Mercy House outlines Casa de Carmen navigation center and supportive housing at Second and B streets

Mercy House representatives briefed the Oxnard neighborhood council on plans for Casa de Carmen, a combined permanent supportive housing (PSH) project and navigation center to be located at Second and B streets in downtown Oxnard.

Nina Castellano, regional director for Mercy House, said Mercy House will operate 55 PSH units on the upper three floors and a 110‑bed, low‑barrier navigation shelter that will relocate from K Street to the new site. "It's a 110 bed shelter. It is operating as a low barrier shelter," Castellano said. She said Mercy House expects to "fill in the units first, hopefully starting Aug. 1, and then move into the shelter component" once construction and readiness are complete.

The Mercy House presentation said the organization already operates other programs in the region, including a permanent supportive housing building on Oxnard Boulevard that is currently serving 32 units and is expected to expand to 69 units. Mercy House described the navigation center as a low‑barrier operation that uses the county's coordinated entry system and maintains capacity through a wait list and short‑turnover beds reserved for emergency referrals from local law enforcement.

Castellano said Casa de Carmen will use a "no walk on or walk off" policy for the shelter portion and that Mercy House will provide transportation from approved pickup sites rather than rely on residents walking to and from the facility. She identified approved pickup points in Oxnard, including the transit center at the bus station and behavioral health locations on Williams Drive and near Rose/Gonzales and Williams Drive.

During Q&A, residents asked about downtown impacts, the library, gender split and family services. Castellano said most beds serve single adults and that Mercy House typically sees a roughly 70% male and 30% female population; families are redirected to separate family shelters when referrals occur. She said staff will work with the Oxnard Police Department and internal outreach teams to maintain capacity and cleanliness in surrounding neighborhoods.

Mercy House staff identified other local sites used in the county system and confirmed that Gabriel's House, a separate county behavioral health facility on Rose Avenue, is currently unoccupied.

The presentation concluded with Mercy House contact information and an offer to coordinate tours and donations; Mercy House confirmed donors receive tax receipts for qualifying contributions.

Casa de Carmen remains under construction; Mercy House provided the schedule above and described operational practices but did not present a final calendar for public shelter move‑ins. Council members and neighborhood chairs asked follow‑up questions about transport logistics and neighborhood impacts.