Ojai Council OKs Lower Public Works Yard for 30‑unit Cabin Village; soil testing, ADA access and tree impacts remain open

The Ojai City Council voted 3–2 on Tuesday to advance the proposed Cabin Village permanent supportive housing project at the city’s Lower Public Works Yard and directed the city manager to negotiate a development management agreement with the nonprofit developer Dignity Moves.

The council’s action preserved the project’s overall design and location while postponing final approvals until the city receives negotiated construction and operating terms and additional technical reports, including expanded soils testing. Mayor Pro Tem Rachel Lang made the motion to approve the site and proceed; Mayor Andy Gilman seconded. The roll call vote was Lang, Gilman and Councilmember Leslie Ruhl in favor; Councilmembers Whitman and Meng opposed.

City staff, Dignity Moves and consultants outlined the project as a courtyard‑centered cluster of three single‑story buildings containing 30 sleeping units (two are double units), on‑site supportive services, a shared kitchen and a central courtyard. Joanne Price, co‑founder and chief real‑estate officer for Dignity Moves, described the design as “designed around a courtyard” and said the project is intended to be permanent, durable and compatible with Ojai’s architectural character. Jeff Gaddis, Dignity Moves cofounder, called the effort “the most important project I’ve ever been a part of,” saying the site and design promote communal recovery and on‑site support.

Why it matters: the state’s Encampment Resolution Grant (ERF) used to fund the project subsidizes conversion of unsheltered encampments to permanent supportive housing. City leaders said meeting grant timelines and conditions influenced the council’s decision to move the Lower Public Works Yard forward. The council’s action does not finalize design review or CEQA findings; those approvals are to return later with the negotiated development agreement and any additional environmental determinations.

Key details and outstanding issues

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