’s desire to provide their support, with many stakeholders offering additional resources, asking for invitations to key meetings and events, and sharing their knowledge and unique perspectives. Examples of this include Autism Society Ventura County, the Ventura County Continuum of Care (CoC), RAIN Communities, Inc., United Way of Ventura County, local churches and faith-based communities. Nearly all entities engaged in this process reported that there is a strong ethos around joining together to better support people experiencing homelessness.

2. Successful Outreach
Since 2023, Project H.O.P.E. has been successfully serving those experiencing homelessness in Camarillo through resource linkages, the City’s motel voucher program, and case management and behavioral health support. A program funded by the City of Camarillo, Project H.O.P.E. is led by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and consists of a Homeless Liaison Senior Deputy, a Community Services Coordinator from Ventura County Behavioral Health, a Community Services Coordinator through Whole Person Care, and Camarillo staff. Project H.O.P.E. has been able to build relationships and rapport via outreach to those experiencing homelessness, allowing for a real-time by-name-list that indicates resources provided and additional needs. Project H.O.P.E.’s presence and response to homeless hotspots has also assuaged the community at large by ensuring regular touchpoints to mitigate concerns. Team members of Project H.O.P.E. have spoken highly of the City’s approach, appreciating the recognition that supportive services are effective in moving people out of homelessness into more stable environments.
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3. Infrastructure & Investments
The City of Camarillo has made significant investments in bolstering their housing and homelessness programs to meet the needs of the community. With 1,211 units in the pipeline, and 99 of those units set aside for low-income and very low- income households, along with the 988 deed-restricted affordable rental units, the City has demonstrated a commitment to providing affordable and available housing. In tandem, the City has established the motel voucher program that provides interim housing to people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and will soon be building PSH and adding more motel vouchers to address an encampment of almost 20 individuals experiencing homelessness.

4. Funding Procurement
The City has successfully applied for and been awarded funding through two competitive funding streams from the state. Camarillo was awarded Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP) Round 4 funds from the State of California, which were dedicated to the creation and maintenance of their motel voucher program, temporarily housing a total of 31 individuals to date. More recently, the City was also awarded Encampment Resolution Funds (ERF) from the State of California to house up to 17 individuals currently residing in an encampment through interim and permanent housing. Both funding streams are extremely competitive, so the City’s ability to secure these funds emphasizes their successful approaches and allows for service and resource enhancement for those most in need.

5. Political Will & Support
The City has demonstrated their commitment to addressing homelessness in a meaningful and proactive way. Not only has this dedication culminated in the creation of a full-time homelessness response team (i.e. Project H.O.P.E.) with external partners, but City staff’s time is also deeply committed, allowing for a flexible and proactive approach to funding opportunities, client needs, council requests, and community concerns. There is also a willingness among elected officials and segments of the public to support permanent affordable and supportive housing, which is often viewed by the public as a more acceptable solution than temporary or interim interventions. The decision to invest in this needs analysis for the purpose of creating a Homelessness Strategic Plan rooted in community feedback while incorporating best practices also exemplifies the City’s resolve to addressing homelessness in a balanced and evidence-based way.
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Opportunities
The following opportunities were identified by LeSar Development Consultants after reviewing and analyzing all quantitative and qualitative data. While quantitative data is examined above, a detailed description of the qualitative data, including all stakeholder engagement activities, is expounded below.

1. Affordable Housing Shortage
Despite the investments made in affordable housing, a gap remains. A range of challenges contribute to underproduction, including insufficient funding, limited availability of developable land, certain restrictive land use policies, community opposition to new development, and broader supply chain constraints.

The community is also in need of various affordable housing typologies, including permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness with disabilities, especially given the almost 50% of individuals experiencing homelessness self-identified as having some type of chronic condition.19 These challenges are part of a broader regional and statewide trend, where housing production—particularly at the lowest income levels—has not kept pace with need. This structural underproduction has contributed to a supply shortage that makes it increasingly difficult for communities to meet affordability goals.

2. Financial Sustainability
While significant progress has been made in acquiring additional funding, it is not guaranteed, as both main funding sources (Encampment Resolution Funds and Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program) are based on a competitive award process through the state, and their use is restricted.

Additionally, shifting policy focuses under the current administration make the status of state and federal funding unknown. To ensure enough funds to implement additional interventions and strategies to address homelessness (e.g. increasing affordable housing options, creating prevention programming), effort will need to be made to increase funding, especially funds that are long-term and/or renewable.

19 This percentage is based on the average number of people experiencing homelessness surveyed who indicated at least a little i mpact in their daily lives from the following list: chronic health condition, physical disability, developmental disability, menta l health, and/or substance use.
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3. Prevention and Early Intervention
When looking at inflows (e.g. people who become homeless) to and outflows (e.g. people who were homeless who then were permanently housed) from the homelessness response system (as indicated by the increasing PIT Count numbers and HMIS data), people are becoming homeless at a higher rate than those leaving homelessness into stable settings. This, when taken into consideration with the 52% of renters who are cost burdened and 24% who are extremely cost burdened, indicates a need for more interventions to keep people from falling into homelessness in the first place. At the time of this report, there are no significant targeted homelessness prevention interventions available to Camarillo residents at a local level.

4. Capacity Alignment with Growing Service Needs
The Project H.O.P.E. team has achieved remarkable success in addressing homelessness, building on the City of Camarillo's significant investments in dedicated staffing for this critical initiative. As the program continues to evolve and expand its impact, additional staffing resources may be needed to effectively implement the comprehensive strategies necessary to meet the growing community needs and build upon the strong foundation already established. Should the City choose to apply for additional funding, stand up new programming, and/or embark on community education, all would require more staff capacity than is currently available. In their stakeholder interviews, the Project H.O.P.E. team exhibited their commitment to the work but described being pulled in different directions with their various roles and responsibilities.

Countywide resources, such as domestic violence services, the Area Agency on Aging, community intervention courts, etc. were mentioned, and other regional partners indicated their eagerness to further engage with the City. This collaborative model can also help to increase funding opportunities while expanding the scope of services available to community members. 104

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6. Fostering Informed Community Engagement
Despite some evident support from the community at large, there were several instances in which residents expressed their concern about increasing services to people experiencing homelessness. Common misconceptions, like an increase in programming will lead to more people experiencing homelessness moving to Camarillo, that most people who are experiencing homelessness are service resistant, and concerns around Housing First20, were relayed by some respondents. Ongoing community education that seeks to dispel misconceptions and share progress will be important to achieve community buy-in.

20 Housing First is an approach to serving people experiencing homelessness that recognizes a homeless person must first be able to access a decent, safe place to live that does not limit length of stay (permanent housing), before stabilizing, improving health, reducing harmful behaviors, or increasing income.

