Casa de Carmen

OXNARD, CA

Goal: increase homeless services in the City of Oxnard and provide much needed permanent supportive housing to the community

Located in Oxnard, CA, Casa de Carmen includes a 110-bed emergency shelter and 55 units of permanent supportive housing. The shelter, known within the community as the Homeless Solutions Center, will be located on the ground floor, and the 55 PSH residential units will be located in the four stories above. The shelter and residential units will have separate entrances and elevators. The Homeless Solutions Center is an existing shelter that is currently located in a temporary location on K Street – Casa de Carmen will become its permanent home.

Amenities at the building will include: outdoor podium and rooftop decks with a BBQ area, dining tables and additional lounge seating; a community room with a kitchen and large gathering space; computer workstations; and community garden beds. Several office spaces will be provided so that residents can receive private case management and services.

The site is located in Oxnard’s historic downtown district, directly across the street from the library and police station. Its central location puts it in close proximity to several amenities, including a medical clinic, pharmacy, grocery story, and senior center, and the nearest bus stops are just one block away.

Casa de Carmen is being developed in partnership with Mercy House, who will also provide resident services and operate the shelter. Wrap-around case management services will be provided by Ventura County Behavioral Health.

DEVELOPMENT

The site was originally owned by the City of Oxnard, who donated the land to the Housing Trust Fund of Ventura County, and then entered into a ground lease with CDP and Mercy House. Funding for Casa de Carmen is supported by bonds, a 4% Low Income Tax Credits (LIHTC) allocation with equity investment by Red Stone, a $1.5M investment from the City of Oxnard, the State of California’s NPLH program for permanent supportive housing, and a Section 8 contract for 55 project-based vouchers administered by the Housing Authority of the City of Oxnard. Construction financing and permanent financing is being provided by Citi.

DATA
  • Number of units: 56
  • Lot size: 0.48 acres
  • Density: 117 units/acre
  • Unit size: 720-1,063
  • Unit mix: 44 1BD (43-30% PSH, 1 manager unit); 12 2BD (30% PSH)
  • Parking Spaces: 10
  • Affordability: 30% AMI
  • Sustainability: LEED Gold
  • Total Cost: $42.7M
TEAM
  • Architect: Architecture Design Collaborative (ADC)
  • Contractor: Walton Construction
  • Property Management: FPI Management
  • Nonprofit Partner: Mercy House

PARTNERS

CDP partnered with Mercy House and Ventura County Behavioral Health to create a shelter-with-housing model and provide a realistic path out of homelessness. Mercy House will operate the shelter and provide residential services for those in the permanent supportive housing units. Ventura County Behavioral Health will provide wrap-around case management services.

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 Behavioral Health

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/