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California State Auditor Logo COMMITMENT • INTEGRITY • LEADERSHIP

Homelessness in California
State Government and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Need to Strengthen Their Efforts to Address Homelessness

Report Number: 2017-112

Response to the Survey From —
Oxnard, San Buenaventura, Ventura County CoC

 

HUD provides two lists of California Continuum of Care (CoC) key contacts: one for Northern California and one for Southern California.
You can find these lists at https://www.hud.gov/states/california/homeless/continuumcare.
  1. Enter the CoC number for which you are completing the survey.

    CA-611
  2. Enter the CoC name for which you are completing the survey.

    Oxnard, San Buenaventura, Ventura County CoC


  3. Enter the organization within the CoC that you represent.

    County of Ventura-County Executive Office

  4. What type of organization do you represent?.







  5. How many staff (full-time equivalents) does your organization employ?

    9000

  6. Does your organization provide homeless services directly for clients?


    Yes, case management, transitional housing, rapid re-housing, healthcare for the homeless, permanent supportive housing, behavioral health services, alcohol and drug services.

  7. Are you a direct recipient on your CoC's HUD application?
     
  8. Approximately what percentage of the funding your organization administers is from HUD for the CoC program?

    9

  9. If not your organization, is there another organization in your CoC that administers the majority of homeless services funding?




  10. Does your CoC conduct an unsheltered Point-in-Time (PIT) count annually? (Including those years not required by HUD)
     
  11. In which year did your CoC begin conducting an annual unsheltered PIT count?

    2007

  12. Why did your CoC decide to conduct an annual unsheltered PIT count?

    continuity

  13. What funding sources do you use to conduct the annual unsheltered PIT count? (Check all that apply.)





  14. How did your CoC facilitate the annual unsheltered PIT count?
    (For example, did you increase the number of volunteers, or find additional funding?)

    We utilize volunteers to assist with the annual homeless count.

  15. Did your organization have any challenges in implementing an annual unsheltered PIT count?



    Recruiting volunteers is sometimes challenging over the holidays in prepare for the homeless count with HUD's timeline. Getting all shelter programs regardless of funding to participate is sometimes challenging (privately funded, faith-based programs)

  16. How has conducting an annual unsheltered PIT count affected your CoC's operations and/or outcomes? If you have any data or analyses, please share specific metrics.

    We have a large percentage of unsheltered homeless persons that live in areas that are not always safe for volunteers. It is challenging to get an accurate count.

  17. Why does your CoC not conduct an annual unsheltered PIT count? (Check * all that apply)







     

  18. Please elaborate on the reasons why your CoC does not conduct an annual unsheltered PIT count.


  19. What would cause your CoC to conduct an unsheltered PIT count in the years not required by HUD?



  20. What sources does your organization use to fund the HUD-required PIT count of unsheltered homeless? (Check all that apply)






     

  21. How much did your CoC's 2017 PIT count cost?

    Unable to quantify volunteer time
  22. How many people did your CoC require to conduct its 2017 PIT count? (Staff, volunteers, and others)

    150

  23. How many of those identified in Question 22 were volunteers?

    145

  24. Does your CoC recruit volunteers for its unsheltered PIT count from organizations outside the homeless services community?



    We use United Way's volunteer recruitment program to find volunteers.

  25. Please share your perspective on the reasons your CoC's unsheltered homeless population in 2017 did or did not change from that in its previous unsheltered PIT count.

    Without dedicated funding, the homeless count is conducted to the best of our ability with volunteer efforts.

  26. Has your CoC reallocated funding in the past?



    Reallocation for underperforming projects including moving away from the transitional housing models.

  27. How often does your CoC reevaluate final priority rankings for the HUD CoC Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), based on HUD priorities?




  28. How often does your CoC perform the following gap analyses?

    Housing gap analysis—annual

    Funding gap analysis—

    Service gap analysis—annual

    Other (please specify)—

  29. In what year did your CoC perform each of the following for the first time, or leave the row blank if it is not applicable.

    Housing gap analysis
    2016

    Funding gap analysis


    Service gap analysis
    2016

    Other (as you identified in question 27)

  30. Does your CoC employ specific strategies for identifying alternative funding for programs that are reallocated or do not receive HUD funding?



    grant writing, working with community foundation and other private funders


  31. Does your CoC have a strategic plan that integrates other publicly-funded programs that provide services, housing, and income supports to poor persons whether they are homeless or not (mainstream benefits and services)?



  32. Please provide a web address to your CoC's most recent strategic plan or email it as an attachment to CoCSurvey@auditor.ca.gov.

    www.venturacoc.org

  33. When did your CoC complete its first strategic plan?

    2012-10 year plan

  34. How often does your CoC update its strategic plan?

    annual for strategic plan

  35. How has your strategic plan benefited your CoC?

    measure progress


  36. Why has your CoC not developed a strategic plan?

  37. What grant-seeking or fundraising activities does your CoC engage in?

    Seek other federal and state funding

  38. Are there any strategies or unique actions your agency takes that have strengthened your CoC?

    County has provided dedicated staff for CoC

  39. Please provide any information about these strategies or actions.
    Feel free to provide web addresses to any reports or email them as attachments to CoCSurvey@auditor.ca.gov.


    www.venturacoc.org

  40. If you have any additional perspective or concerns, please provide this information in the space below.
    For example, if you would like to share additional information regarding homelessness, services, or funding.


    Ventura County is a countywide CoC and staff to the CoC are County funded staff. There are challenges when it comes to collaborating with the cities within the county when city and county governments do not agree on strategies. We have struggled to find the right balance and to get all the involved parties moving in the same direction. Limited funding for year-round emergency shelter and transitional housing programs as well as diminished funding for permanent supportive housing makes addressing homelessness very challenging. The County provides services such as healthcare, social services, employment, but doesn't provide much of the housing or shelter that is needed to effectively address homelessness. Small counties have fewer opportunities for funding because the need is greater in larger metropolitan areas.

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