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Homelessness Strategic Planning Activities
Stakeholder Feedback
Community Input Session
LDC, in partnership with the Project Team, planned and hosted a Community Input Session on December 5, 2024. A brief timeline of events is detailed below (including rescheduling due to earlier wildfires).
• 11/7/24: Email notification sent to listserv for Community Input Session #1 • 11/18/24: Notification of postponement due to fires, detailing new anticipated date of 12/5/24
• 11/20/24: Original date of Community Input Session #1 • 11/22/24: Social media posts for new date
• 12/3/24: Social media reminder; email reminder
• 12/5/24: Social media reminder
• 12/5/24: Community Input Session #1
The first Community Input Session was held at the Camarillo Library and was open to the public. Various notification strategies were employed, including event information posted on the City of Camarillo’s website, social media platforms, Cablecast Channel, email listserv, etc. Targeted outreach was also performed to ensure people from Camarillo with lived experience of homelessness were aware.

A total of 37 individuals signed the sign-in sheet, but it is estimated that at least 50 people were in attendance overall. The beginning of the session highlighted the City’s current homelessness landscape and the purpose of the event.

Attendees were welcomed to ask questions of the full group prior to breaking into designated “table topics” to ensure the community could have more targeted conversations related to their questions and concerns. Table topics included the following:
• Interim & Permanent Housing
• Homelessness Prevention
• Homelessness Services
• Community Input Survey
Topic experts were strategically placed at each table to ensure meaningful and thorough conversations, along with note takers to collect feedback. Notes were 106

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reviewed and are discussed in the “Aggregated Community Feedback” section below.

Focus Groups & Interviews
An additional 50 individuals were solicited for strategic feedback through focus groups and interviews in the first quarter of 2025. In most cases, feedback was collected in an online focus group format via informant type, with a smaller cohort who were interviewed individually due to availability or the need for more focused conversations. The following categories served as focus groups.

Table 21. Focus Group Informant Types & Participants

INFORMANT TYPE PARTICIPANTS
City Staff Community Development, Code Compliance,
Water Reclamation, Streets, Stormwater
Project H.O.P.E. Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Ventura County Behavioral Health, Ventura County Health Care
Agency, City of Camarillo
County/ Regional Partners Food Share, RAIN, Camarillo Community Church, hospital systems, PVSD, Interface, Calvary Nexus,
Camarillo Health Care District
Business Community Old Town Association, WVCBA, Ventura Investment, La Posas Plaza21
Public Sector Services Workforce Development, Turning Point, CoC, Area Housing Authority, United Way of Ventura County,
Lutheran Social Services, Mercy House, Gold Coast
Veterans, V.C. Healthcare Agency, Autism Ventura

Elected and appointed officials were offered 1:1/ 1:2 interviews, with the following interviews taking place:
• Tom Murphy, Planning Commissioner; Tony Trembley, Councilmember • Kevin Kildee, Mayor; Susan Santangelo, Councilmember
• David Tennessen, Vice Mayor; Martina Martinez-Bravo, Councilmember • Greg Ramirez, City Manager; Carmen Nichols, Assistant City Manager; Eric Tennessen, Police Commander
Views and feedback from these sessions were analyzed and summarized by key themes and are discussed in the “Aggregated Community Feedback” section below.

21 After several failed attempts at scheduling a focus group, a brief survey tailored to the business community was sent to business partners to collect their feedback. 107

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Aggregated Community Feedback
When asked about strengths in Camarillo’s current homelessness response, the following were mentioned:

1. Compassionate Approach: The City’s current response prioritizes a person- centered approach, ensuring that efforts to support people experiencing homelessness are backed by best practices and inclusive of individualized services and supports, depending on the needs of the person experiencing homelessness.

2. Strong Local Partnerships: The City has facilitated collaboration with many local partners, including nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and behavioral health programs to maximize the services offered to those experiencing homelessness in their community.

3. Political Will: The City Manager’s office and City Council are actively engaged, providing political support and resources to address homelessness.

4. Effective Outreach: The Project H.O.P.E. Team is multidisciplinary, including law enforcement, behavioral health, social workers, etc., creating a strong presence that can address both the immediate and long-term needs of those experiencing homelessness. The team is well informed and provides connections to local and regional resources whenever possible.

5. Community Trust and Support: Law enforcement involvement in Project H.O.P.E. is reassuring to many community members, and faith-based organizations and other local service providers are dedicated to providing continuous support.

6. Program Implementation: Interventions such as the motel voucher program have shown to be very successful and sought after by people in Camarillo who are experiencing homelessness. This emphasis on non- congregate housing options shows a dedication to best practices and an understanding of client preferences.

7. Balanced Approach to Homelessness: Many in the community appreciated the balance the City has struck with the prioritization of legal compliance and community safety while also ensuring that resources and supports are offered to individuals experiencing homelessness. 108

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8. Data Compliance: The City actively participates in the PIT Count and has recently become a participating entity in the CoC’s HMIS. Additionally, Project H.O.P.E. has a regularly updated by-name-list of those experiencing homelessness within their community and has established personal relationships with most of those experiencing homelessness on the streets of Camarillo.

When asked about gaps in the City’s current homelessness response, the following themes were most commonly mentioned:

1. Funding and Sustainability: Community members mentioned the lack of stable and renewable funding options for interventions that have proven to be successful (such as the motel voucher program and Project H.O.P.E.), stating an overreliance on temporary funding. Many mentioned the difficulties in securing grants and/or financing from state and federal sources. Additionally, any efforts to scale-up programs would require more staff, and, in turn, necessitate more sustainable funding streams.

2. Lack of Affordable and Permanent Housing: Insufficient low-income and/or permanent housing options, especially when paired with a competitive rental market, make it difficult for people to access the types of housing they need. The community also mentioned the lack of interim housing options for people experiencing homelessness, requiring them to relocate to other localities to get the necessary support.

3. More Services and Supports: Many residents called out the high rates of vehicular homelessness, which requires a unique service approach compared to what is required to support people living in tents or makeshift structures. Others mentioned difficulties that can come with accessing services at the County level, citing the time it takes and/or the savviness required to navigate the system. Additionally, insufficient resources were cited for people who need mental health supports, and the significant need for wraparound case management even after individuals are housed was called out.

4. Prevention and Early Intervention: Residents mentioned the limited resources available for prevention of homelessness, such as rental assistance and/or eviction prevention. Respondents recommend stronger partnerships with workforce development and employment services to 109

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assist with increasing at-risk households’ income and better coordination with legal services (e.g., expungement services).

5. Collaboration and Coordination: While many partnerships exist on a local level, calls for even deeper coordination and collaboration with homelessness-adjacent resources (e.g. faith-based organizations, disability services, etc.) were shared. While there is a willingness to collaborate on a more regional scale, informants shared that formal partnerships have yet to be established or reinforced. Calls for joint planning efforts were made, asking for the City to bring together nonprofits, faith-based organizations, upstream services (e.g. health services, disability services), and County agencies into joint strategic planning to ensure all entities are working toward shared goals.

6. Infrastructure and Land Use Challenges: Community members discussed the limited amount of City-owned land for housing development use, as well as barriers in Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) policies that prevent easier expansion of housing options. Service providers also cited resistance from motels/hotels to formalizing agreements for temporary housing. Various regulatory practices can be more efficient to expedite interim housing and supportive housing approvals.

7. Community Pushback and Resource Constraints: Respondents shared that the City often faces community resistance to homelessness initiatives; in several instances, community members said that the RVs are an eyesore and worried that increasing service availability would draw more people from neighboring cities experiencing homelessness. Additionally, given its size, the City has fewer resources than larger municipalities in the County.

