Casa Aliento

OXNARD, CALIFORNIA

Goal: Transform a temporary housing facility into permanent supportive housing with amenities, resources, and services for low-income and homeless individuals, prioritizing those vulnerable to the COVID-19 public health crisis and persons living with mental disabilities.

Casa Aliento is a 70-unit, two-story, housing community located in Oxnard, CA. Currently, the site is functioning as a non-congregate shelter, with an end goal of providing permanent housing to extremely low-income and homeless individuals or those at-risk of homelessness. Priority will be given to individuals who are at high-risk for hospitalization if they contract COVID-19. Furthermore, 34 of the apartment homes are No Place Like Home (NPLH) units, which serve those who are living with mental disabilities.

The development, a rehabilitation of a motel, consists of 69 studios and one one-bedroom manager unit, on-site parking, locational and outdoor amenities for residents. The project will expand the outdoor common area space for residents, which will include an outdoor dining area, garden boxes, a dog run, and smoking area. The site will undergo substantial rehabilitation work to ensure the long-term functionality of the building. For example, units will be equipped with kitchenettes, upgraded HVAC units, electrical systems, bathrooms, flooring, and drywall. There will also be a complete replumbing of the entire building. In addition, the property is in a mixed commercial and residential area of Ventura County, close by several commercial businesses and amenities.

CDP partnered with Mercy House, the Ventura County Health Care Agency, the County of Ventura Human Services Agency, and Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH) on this project. The development employs Housing First principles of tenancy combined with access to on site mental health support, supportive services, and on-going tenant education, with VCBH providing services for the NPLH units.

DEVELOPMENT

Casa Aliento was awarded Homekey operating funds in August of 2020 from HCD to transition the property, then a 70-room Vagabond Inn Motel serving as temporary housing funded by Roomkey HCD funding, into a temporary shelter for vulnerable persons during the COVID-19 crisis. As the Ventura Homekey project, Casa Aliento prioritized housing security for highly vulnerable persons who experienced homelessness and were identified as high-risk for COVID-19. Since opening as temporary shelter in 2020, a total of 80 participants have been sheltered and are receiving both social services and medical care (units specifically serviced by the National Health Foundation). The occupied rehab of Casa Aliento will transition the community to permanent housing, while maintaining the same level of care for residents and greatly improving the livability of units and longevity of the building’s systems. The project was made possible with HCD Homekey funds from the County of Ventura, Oxnard Housing Authority Project-Based Vouchers, CDBG and NPLH funding from the state.

DATA
  • Number of units: 70
  • Lot size: 1.84 acres
  • Density: 38 units/acre
  • Unit size: 720-1,063 ft2
  • Unit mix: 69 Studios, 1 1BD
  • Parking Spaces: 33
  • Affordability: 30% AMI
  • Total Cost: $42.5 M
TEAM
  • Non-Profit Partner: Mercy House
  • Architect: Architecture Design Collaborative (ADC)
  • Contractor: ICON National
  • Property Management: FPI Management

PARTNERS

CDP is proud to partner with these organizations, dedicated to bettering the lives not only of Casa Aliento’s residents, but of those lower-income residents in surrounding communities.

Mercy House

Mercy House was founded by Father Jerome T. Karcher with a vison to serve the local homeless and at-risk communities. Since beginning services in 1990, Mercy House has grown from a single transitional housing program to a complete system of care designed to span the spectrum of services. These range from outreach and homeless prevention programs to emergency shelters and permanent housing, which incorporates both Housing First projects serving chronically homeless populations and affordable housing serving very low to low-income populations. On an annual basis, Mercy House programs and services touch the lives of over 7,000 adults and children across Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, and Kern Counties in California as well as Maricopa County, Arizona. Our growth over our 30-year tenure has been tied to clarity of vision and purpose, always
bearing in mind our ultimate goal: to end the homelessness of all who enter our unique system of care. To learn more, please visit: https://www.mercyhouse.net/.

Ventura County Health Care Agency

The Ventura County Behavioral Health Department (VCBH) provides mental health and substance use treatment services. VCBH plays an important role as an integrated component of the Ventura County Health Care Agency. The Crisis and Referral Line is the entry point for access to all Ventura County Behavioral Health Services. Individuals needing health services or who are experiencing a mental health crisis should call this number. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We provide support for individuals and families who are in crisis; people considering suicide; or those struggling with mental illness, substance use, or both. To learn more, please visit: https://vcbh.org/en/.

County of Ventura Human Services Agency

The County of Ventura Human Services Agency provides public services that offer support, hope, and opportunity for improved well-being. The numerous offered programs help ensure the protection of children, the elderly, and dependent adults, as well as provide a safety net for individuals and families who need assistance with basic necessities, such as food, housing and health care. Additionally, the County of Ventura Human Services Agency helps people secure employment through education, training, job search skills and job placement. To learn more, please visit: https://www.ventura.org/human-services-agency/.

Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH)

The Ventura County Behavioral Health Department (VCBH) provides mental health and substance use treatment services. VCBH plays an important role as an integrated component of the Ventura County Health Care Agency. VCBH is committed to reducing stigma and discrimination. They promote wellness through a whole-person care approach where clients and families are empowered by appropriate, accessible, timely, culturally sensitive, and collaborative behavioral health services. Support is provided for individuals and families who are in crisis, struggling with mental illness, substance use, or both. To learn more, please visit: https://www.vcbh.org/en/.