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211 Ventura County reports Port Hueneme callers sought housing and transportation; mental‑health needs lower than county average
Summary
Interface Children and Family Services presented 2‑1‑1 data showing Port Hueneme had 719 calls in 2024 (234 first‑time contacts); housing was the top need and 30% of callers lacked transportation to reach referrals. Staff noted mental‑health/substance‑use calls were unusually low in Port Hueneme compared with other cities.
A representative from Interface Children and Family Services presented the Ventura County 2‑1‑1 service update to the council, outlining how Port Hueneme residents used the hotline in 2024 and describing special projects that support callers.
Lede
Interface reported 719 calls from Port Hueneme residents in 2024; 234 were first‑time callers and housing was the single most common need. The presenter also said 30% of local callers reported lacking transportation to reach referred resources.
Nut graf
Staff noted the unusual finding that mental‑health and substance‑use referrals did not appear among the top five needs for Port Hueneme callers — a pattern not observed in other cities in the county — and suggested community cohesion may contribute to that result while inviting council follow‑up later with updated 2025 data.
Details
- Call volume and demographics: 719 total Port Hueneme calls in 2024; 234 first‑time contacts; 71 families with children under age 5; 11 callers were pregnant while seeking assistance.
- Homelessness risk: 43 callers reported being at risk of homelessness within 14 days; 54 were currently homeless at the time of contact.
- Transportation: 30% of Port Hueneme callers said they did not have transportation to access referred services; 2‑1‑1 provides a ride‑matching function to help callers get to referrals.
- Special projects and outcomes: Interface highlighted programs including smoking cessation (gift‑certificate incentive with a reported 75% success rate among participants), PSPS (public safety power shutoff) support for medically vulnerable residents, the California versus Hate Reporting partnership and an ongoing effort to help connect callers with backup power and shelter resources.
Next steps
The presenter said updated 2025 data will be presented in a few months and provided councilmembers printed outreach materials and an offer to forward a PDF of outreach handouts that staff can distribute.