When asked to select their top three priorities, a majority of respondents prioritized the following (in this order): 1) Expanding Housing Solutions, 2) Securing Sustainable Funding, and 3) Strengthening Outreach, Case Management, and Supportive Services. Details on this prioritization are included below.

1. Expanding Housing Solutions: Respondents highlighted the significant need for identifying and funding housing options, with the typologies spanning the spectrum—tiny homes, master leasing, permanent supportive housing, interim housing, general affordable housing—to meet the various needs of the community. Community members also discussed 110

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incentivizing housing development by streamlining zoning processes and removing unnecessary regulatory barriers. Specific call outs for housing for subpopulations were made, requesting supports for populations like seniors, women, children, and individuals with behavioral health needs.

Lastly, community members mentioned the need to address RV homelessness, the primary form of homelessness within the City.

Suggestions including designated safe parking and/or alternative housing solutions were given.

2. Securing Sustainable Funding: Ensuring financial stability for currently existing programs (e.g., the motel voucher program) was important for many stakeholders, guaranteeing continuity of care for those already enrolled. Outside of funding existing programs, many cited the need to explore additional funding sources not yet procured to expand services, whether those sources be local, state, or federal in nature. A call for additional funding to provide rental and deposit assistance was given, and community members asked the City to consider new funding mechanisms, such as master leasing or leveraging Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) through the CoC.

3. Strengthening Outreach, Case Management, and Supportive Services:

While almost every stakeholder praised Project H.O.P.E. for their dedication and significant success, many still indicated a need for expanded case management and access to resources, with some mentioning the need for additional outreach that is not led by law enforcement. As case loads increase, respondents shared the need to be able to both support those on the streets and serve those in interim housing (and the challenges of doing both with the limited case management infrastructure). Improved access to behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use treatment, was mentioned, with calls for more services to be field-based rather than clinic-based. Enhanced coordination with local and regional stakeholders was highlighted by respondents with the purpose of improving linkages to services and supports. Respondents also highlighted the need for a stronger community engagement strategy to educate the public and reduce misinformation, and a petition was made for the creation of more prevention programming, such as rental assistance or job training.

Additional considerations for the community’s top priorities include:
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• Establishing a dedicated homelessness department within the City with full-time staff
• Incorporating goals and timelines into the Strategic Plan to track progress • Focusing on Whole Person Care to ensure that support services are provided in tandem with housing
• Balancing community concerns and public perception while implementing proven solutions to addressing homelessness Community Input Survey #1
To ensure a Homelessness Strategic Plan tailored to the community, a Community Input Survey #1 was created and posted to the City’s website. The survey went live on December 6, 2024 and stayed open through February 7, 2025 (for a total of 63 days). This 11 question survey was made available on the City’s Addressing Homelessness webpage (posted 12/6/24), posted on the Cablecast Channel (added 12/11/24), added to the Alert section and marquee on the City’s homepage (added 12/11/24), emailed to a City-managed listserv (sent 12/13/24), posted on Instagram (12/6/24, 12/14/24, 1/4/25, and 1/30/25), and advertised at a City Council meeting (1/22/25). The survey closed with a total of 92 responses collected.

Feedback Received
Question 1: With which public group do you most associate? Of the 92 responses, 74 (80%) identified as General public, 9 (10%) identified as Public sector, 4 (4%) identified as Private sector, 4 (4%) identified as Non-profit/ non-governmental, and 1 selected Other.

Question 2: How would you categorize your housing situation? The majority of respondents identified as stably housed 83 (91%), while 5 (5%) identified as unstably housed and 3 (3%) identified as unhoused.

Question 3: What services are effectively addressing homelessness in the City of Camarillo?
The service that received the highest number of votes was Food Services with 40, followed by Street Outreach with 31, Supportive Housing/ Rental Assistance/ Housing Subsidies with 30, and Homelessness Prevention and Other with 25 each.

The three services with the fewest votes were Education with 7, Storage Facilities with 4, and Pet Services with 2. Of those that selected Other, write-in responses primarily focused on the need to build more housing in general, zoning regulations, police, Project H.O.P.E., or various iterations of “I don’t know”. 112

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Figure 5. Community Input Survey: Effective Services

Question 4: What general services are missing or need to be expanded to people experiencing homelessness throughout the City of Camarillo? The service that received the highest number of votes was Supportive Housing/ Rental Assistance/ Housing Subsidies with 41, followed by Shelter Services, Interim Housing with 37, Client Health Services with 33, and Employment Assistance/ Job Training with 32. The three services with the fewest votes were Transportation Services with 12, Pet Services with 12, and Storage Facilities with 7. Of the 14 that selected Other, write-in responses primarily focused “None of the above” or various iterations of “I don’t know”.

40 31 30
25 25 23
20 19
14 10 10
7 4 2
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
40 45
Food ServicesStreet Outreach
Supportive Housing, Rental…Homelessness Prevention
Other
Shelter Services, Interim Housing
Client Health Services
Case Management and Supportive…
Employment Assistance/ Job Training
Client Hygiene
Transportation Services
Education
Storage Facilities
Pet Services
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Figure 6. Community Input Survey: Effective Services

Question 5: What are the greatest strengths in the city-wide approach to addressing homelessness? Please describe. (3 sentences max) A large number of respondents highlighted Project H.O.P.E. and its collaboration with community partners, such as St. Vincent de Paul, Many Meals, RISE, and the RAIN project. Alongside Project H.O.P.E., the community touted the City’s police and enforcement teams for their balanced approach of providing outreach while also maintaining public safety. Their appreciation for the City Council’s responsiveness—listening to residents, gathering input through surveys such as these, and taking a strategic approach—was repeated throughout.

Many respondents highlighted needs and gaps that will be discussed in the next question (such as the need for more low-income housing or the importance of job opportunities), while others suggested that there were no strengths, stated that they didn’t know of the City’s approach and therefore couldn’t answer, or praised the minimization of homeless services available within the City.

