TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Jonathan Serret, Cultural and Community Services Director DATE:September 15, 2026
SUBJECT: Update on Housing Options: Thrive Grove Navigation Center, Supportive Permanent Housing, and For-Sale Affordable
Housing Fee Exemption
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive report on Thrive Grove Navigation Center.
2. Provide direction to staff on participation with the County of Ventura for ten Permanent Supportive Housing units.
3. Find that the action of receiving the Thrive Grove Navigation Center report and providing direction on the Permanent Supportive Housing units is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
4. Read ordinance in title only, waive further reading, and if no objection, introduce ordinance exempting for-sale affordable housing projects from certain development impact fees and find that the action of introducing the ordinance is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Financial Impact to be Determined. Minimal staff time required to prepare the report is included in the Adopted FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget. Financial impact to Developer Fee funds from unrealized revenues due to development impact fee waivers will be determined by the number of 100 percent for-sale affordable housing project development applications entitled.
BACKGROUND:
This report provides an update on several strategic initiatives that support the City’s broader efforts to address homelessness, expand housing opportunities, and strengthen partnerships that advance the local housing continuum and includes three complementary components: an update on the first year of
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operations and outcomes at the Thrive Grove Navigation Center (Thrive Grove); an opportunity to partner with the County of Ventura on permanent supportive housing units through the Homekey+ Lewis Road Project; and a public hearing to consider a 100 percent for-sale affordable housing development impact fee waiver program to support the development of additional affordable housing within the City. Together, these initiatives represent complementary approaches to addressing housing instability; from immediate shelter and navigation services, to permanent supportive housing, to policies that can facilitate the development of additional affordable housing resources.
Thrive Grove:
Addressing homelessness remains a priority for City Council. In recent years, the City has worked with the former City Council Ad Hoc Homelessness Committee, City staff, Thousand Oaks Police Department (TOPD), Ventura County Continuum of Care (CoC), local social service organizations, and other government agencies to develop coordinated strategies to address homelessness in Thousand Oaks.
On January 16, 2024, City Council approved agreements with Dignity Moves, Many Mansions, and Hope the Mission for the development, ground lease, and operations of Thrive Grove. The 30-bed Navigation Center opened on June 9, 2025.
Thrive Grove consists of 24 single-occupancy and three double-occupancy modular, “tiny home” units, along with facilities for bathrooms, laundry, staff offices, food service, and community space. The project was designed in two phases.
Phase 1, which is currently operational, provides 30 beds and includes site infrastructure to support an additional 20 beds as part of Phase 2.
Thrive Grove operates through a collaborative partnership with two other entities.
Many Mansions provides property management to ensure the facility remains clean, safe, and functional for residents and staff. Hope the Mission provides 24- hour, seven-day-a-week operations and program oversight, including on-site supervision, case management, service coordination, and housing navigation.
Within the first 30 days, participants work with case managers to develop an individualized Housing Plan and then receive ongoing support toward their housing and other goals. The continuous on-site presence is particularly important given the Navigation Center's role in serving individuals with complex needs and providing a consistent point of contact for participants throughout their stay.
TOPD and Harbor House provide additional support through street outreach and encampment response. These efforts help connect individuals experiencing homelessness in the community with shelter and services and assist with addressing homelessness in public spaces and resolving encampments.
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Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Partnership Opportunity:
The County of Ventura (County) is developing a PSH project at 1732 S. Lewis Road in unincorporated Ventura County. The project is expected to be completed in late 2027 and will provide 88 PSH units for individuals experiencing homelessness who have behavioral health needs. Each unit will include a kitchenette, bathroom, and living space, along with ongoing supportive services.
Referrals will be coordinated through the CoC’s Coordinated Entry System.
The project received a $28 million state grant toward capital and operating costs.
The County has also secured additional funding commitments from the City of Camarillo and Gold Coast Health Plan, as well as other County programs, such as Behavioral Health. Through a competitive process, the County selected DignityMoves as the developer and lessee, Life Ark as the modular housing provider, Swinerton Builders as the general contractor, and Many Mansions as the long-term owner, operator, property manager, and service provider.
The County approached the City regarding a one-time $2 million contribution toward the project. In exchange, the City would receive 10 dedicated PSH units for eligible Thousand Oaks residents for the 55-year affordability period. The proposed partnership would be towards the up-front contribution and not require the City to make any further contributions towards operating or maintenance costs for the units.
Development Impact Fee Waiver Program:
On April 14, 2026, the City Council directed staff to research the feasibility of a citywide impact fee waiver program for 100 percent affordable for-sale projects within the City and return with a proposed ordinance for the City Council’s consideration. Staff has concluded that such a program is feasible and could incentivize future affordable housing projects in the City.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Department Report - Thrive Grove First Year Outcomes:
From its opening on June 9, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Thrive Grove served 50 participants and received 197 incoming referrals. The center has consistently operated at full or near-full capacity, demonstrating sustained demand for shelter and navigation services in the community. During this period, 20 participants exited the program, including five positive exits, 11 self-exits, and four involuntary exits.
Of the positive exits, four participants transitioned to permanent supportive housing and one transitioned to other stable housing. As of June 30, the average length of Update on Housing Options
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stay was 274 days, compared with a countywide average of approximately 300 days, placing Thrive Grove generally in line with other temporary shelter programs in the County. This reflects the time needed to build trust, address immediate needs, connect participants with appropriate services, and identify suitable housing opportunities. The availability of appropriate permanent housing remains a significant challenge, particularly for individuals with complex needs and limited housing options.
