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Ventura County reports declines in homelessness; Oxnard records 24% drop, county urges continued housing investments
Summary
County of Ventura presented results of the 2025 point‑in‑time count showing countywide declines in homelessness and notable reductions in Oxnard (24% drop since 2023). County and local leaders credited investments in shelter and housing while noting rising vehicle‑dwelling percentages and ongoing service needs.
Kimberly Albers, Ventura County deputy executive officer and homelessness solutions director, briefed the Oxnard City Council on the 2025 point‑in‑time (PIT) count and related county efforts to address homelessness. The presentation was given as an informational item; council took no action on the report.
Key findings presented by Albers:
- Countywide changes: The county’s PIT count showed an 18.5% decrease in the total number of persons counted as experiencing homelessness from 2023 to 2025, and a 22% decrease in unsheltered homelessness over the same period. - Oxnard: Oxnard recorded a 24% reduction in persons counted (down from 838 in 2023 to 634 in 2025, according to the count presented), which the county linked to targeted local investments in shelter and housing. - Living situations: Countywide, 68% of unsheltered individuals were counted in outdoor locations such as parks and riverbeds; 32% were living in vehicles (up from 20% the prior year). In Oxnard, 27% of those counted unsheltered were living in vehicles. - Veterans: Ventura County reported a 53% reduction in unhoused veterans between 2023 and 2025; since the PIT count roughly six months earlier, the county said about 60 additional veterans had been permanently housed. - Housing pipeline and projects: County slides highlighted recent and in‑pipeline housing projects, including Dolores Huerta Gardens in Oxnard (shown as 42 units for farmworker households and 15 units for veterans), Central Terrace, Casa Aliento and other developments dedicated to extremely low‑income households and persons experiencing homelessness. - Encampment response and resources: Albers noted expanded outreach, a fully staffed Homeless Liaison Unit, a survey app for tracking encampments, and $41 million in new encampment resolution funding for county projects.
Supervisor Vianney Lopez, present in the chamber, thanked the city for its investments and noted the county‑city collaboration in addressing homelessness.
Councilmembers asked for clarification on topics including the role of prevention and rapid rehousing, outreach and services for people living in vehicles, the county’s bed inventory and transitions from pandemic‑era programs to permanent housing. Albers described the county’s use of rapid rehousing, prevention funding allocated to United Way and the Human Services Agency, and ongoing investments in permanent supportive housing and behavioral health bridge programs.
Because the presentation was informational, there were no council votes on this item; councilmembers and staff expressed support for continued regional coordination and funding to continue the gains shown in the count.
Why it matters: The PIT count drives state and federal reporting and informs allocation of homelessness assistance funds. Oxnard’s decrease in counted people experiencing homelessness was the most pronounced among cities in the county and was presented as aligning with targeted local shelter and housing investments.
Follow‑up: County and city staff continue to coordinate on shelter/housing projects, rapid rehousing/prevention funnels, and encampment response and monitoring tools.