Question 6: What are the biggest challenges in the city-wide approach to addressing homelessness? Please describe. (3 sentences max) Challenges identified by the community fall under seven main themes: 1) Lack of Affordable Housing & Resources, 2) Mental Health & Substance Use Concerns, 3) Public Transportation & Accessibility, 4) Public Safety & Community Impact, 5) Services & Supports, 6) Coordination & Communication, And 7) Employment & 41 37
33 32
27 23
20 18
15 14 14 12 12
7 0
5 10
15 20
25 30
35 40
45 Supportive Housing, Rental…
Shelter Services, Interim Housing
Client Health Services
Employment Assistance/ Job Training
Homelessness Prevention
Client Hygiene
Case Management and Supportive…
Street OutreachFood Services
Education
Other
Transporation Services
Pet Services
Storage Facilities
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Economic Challenges. Given the open-ended nature of the question, respondents were able to mention several themes in one response. - Lack of Affordable Housing & Resources: Respondents cited the insufficient affordable and low-income housing options, high costs of living and rent, limited access to Section 8 housing choice vouchers and other assistance programs, and the need for more transitional housing options. - Mental Health & Substance Use Concerns: The community highlighted inadequate mental health and substance use services, perceived difficulty in getting unhoused individuals to accept help/ treatment, and the need for more rehabilitation and intervention programs. - Public Transportation & Accessibility: Limited public transportation options make it difficult to access jobs and services, adding additional barriers for those without vehicles to reach the necessary resources. Overall, there is a desire for improved infrastructure to connect people with services. - Public Safety & Community Impact: Respondents shared concerns about safety, crime, and drug-related issues, holding mixed views on the need to balance compassion and maintain public order.
- Services & Supports: Respondents were divided when considering funding needs. Many stated concerns that expanding services and supports may attract more people experiencing homelessness to Camarillo from other locations, while others called for additional services and supports to fully meet the current needs of those already residing in Camarillo. - Coordination & Communication: Residents mentioned the need for better coordination between agencies, non-profits, and City programs, leading to misinformation and a general lack of awareness about available resources. The community called for clearer public communication on the City’s efforts and programs.
- Employment & Economic Challenges: Community members reported a lack of job opportunities for those with low incomes, the rising costs of living that make it harder to sustain stable housing, and the need for job training and employment assistance programs.
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Question 7: What are some of the most significant barriers that you perceive people experiencing homelessness face that prevent them from accessing services? (3 sentences max)
Survey respondents highlighted many perceived barriers for people experiencing homelessness, with mental health concerns and substance use disorders being the most frequent submission, closely followed by a lack of knowledge and accessibility of services and an overall lack of affordable housing. Social stigma and fear of judgement, discrimination, and/or police law enforcement/ government interaction were also mentioned, along with a lack of transportation resources. Finally, financial and employment barriers and systemic and structural barriers (e.g., service eligibility requirements, strict regulations, long waitlists) were also noted.

Question 8: What are the most immediate solutions that should be implemented in the city-wide approach to addressing homelessness? Please rank in ascending order, with 1 being the highest priority.

The table below shows how respondents ranked the potential solutions, with 1 being the highest priority and 8 being the lowest priority.

Table 22. Community Input Survey: Immediate Solutions
1 Increase the units available to people experiencing homelessness (including development of affordable and permanent supportive housing, masterleasing, landlord engagement, etc.)
2 Target solutions for key subpopulations experiencing homelessness (e.g. older adults/ seniors; DV survivors; people with disabilities; Transitional-Age Youth [18-24]; Veterans; etc.)
3 Expand mental health and substance use services
4 Expand housing supports, rental assistance, subsidies, and vouchers 5 Expand homelessness street outreach services
6 Increase interim housing/ shelter capacity
7 Strengthen cross-sector and cross-jurisdictional coordination 8 Other/ None of these22

Question 9: What do you believe is the role of the City in addressing homelessness within the community?
Respondents identified the City addressing housing solutions as the most pressing need, calling for zoning reform, housing development, etc. This was closely

22 It should be noted that “Other/ None of these” was added as an option on 1/2/2025 in response to three individuals’ write-in responses on Question 11 stating that they felt forced to rank solutions with which they disagreed. At that point, 40 individuals had already responded to the survey. 116

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followed by coordinating services and partnerships with an emphasis on collaboration with the county, state, and nonprofits and increasing mental health and substance use support. Managing public safety and law enforcement (e.g. crime prevention and enforcement of ordinances), increasing public awareness of services and ways for the community to help, and preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place were also mentioned. Lastly, it’s important to note that there were diverging views related to the City’s overall role in addressing homelessness—many believe that the City should be leading this effort, while others argued it should focus on enforcement and leave the issue to the county/state to address it.

Question 10: What role do you believe you have in ending homelessness in the City of Camarillo?
When asked about their own role in ending homelessness, the most common response related to direct assistance, such as volunteering, making donations, or helping individuals experiencing homelessness, closely followed by advocating and supporting relevant policies, such as zoning reform, voting for City officials based on their stances on homelessness, and supporting mental health and/or social services, with many stating that they already work in such roles. Financially contributing by paying taxes, staying informed of available services and educating others, providing housing supports by renting to low-income households or accepting Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and maintaining public safety by reporting issues to the police were additional themes. Finally, many indicated that they do not have any role in ending homelessness, with some citing that homelessness is unsolvable, some indicating that they can’t help due to their own personal circumstances, and others mentioning that the City is already spending too much funding toward this issue.

Question 11: Is there anything else you’d like to share? Please describe.

Less than half of the total survey respondents answered Question 11, so responses varied, and no predominate themes emerged. Many took this opportunity to emphasize answers they’d already provided, such as the need for targeted solutions, increasing housing solutions, preventing people from experiencing homelessness in the first place, addressing mental health and substance use, educating the community for a better understanding, and maintaining public safety. A few individuals called for increased transparency regarding how taxpayer money is spent on homelessness programs, with some expressing skepticism about the effectiveness of current efforts. People 117

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continued to question the ability to ever fully end homelessness, especially considering that those experiencing homelessness might not be receptive to help or change. Finally, respondents again expressed concerns that the City might “become a magnet” for homelessness should services continue to expand.

Community Input Survey #2
To further capture community perspectives, the City conducted a second survey as part of the strategic planning process. The survey was open through June 2025 and received 82 responses from residents, including stably housed and unhoused individuals, members of the private sector, and the general public.

Strengths Identified
Respondents most frequently highlighted:
• Strong partnerships between the City and community organizations • Effective outreach and service delivery through Project H.O.P.E. and the motel voucher program
• Active engagement by elected officials in addressing homelessness Several open-ended responses reinforced these points, with many noting the visible role of local law enforcement, Project H.O.P.E., and faith-based partners in maintaining both safety and support.

Gaps Identified
Commonly cited gaps included:
• The ongoing shortage of affordable and permanent housing • Limited sustainable funding to support long-term efforts • Insufficient coordination across systems and lack of a long-term strategy Respondents also raised concerns around communication, the need for additional behavioral health and substance use services, and growing challenges related to unsheltered homelessness, particularly among vehicle dwellers.

Community Recommendations
To address these issues, respondents suggested:
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• Expanding affordable, supportive, and transitional housing options • Increasing access to mental health and substance use treatment • Establishing mobile outreach or one-stop service centers • Providing supports for people with pets and preventing evictions due to financial hardship
• Enhancing transparency and communication about City efforts Ongoing Engagement
Several participants provided contact information to receive updates and expressed interest in attending future community meetings.

Overall, findings from Community Input Survey #2 reinforced themes from other engagement activities, underscoring housing expansion, sustainable funding, and system coordination as critical priorities for Camarillo’s homelessness response.

Lived Experience Survey
To ensure a Homelessness Strategic Plan based on community needs identified by those with the most expertise, a Lived Experience Survey was created and completed by people currently experiencing homelessness through the Project H.O.P.E. team. The surveys were completed in early 2025, with a total of 40 responses, almost 50% of the 2024 PIT Count, collected.

Questions focused on their demographics, experiences with homelessness, housing and services they’d be interested in accepting, and their opinions on whether the City’s current approach to homelessness is working. Participants had the option of selecting “Don’t want to answer” for each question, ensuring that responses were voluntary.