The 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) homelessness count provides additional context for the City’s homelessness response following the opening of Thrive Grove. The January 2026 count identified 87 individuals experiencing homelessness, including 29 sheltered individuals, all of whom were residents of Thrive Grove, and 58 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. The 2026 unsheltered count represents a 64 percent decrease from 2025 and is the lowest reported in the City’s available historical data dating back to 2007. Although a PIT count represents a one-night snapshot and may be influenced by various factors, the results provide broader community context for Thrive Grove’s first year of operation and the City’s expanded capacity to provide shelter, connect individuals experiencing homelessness with services and housing.
Not all of Thrive Grove’s benefits are captured by participant and housing outcome data. Thrive Grove provides a consistent place where participants can build relationships with service providers, address immediate needs, and work toward longer-term housing and stability goals. Establishing trust and maintaining consistent contact can be particularly important for individuals who have experienced prolonged homelessness or face complex barriers to housing. These relationships may not result in an immediate measurable outcome but can create a foundation for continued engagement with services and future housing opportunities.
The first year of operation has also strengthened coordination among the City and its community partners. The partnership with TOPD has improved coordination between law enforcement, outreach, and shelter services, while relationships with Harbor House, Gold Coast Health Plan, and other service providers have expanded the resources available to participants and improved the ability to coordinate services around individual needs.
Overall, the first year of Thrive Grove has provided the City with practical experience operating a local shelter and navigation model and has demonstrated both the continued demand for shelter capacity and the challenges of transitioning individuals to permanent housing. The lessons learned during this first year will inform the City’s continued oversight of Thrive Grove, consideration of future shelter capacity and services, and broader efforts to strengthen the local response to homelessness and expand pathways to permanent housing. Additional information will be brought forward during the biennial budget process for City Council to consider for Phase 2 of the project.
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Department Report - PSH Partnership Opportunity:
The County approached the City to participate as a funding partner on the Lewis Road Project (Project), recognizing its proximity to Thousand Oaks and its potential to serve residents experiencing homelessness. The proposed partnership would provide the City with 10 dedicated PSH units for eligible Thousand Oaks residents in exchange for a one-time $2 million contribution toward the Project.
The partnership would allow the City to leverage substantial state and County funding to expand permanent supportive housing resources for Thousand Oaks residents experiencing homelessness, including individuals exiting the Thrive Grove Navigation Center. The partnership aligns with the City’s FY 2026-27 Top Ten Priorities by strengthening pathways to permanent housing, building on the City’s investment in Thrive Grove, and advancing coordination with the County to expand the regional housing continuum. The City would establish the criteria for determining whether an individual has a connection to Thousand Oaks and would receive regular reporting on occupancy and exits from the City’s reserved units.
The City would have no ongoing responsibility for operating costs, which would be supported through State Homekey+ and Behavioral Health Services Act grant funds, the Gold Coast Health Plan, and other County-identified funding sources.
Overall, the partnership would expand the City’s capacity to address homelessness while leveraging significant State and County resources and limiting the City’s financial commitment to a one-time investment.
Staff is seeking City Council’s direction on whether to pursue the proposed partnership with the County and consider a one-time $2 million contribution toward the Lewis Road Project in exchange for 10 dedicated PSH units for eligible Thousand Oaks residents over the 55-year affordability period. If City Council pursues this option, staff will return with a request for authorization to enter into an agreement with the County and budget appropriation.
Public Hearing - Fee Waiver Ordinance:
At the request of City Council, staff has evaluated a potential impact fee waiver program for 100 percent affordable for-sale projects within the City. Staff is proposing an impact fee waiver program that exempts 100 percent affordable for- sale housing projects from the Police Facilities Development Fee and all traffic impact fees. The fee waiver program is intended to reduce the financial barrier to providing affordable home ownership options in the City. The proposed ordinance, attached as Attachment #1, effectuates this program.
The proposed ordinance makes two changes to the Thousand Oaks Municipal Code. First, the proposed ordinance revises Title 8, Chapter 2 regarding the collection of a Police Facilities Development Fee, by adding section 8-2.06 which Update on Housing Options
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exempts 100 percent for-sale affordable housing projects from this fee. Second, the proposed ordinance adds Article 9 to Title 9, Chapter 10, the City’s affordable housing provisions, exempting 100 percent for-sale affordable housing projects from the City‘s traffic impact fees. Specifically, qualifying projects would be exempt from:
Road Payback Fee
Wendy Drive / US 101 Interchange Fee
Borchard Road / US 101 Interchange Fee
Moorpark Road / 101 Interchange Fee
Lynn Road Payback Fee
Citywide Traffic Impact Mitigation Fee
To qualify for these exemptions, a project must consist of 100 percent for-sale affordable dwelling units. A dwelling unit is affordable if it is required by a recorded regulatory agreement to be sold to, and occupied by, persons and families of low or moderate income for a period of at least 45 years.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
A. Create a more equitable, accessible, safe, welcoming, and inclusive government and community regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, language, education, and/or socio-economic status.
B. Provide municipal government leadership which is open and responsive to residents, and is characterized by ethical behavior, stability, promoting public trust, transparency, confidence in the future, and cooperative interaction among civic leaders, residents, business representatives, and staff, while recognizing and respecting legitimate differences of opinion on critical issues facing the City.
D. Maintain strong commitment to public safety (including Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, and Emergency Management) to ensure City remains one of the safest Cities in the United States with a population over 100,000.
PREPARED BY: Sarah Mailes, Community Services Analyst
Melissa Hurtado, Deputy Cultural and Community Services Director Noel Doran, Assistant City Attorney
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Ordinance
CCS/CAO:330-10/MH:L:\Common\Community Services\City Council Items\2026 Staff Reports\09152026\