Domestic violence shelter to open in Ventura. Here’s what to know

This article was originally published by the VC Star. Read the full article here.

A short-term domestic violence shelter will soon open in Ventura, adding 10 spaces to what officials say is a limited number locally.

The Ventura site will open at the Ventura County Family Justice Center, a one-stop place for victims of crime. The overwhelming majority of those who go to the center for help are survivors of domestic violence, said Brent Nibecker, chief deputy district attorney.

Plans have long called for adding a temporary shelter at the location, but funds weren’t initially available to do so. In 2024, around $1.6 million in federal funding was set aside for the project.

Of those funds, roughly $600,000 is expected to be paid to the Coalition for Family Harmony to operate the shelter for the next two years, according to a proposed agreement.

The county’s Board of Supervisors unanimously signed off on the agreement and a lease with the local nonprofit organization at a Feb. 10 meeting. The facility will be leased at no cost.

Supervisor Matt LaVere called the project an incredible partnership.

“People were getting the services, but they needed housing as well,” LaVere said. “This is going to meet that need.”

How did the county pay to build the shelter?

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko told supervisors the more than 1,500-square-foot building will include six beds and two restrooms. He credited Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, with helping to secure the federal funds.

The spot at the family justice center was briefly used for health care workers who needed a spot to isolate after treating patients with COVID-19.

The longtime medical offices, however, needed extensive work to be brought up to code, from adding sprinklers and water lines to redoing the parking lot. Around $1 million of the federal funds paid for construction costs.

The Ventura County Community Foundation also provided $440,000 to install four small pre-fabricated units and a restroom facility outside the building. The spots will allow rooms for those who may need special accommodations.

“We have come together to create a 15- to 20-day shelter opportunity for our domestic violence survivors,” Nasarenko said, during this week’s meeting.

When will the domestic violence shelter open?

Caroline Prijatel-Sutton, the coalition’s executive director, told supervisors about the work to shape what would eventually become the family justice center in Ventura.

“The dream was big to have a shelter as a potential at a family justice center in Ventura County,” she said. “Today, this dream is hopefully coming to fruition.”

The shelter is expected to run 24 hours a day and has the advantage of “literally being a hop, skip and a jump” from the family justice center building, Prijatel-Sutton said.

Personnel will include a full-time onsite housing manager as well as client specialists and support staff. A therapist also is expected to be available at times, according to the agreement.

The shelter is expected to open in early April.

Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at [email protected].