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Question 1. Age
Figure 7. Lived Experience Survey: Age

Twenty-four respondents (60%) were 55 years-of-age or older, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions for seniors and older adults. None of those surveyed were under the age of 23.

Question 2. First Time Experiencing Homelessness
Figure 8. Lived Experience Survey: First Time Experiencing Homelessness

7, 17%
8, 20%
16, 40%
8, 20%
1, 3%
23-35 36-50 55-65 65+ Refused to Answer
12, 30%
28, 70%
No Yes
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Twenty-eight respondents (70%) indicated that this was their first time experiencing homelessness, while 12 (30%) stated that they’d experienced homelessness before this episode.

Question 3. How long have you been experiencing this episode of homelessness?
Figure 9. Lived Experience Survey: Episodic Timeline

Only 7 of the 40 interviewed (17%) had been experiencing homelessness for less than 1 year, leaving the remaining 33 (83%) as having experienced a longer time homelessness. Twenty-two of those interviewed (55%) had been experiencing homelessness for more than three years, showcasing the need for best practice interventions for the chronically homeless population.

7, 17%
11, 28%
22, 55%
Less Than 1 Year 1-3 Years More Than 3 Years
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Question 4. What would you consider the primary cause of your homelessness? Figure 10. Lived Experience Survey: Primary Cause of Homelessness

As demonstrated in the figure above, there was a broad range of reasons people identified as their primary cause of homelessness. The two top reported reasons were divorce/ separation (6 respondents, 15%) and lack of affordable housing (6 respondents, 15%), closely followed by job loss with 5 responses (12.5%). Lack of employment opportunities and medical concerns each got 3 votes (7.5% each). The COVID pandemic, landlords, mental health, fraud, and argument w/ a friend or family member who asked them to move out received 2 votes each (5% each), while eviction, family/ domestic violence, loss of housing (non-eviction), debt, and prefer homelessness were all stated once as a primary cause of homelessness (2.5% each).

6 6
5 3 3
2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1
0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
Lack of Affordable Housing
Divorce/ Separation
Job Loss
Lack of Employment Opportunities
Medical concern/ Illness
COVIDLandlord
Mental Health
Fraud
Argument with Family/ Friend Who…
Eviction
Family/ Domestic ViolenceLost Housing (Non Eviction)
Debt
Prefer It
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Question 5. What type of dwelling do you sleep in?
Figure 11. Lived Experience Survey: Dwelling

Of the 40 responses, 28 (70%) listed their current dwelling type as a vehicle, aligning with the PIT Count’s high estimation of vehicular homelessness. Eleven respondents (27%) did not want to answer or left it blank, while 1 individual (2.5%) stated that they currently sleep on the ground and/or have no shelter.

Question 6. What is your race? (Choose all that apply)
Figure 12. Lived Experience Survey: Race

When asked about race, 30 individuals (75%) stated that they were white, significantly outnumbering other race identifications. Four individuals (10%) 28, 70%
11, 27%
1, 3%
Vehicle Don't Want to Answer/ Blank Ground/ No Shelter
3, 7%
4, 10%
2, 5%
2, 5%
1, 2%
30, 71%
American Indian or Alaska Native Asian
Black or African American Don't Know/ Don't Want to Answer Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White
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identified as Asian, and 3 (7.5%) identified as American Indian or Alaska Native.

Two individuals identified as Black or African American (5%), and 2 said they didn’t know or didn’t want to answer (5%). One individual identified as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. This question allowed individuals to select all that apply; thus, the total number of responses to this question is greater than 40.

Question 7. What is your ethnicity?
Figure 13. Lived Experience Survey: Ethnicity

When asked about their ethnicity, 27 respondents identified as Non- Hispanic/Latino/x (67%), while 10 identified as Hispanic/Latino/x (25%). One individual did not know (2.5%), and 2 did not want to answer (5%).

10, 25%
27, 67%
1, 3% 2, 5%
Hispanic/Latino/x Non-Hispanic/Latino/x Don't Know Don't Want to Answer 124

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Question 8: Regarding gender, how do you identify?
Figure 14. Lived Experience Survey: Gender

When asked about their gender identification, 24 identified as a man (60%), 15 identified as a woman (37%), and 1 identified as a “Trans male” (2.5%).

Question 9: Have you served in the Armed Forces?
Figure 15. Lived Experience Survey: Armed Forces

98% of respondents (39 individuals) said they had not served in the armed forces, while 1 respondent stated that they had (2.5%). 24, 60%
15, 37%
1, 3%
Man Woman Trans-Male
1, 2%
39, 98%
Yes No
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Question 10: Did you experience any of the following characteristics that may indicate a developmental disability, including autism? (Choose all that apply) Figure 16. Lived Experience Survey: Developmental Disability Indication

After consultation with Autism Ventura, a question was added to the survey to get a deeper understanding of the levels of need people experiencing homelessness might have, particularly regarding developmental disabilities, including autism. Questions were written to make it easier to identify challenges individuals might face rather than specific diagnoses, as many may not know or understand their diagnosis.

While 25 individuals said none of the characteristics described their experiences (63%), the remaining 10 individuals (25%) identified at least one characteristic as describing them, with many selecting more than one, and 5 individuals (12.5%) selecting that they weren’t sure. Seven (18%) said they have repetitive behaviors or routines that are difficult to change, closely followed by those who selected said that they have challenges in social interactions or building relationships with 5 (12.5%). Four individuals (10%) stated that they feel overwhelmed by sounds, lights, or textures, and 4 (10%) also reported having difficulty managing daily tasks independently. Lastly, 2 individuals (5%) identified having difficulty with communication, such as understanding or using language, and 2 (5%) stated that they had an IEP, 504 Plan, or Behavior Plan when they were in school. This 25 7
5 5 4 4
2 2
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 None of the Above
Have Repetitive Behaviors or…
Have Challenges in Social…
I'm Not Sure
Feel Overwhelmed by Sounds,…
Have Difficulty Managing Daily Tasks…Have Difficulty with Communication,… Had an IEP, 504 Plan, or Behavior…
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question allowed individuals to select all that apply; thus, the total number of responses to this question is greater than 40.

Question 11: Do you have a partner or family member that lives here with you? Figure 17. Lived Experience Survey: Live-In Family

When asked if the respondents had partners or family members that lived with them in their dwelling, 13 (32%) said that they did, while 27 (68%) said that they did not. This indicates the need for various housing typologies that can align with the needs of both families and single adults.

Question 12. Do you have any pets?
Figure 18. Lived Experience Survey: Pets

13, 32%
27, 68%
Yes No
17, 42%
23, 58%
Yes No
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When asked about their pets, 17 (42%) said that they had pets, while 23 (58%) said they did not have pets, indicating that interventions must be accommodating to all, including accommodations for pets.

Question 13. What kind of shelter would you be interested in? Figure 19. Lived Experience Survey: Shelter

When asked about the type of shelter they’d be interested in, 6 individuals (15%) said that they’d be willing to accept any shelter options available to them, while 13 individuals (32%) said they’d accept shelter options that were specifically non-congregate, meaning that they would have their own private sleeping arrangements. Fifteen individuals (38%) said they were not interested in any shelter options, while 6 (15%) said they didn’t know or didn’t want to answer.

