Board approves five-year lease to house East Valley Family Justice Center at Cal Lutheran

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize a 60-month lease with California Lutheran University for a campus property to serve as the East Valley Family Justice Center, a consolidated site for survivors of domestic violence and other crime-related services. The board also approved tenant improvements not to exceed $1,250,000 to ready the site.

District Attorney Nazarenko urged the board to adopt the lease, describing the center as "a one‑stop shop to assist crime survivors and victims with restraining orders, counseling, hospital, and medical bills." He said the site’s location on the Cal Lutheran campus offers proximity to clinicians, interns and campus facilities that can be leveraged to support survivors. Cal Lutheran president John Nunes and other partners described the collaboration as a public–private partnership that will expand access to services in East Ventura County.

Public Works staff said the county negotiated the lease to move services closer to populations that would otherwise travel to Ventura or Oxnard, and emphasized the benefit of a campus setting for clinical and internship support. Supervisor comments stressed the importance of locating services in a home-like setting and credited public-works staff for the negotiations. The motion to approve the lease was moved and seconded by supervisors and passed unanimously. The county will proceed with tenant improvements and subsequent operational planning; the board asked staff to return with implementation details and timelines.