Homeless Transition Center
The Transition center is a safe haven offering year round day shelter and extensive opportunities for receiving assistance and referrals. Anyone who is homeless or is at risk of becoming homeless is welcome at the Transition Center.
The Transition Center operated by Community Action of Ventura County, Inc. serves as Ventura County’s only Transition program for the homeless, indigent and at-risk individuals and families. The Center is located at 621 Richmond Ave. Oxnard Ca. 93030. The Center is open to all. The guests of the Center are people struggling with poverty and other barriers that keep them from becoming self-sufficient and a productive member of society. Some of our clients come from:
- Homeless shelters
- Are men and women ages 18 to 80+
- Are people living in cars
- Are people struggling with poverty and/or mental illness and /or substance abuse trying to find some stability and to escape the sometimes bad weather
- People who fit the governments definition of homelessness
- People who have recently lost their careers and foreclosed on their home
What are Barriers?
There are many barriers faced by the homeless and at risk families in there day too day struggle just to stay alive or keep a roof over their head, most of which can be categorized into either structural barriers or individual barriers. These barriers prevent many of our homeless and at-risk families from entering the labor force, retaining jobs and supporting their families.
Structural barriers: Childcare, Transportation issues, education/training, housing/cost of living, hiring patterns, insufficient supportive services, etc.
Individual barriers: Inadequate job skills, Low self-esteem and confidence, Lack of family or peer support, unstable or outdated work experience, drug or alcohol addiction, poor health, mental health issues, families with single source of income, unstable or unsuitable housing, criminal record/ legal issues, domestic violence, etc.
Prevention is the key:
By recognizing these barriers through Community Action's in-take system, CAVC is able to help the homeless and at risk families in our area stay self-sufficient or to become self-sufficient.
Many people believe that individuals and families become homeless because they have drug and alcohol problems, legal problems, poor health, lack of family support, domestic violence, depression, mental health and other issues that require extensive support services. However, there is a lot of evidence that these issues/barriers frequently occur after a person becomes homeless.
Community Action is on the frontlines of Ventura County's war on homelessness. The community as a whole must tackle homelessness or potential homelessness as soon as possible because the longer people are street homeless; the more homelessness becomes an entrenched way of life.
This program is always in need of volunteers and additional funding through donations. If you have a passion for your community please give CAVC a call to see how you how you can help change lives in your community.