6, 15%
13, 32%
15, 38%
6, 15%
Any Non-Congregate None Don't Know/ Don't Want to Answer 128

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Question 14. What kind of permanent housing would you be interested in? Figure 20. Lived Experience Survey: Permanent Housing

The majority of respondents stated that they’d accept any form of permanent housing (19, 47%), listing examples of apartments, condos, senior housing, etc. In their descriptions, several were intentional to list options that would accommodate their pets and/or their family members. Many also indicated that they wanted permanent housing that would be safe. Eleven respondents (27%) indicated that they’d want something as long as it was affordable, citing examples such as Section 8 vouchers, low-income housing, rent-to-own, etc.

Four people (10%) specifically stated that they’d want private housing, which aligns with their responses in Question 13. Of the 15 individuals that indicated they weren’t interested in any type of shelter in Question 13, only 5 (13%) said they weren’t interested in permanent housing options. This indicates that Camarillo’s homeless population is more likely to accept and maintain permanent housing than more temporary solutions, such as congregate shelter or interim housing. One respondent said that they did not know.

The following questions relate to the individual’s health and wellness.

Respondents were asked to rate how much these impacted their life, with 1 being a little and 5 being a lot.

19, 47%
11, 27%
4, 10%
5, 13%
1, 3%
Any Affordable Private None Don't know
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Question 15. Chronic Health Conditions
Figure 21. Lived Experience Survey: Chronic Health Conditions

When asked how chronic health conditions impacted their daily lives, 16 respondents (40%) said they were not impacted at all. Seven individuals (17.5%) said they were impacted a little (ranking first or second), while 6 (15%) said they were impacted somewhat (ranking a three). Eleven (27.5%) stated that chronic health conditions impacted them significantly (ranking a four or five).

16 5
2 6 6
5 0
2 4
6 8
10 12
14 16
18 0 (Not at all) 1 (A little) 2 3 (Somewhat) 4 5 (A lot) 130

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Question 16. Physical Disabilities
Figure 22. Lived Experience Survey: Physical Disabilities

When asked how physical disabilities impacted their daily lives, 17 respondents (42.5%) said they were not impacted at all. Twelve (30%) indicated that their lives were impacted a little (ranking a one or two), while 3 (7.5%) indicated that their lives were impacted somewhat (ranking a three). Eight individuals (20%) stated that their lives were significantly impacted by physical disabilities (ranking a four or five).

17 6 6
3 4 4
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
16 18
0 (Not at all) 1 (A little) 2 3 (Somewhat) 4 5 (A lot)
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Question 17. Developmental Disabilities
Figure 23. Lived Experience Survey: Developmental Disabilities

When asked about the impacts of developmental disabilities on their every day lives, 29 respondents (72.5%) said that they were not impacted at all. Four individuals reported a little impact (ranking a one or two), while 3 (7.5%) reported being impacted somewhat (ranking a three). Four individuals (10%) reported significant daily impact from developmental disabilities (ranking a four or five).

29 2 2 3
1 3
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
0 (Not at all) 1 (A little) 2 3 (Somewhat) 4 5 (A lot)
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Question 18. Mental Health
Figure 24. Lived Experience Survey: Mental Health

When asked how their mental health impacts their daily lives, 22 individuals (55%) stated that they were not impacted at all. Six individuals (15%) reported a little impact on their day-to-day lives (ranking a one or two), and 5 (12.5%) reported mental health impacting them somewhat (ranking a three). Seven respondents (17.5%) reported that mental health significantly impacts their daily lives (ranking a four or five).

22 2
4 5
1 6
0 5
10 15
20 25
0 (Not at all) 1 (A little) 2 3 (Somewhat) 4 5 (A lot)
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Question 19. Substance Use
Figure 25. Lived Experience Survey: Substance Use

When asked about the impact substance use has on their daily lives, 33 individuals (82.5%) stated that it had no impact at all. Six respondents (15%) indicated that it impacted them a little (ranking a one or two), while no one stated that it impacted them somewhat (ranking a three). Only 1 individual (2.5%) reported a significant impact on their daily life (ranking a four or five).

33 3 3
0 1 0
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
0 (Not at all) 1 (A little) 2 3 (Somewhat) 4 5 (A lot)
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Question 20. Violence
Figure 26. Lived Experience Survey: Violence

When asked about the role violence plays in their everyday lives, 34 individuals (85%) indicated that it had no impact on them whatsoever. Three individuals (7.5%) stated that violence impacts their life a little (ranking a one or two), and 1 person (2.5%) indicated that it impacted their life somewhat (ranking a three).

Two people (5%) stated that violence was impacting their lives in a significant way (ranking a four or five).

34 3
0 1 2
0 0
5 10
15 20
25 30
35 40
0 (Not at all) 1 (A little) 2 3 (Somewhat) 4 5 (A lot)
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Question 21. What are other unmet needs you have?
Figure 27. Lived Experience Survey: Unmet Needs

Basic Needs, including things like housing and/or shelter, access to food, access to hygiene services (e.g., bathrooms, showers, laundry), clothing, water, etc., was stated as the main unmet need for 19 respondents (48%). Health services, needed by four respondents (10%) included physical, mental, and dental health needs. Income included benefits and/or employment, which six (15%) listed, while financial assistance with 3 respondents (7.5%) specifically relates to budgeting, credit assistance, etc. Three individuals (7.5%) stated legal assistance, indicating the specific need for an attorney. Ten individuals (25%) didn’t list any unmet needs, and 3 (7.5%) said they didn’t know. This question was open ended, so respondents were able to share more than one unmet need; thus, the total number of responses to this question is greater than 40.

19 10
6 4
3 3 3
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
16 18
20 Basic Needs None Income Health
Services
Financial
Assistance
Legal
Assistance
Don't Know
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Question 22. What do you think the City is doing well regarding homelessness services?
Figure 28. Lived Experience Survey: What is the City doing well?

When asked what’s working well in the City’s response to homelessness, 14 people (35%) listed outreach as a strength of the City’s, especially outreach done through Project H.O.P.E. While some appreciated limited contact from outreach with the ability to reach out when they needed, others liked that outreach occurs frequently for them, giving them access to services and resources that they might not have otherwise. Eight respondents (20%) said that they City is not doing enough and needs to do more, some stating that it’s doing nothing at all; similarly, an additional 8 (20%) responded that they weren’t aware of anything the City was doing to respond to homelessness. Six individuals (15%) said that they think the voucher program is significant and is helping people move out of homelessness, although many still had the caveat that there should be more vouchers. Two respondents (5%) stated that they appreciated the City maintaining safety in general, while another 2 (5%) reported that they appreciated the City allowing them to park where they’ve been sleeping.

14 8 8
6 2 2
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
16 Outreach Need to Do More Don't Know Voucher
Program
Parking
Allowance
Safety
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Question 23. What feedback would you like to share about ways the City can improve or expand their work around homelessness?
Figure 29. Lived Experience Survey: Ways the City Can Improve

When asked what the City can improve upon in their response to homelessness, 13 individuals (33%) stated the need for more housing options, whether that be through the current voucher program, supportive housing, more affordable housing, housing options for families, access to permanent housing, and subsidized housing. Nine individuals (23%) listed safe parking, asking for options that do not give tickets (as they cannot pay them), access to campground parking at discounted rates, standard RV parking, hookups, etc. Eight individuals (20%) said they needed more access to basic needs, such as accessible restrooms, safe places to be, access to showers, mailing addresses, laundry, drop-in services, etc. Compassion was the fourth most common response with 6 individuals (15%), stating the need for community buy-in and understanding, the need for less enforcement strategies, less tickets when it’s already known that money is a problem, less discrimination from the community and local businesses, etc. Four people (10%) stated that employment pipelines and assistance was needed, while another 4 (10%) said that they were not interested in providing this feedback to the City. Health services were mentioned by 3 people (7.5%), specifically mental health services; similarly, more outreach staff was mentioned 3 times (7.5%), with specific call outs to the need for social workers/ non-police outreach case managers who have awareness of available 13 9
8 6
4 4
3 3
1 1
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
Housing Options
Safe ParkingBasic NeedsCompassionEmployment
None
Health Services
More Outreach Staff
Prevention
Transportation
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resources. Lastly, 1 (2.5%) listed prevention services to keep people from becoming homeless, and 1 (2.5%) listed transportation. This question was open ended, so respondents were able to share more than one unmet need; thus, the total number of responses to this question is greater than 40.

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Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU): A secondary
housing unit built on the same lot as a primary
residence.

Affordable Housing: Housing that costs no more
than 30% of a household’s gross income, including
rent and utilities, for households with low or
moderate incomes.

Area Median Income (AMI): The midpoint
household income in a region, calculated annually
by HUD. Affordability categories (e.g., ELI, VLI) are
based on percentages of AMI.

By-Name List (BNL): A real-time, person-specific
list of individuals experiencing homelessness in a
community. Used to guide outreach, prioritization,
case conferencing, and housing placements.

Chronic Homelessness: Defined by HUD as
individuals or families with a disabling condition
who have been continuously homeless for at least
12 months, or have had at least four episodes of
homelessness in the last three years totaling 12
months.

Community Buy-In: Public understanding and
support for housing and homelessness initiatives,
achieved through education, engagement, and
transparency.

Continuum of Care (CoC): A regional planning
body recognized by HUD that coordinates
homelessness services, applies for federal funding,
and oversees system performance.

Coordinated Entry System (CES): A standardized
process used across a community to assess,
prioritize, and connect people experiencing
homelessness to housing and services based on
vulnerability and need.

Cost Burdened: A household spending more than
30% of gross income on housing costs, including
rent or mortgage and utilities.

Appendix 7: Glossary
Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG): A HUD program
that provides federal funding for homelessness
activities, including street outreach, emergency
shelter, prevention, and rapid rehousing.

Encampment: An area where individuals
experiencing unsheltered homelessness reside
in tents, makeshift structures, or vehicles, often in
public spaces.

Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF): A California
state competitive funding source that supports
local governments to resolve encampments
by moving people into interim and permanent
housing.

Extremely Low-Income (ELI): Households earning at
or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Flexible Funds: Locally controlled funds that can be
used quickly to overcome barriers to housing, such
as application fees, deposits, or arrears.

Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention
Program (HHAP): A California state program
providing formula-based funding to local
jurisdictions to support homelessness prevention,
interim housing, and permanent housing efforts.

Homeless Management Information System
(HMIS): A database used to collect, track, and
report client-level data on homelessness services,
required by HUD and considered best practice for
systemwide tracking.

Housing First: An evidence-based approach
that prioritizes providing people experiencing
homelessness with permanent housing quickly and
without preconditions, with supportive services
offered but not required.

Interim Housing: Short-term housing that provides
stability while individuals or families transition from homelessness into permanent housing. Includes
motel vouchers, bridge housing, and other
temporary options.
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Lived Experience of Homelessness: The firsthand
perspective of individuals who are or have been
homeless. Incorporating these voices ensures more
responsive and equitable strategies.

Low-Income Housing: Housing affordable to
households earning at or below 80% of Area
Median Income.

Non-Congregate Shelter (NCS): Interim housing in
which individuals or families have private units (e.g., motel rooms or cabins), as opposed to shared or
dormitory-style spaces.

Not In My Backyard (NIMBY): Opposition by
community members to affordable or supportive
housing developments in their neighborhood, often
rooted in stigma or misconceptions.

Outflows from Homelessness: The number of people
who exit homelessness into stable housing or other
permanent destinations.

Permanent Housing: A housing solution intended to
provide long-term stability for households leaving
homelessness.

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): Long-term,
deeply affordable housing paired with voluntary
supportive services, designed for people with
disabilities or long histories of homelessness.

Point-in-Time (PIT) Count: A one-night census
conducted annually, typically in January, to
estimate the number and characteristics of people
experiencing homelessness in a community.

Positive Exit: A housing outcome in which a person
leaves homelessness for a stable, permanent
housing destination or reunification.

Prevention: Programs and strategies that stop
individuals or households from becoming homeless,
including financial assistance, mediation, and
housing stabilization.

Project H.O.P.E.: A City of Camarillo program led by
the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and partners,
providing outreach, case management, and motel
vouchers to people experiencing homelessness.

Rapid Rehousing (RRH): A short- to medium-term
program that provides rental assistance and case
management to quickly move households from
homelessness into permanent housing.

System Performance Measures (SPMs): HUD-
defined metrics that evaluate homelessness system
effectiveness, such as length of time homeless,
exits to permanent housing, and returns to
homelessness.

Unsheltered Homelessness: The condition of living
in places not meant for human habitation, such
as streets, vehicles, encampments, or abandoned
buildings.

Very Low-Income (VLI): Households earning at or
below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Workforce Development (in Homelessness
Response): Programs that provide training,
readiness support, and employment pathways for
people experiencing or exiting homelessness, with
the goal of stability through sustainable wages.
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Understanding Inflows into and Outflows from Homelessness and Role in Achieving Camarillo’s Core Outcome
Every year, Camarillo conducts a Point-In-Time (PIT) Count of people experiencing homelessness both on the streets and in shelter. PIT count data provide a snapshot of homelessness on a single night, making it useful for assessing annual trends and informing policy guidance but is limited in showing the full scope of homelessness. In contrast, longitudinal data can track individuals over time to show duration of homelessness, flows in and out of the homelessness system, and other important trends, thus providing a more complete picture of homelessness. Longitudinal data, collected through systems like Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) and related By-Name-Lists, offer crucial insights into how people experiencing homelessness use services and understand their housing trajectories over time, which the snapshot-based PIT count cannot.

Point in Time vs Longitudinal Data
Feature PIT Count Data Longitudinal Data
Method Snapshot on a single night in January Tracks individuals over time Data Type Point-in-time estimate of the homeless
population
Flow of people into and out of homelessness,
duration, and service use
Scope Limited by its one-night view; can
underestimate the total number of people
who experience homelessness over a year
Provides a more comprehensive
understanding of the total population
experiencing homelessness over time
Use Case Useful for tracking annual trends and
informing policy/funding decisions
Critical for understanding the dynamics
of homelessness and system-wide
performance
Limitations Misses people who were homeless at
other times; can be influenced by specific
conditions on the count night
Historically, longitudinal data has been
sparse and limited to specific subpopulations
Examples The annual, one-night count mandated by
HUD
Enrollment and services data tracked via
HMIS and actively managed By-Name
Lists of all known people experiencing
homelessness
Appendix 8: Core Outcome
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In simpler terms, people are unfortunately falling into homelessness throughout the year, thus meaning that the number of people experiencing homelessness in the City of Camarillo during a calendar year will likely be higher than the PIT Count data collected in January. And a subset of this cohort is also being housed throughout the year. As such, it is important that Camarillo’s homelessness planning looks at the flow of people falling in and exiting out of homelessness across the year versus only using its PIT count in order to track its success. This is tracked via the continuous tracking of inflows and outflows:
• Inflow represents residents who have newly lost housing and enter/re-enter homelessness (including those that were inactive/missing but become active again). • Outflow largely represents residents who move into permanent housing. A smaller subset of outflow can include those who pass away or become inactive/missing. This document and modelling focusses on housing placements when outflow is discussed.
• When outflows from homelessness into permanent housing exceed the inflow of people becoming homeless or re-entering homelessness, homelessness declines. - This means that reducing inflows via prevention programs and increasing outflows via an increase in the number of permanent housing placements (and decreasing time to do so) will ensure that the number of people who are actively homeless will be reduced.

Visualizing Inflows, Actively Homeless, And Outflows throughout the Year Adapted from “Community Solutions, Urban Institute Partner to Understand Inflow into Veteran Homelessness,” by Community Solutions, 2020 (November 16), Community Solutions (https://community.solutions/research-posts/research-community-solutions- urban-institute-partner-to-understand-inflow-into-veteran-homelessness/)

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HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Reducing Homelessness and Increasing Permanent Housing Placement in the Next 5 Years
Between Year 1 and Year 5, Camarillo seeks to support approximately 158 residents to secure permanent housing, including those currently unhoused and those who may newly experience homelessness. This can be done by housing between 28 to 35 residents each year and would result in reducing homelessness by 67% in Year 5.

This plan shows that the City can make measurable progress by sustaining steady rehousing performance while continuing to expand prevention and affordable housing. Steady rehousing rates, if maintained, will continue to outpace new inflows into homelessness, driving a gradual and consistent reduction in total residents experiencing homelessness.

City Investments leading to Enhanced System Performance Camarillo’s current rehousing system reflects strong performance and efficient use of limited resources, and improving this to meet the likely increases in newly homeless will be possible by the enhancements included in this plan. To continue rehousing up to 40 residents each year, the City must strengthen existing systems, add housing capacity, and invest early in prevention and services as outlined in Goals 7 through 9.

As seen in the chart and graph below, modest increases in the rate of housing placements combined with stable inflows into homelessness will ensure outflows outpace new inflows into homelessness. This could result in a 67% reduction in homelessness by Year 5.

To secure these reductions, planning is critical. For example, if available housing units are fully utilized by Year 4, new supply cannot be created fast enough to sustain progress. Forecasting for future housing needs now ensures that successful housing rates in Year 1 can be maintained in Year 5 will be important.

Further, as economic uncertainty may dramatically impact inflows into homelessness, tracking prevention requirements in the community and matching investments to this need will ensure the rehousing system does not get overwhelmed by inflows.

VISUAL: ENHANCING CAMARILLO’S REHOUSING SYSTEM: ENSURING THAT OUTFLOW OUTPACES INFLOW

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HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
Note: This modeling is based on current conditions including the number of people currently experiencing homelessness (including those unsheltered and sheltered) as well as estimated via 2025 housing placement rates.

This model also assumes that there will be only a modest increase in people becoming homeless in Years 2, 3 and 4, with inflows starting to reduce in Year 5. If inflows into homelessness increase, it will be crucial to consider expanded investments in prevention and to ensure the City’s rehousing system continues to identify efficiencies and expanded resources to meet the need. While this modelling cannot control for the many unknown conditions that can both positively and negatively impact Camarillo’s homelessness response system, it provides a North Star for which the City can aspire to reach and plan around.

Tracking Progress
To track progress against these benchmarks, Camarillo will be best served by monitoring the following closely:
• Preventing Homelessness: Track the number of people who were prevented from becoming homeless via new Prevention Program.
- This will help to identify how successful the program is at preventing inflow into homelessness.. • Tracking Inflow: Track closely the number of people entering or reentering homelessness during the year. - Entering homelessness: This will help to identify potential need to increase Prevention Program Resources
- Re-entering homelessness: This will help to identify potential need to enhance retention services for those who have moved into permanent housing.
• Tracking Outflow: Track closely the number of people exiting homelessness into permanent housing. - Tracking both increases in the number of people housed and the ratio of those housed from the number of people who experienced homelessness during the year will be critical. • Tracking Time from Homelessness to Housing: Track closely how long it is taking people to leave homelessness.
- This will help to identify potential opportunities to shorten this time by identifying bottlenecks and potential solutions. This could include more resources to secure vital documents needed for housing, need for intensive case management for long stayers, advocacy with the CoC and County for additional support for long stayers.

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HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN
DRAFT
• Annual Review: Track progress on the above and adjust goals based on updated data and resources. • System Building: Continue building a rehousing system that consistently improves its ability to move residents into stable housing.
- System building should look to improve both the number housed and the time to do so. • Strategic Planning: Invest early to ensure the City can build upon its current success and keep improving rehousing rates through year five and beyond.

How to Track: What is the difference between HMIS Data and By-Name-List Data
Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) are HUD-mandated databases that are used to track how people experiencing homelessness interact with services. However, there may be individuals who have not yet consented to have their data recorded in HMIS and/or to services, thus meaning they will be excluded from list solely generated by HMIS. Further, if someone is experiencing homelessness is being served by another program and their data is included in an HMIS project that the City does not have access to, they could be inadvertently excluded if HMIS is the only method of compiling the BNL. As such, creating and actively managing and updating a By-Name-Lists of everyone experiencing homelessness in Camarillo is proven to improve communities’ outcomes.

On an individual level, the BNL forms the basis for discussing each person via what is called case conferencing. These meetings are held with all service providers serving those in the city who are approved to discuss client level data per the HMIS or other confidentiality agreements in place. These meetings are incredibly helpful to better coordinate and drive forward with housing solutions for people.

On a systems level, the City can use updated BNL to inform system performance and even create data visualizations to track the effectiveness of its homelessness response system. By actively managing a BNL of all people experiencing homelessness in Camarillo and meeting weekly with key service providers, the City will be able to better match housing solutions with individuals, prioritize community resources, and track the state of homelessness in the community at large.

Combining the review of system performance measures via HMIS along with data captured via the City’s BNL will ensure that Camarillo is able to identify progress, barriers, resource gaps and potential solutions in collaboration with the County and other system partners.

Camarillo City CouncilJanuary 28, 2026

Camarillo City Council
January 28, 2026