34 people have a new roof over their heads: SHORE opens

Yesterday was the ceremonial ribbon cutting for Ventura's new homeless transitional housing project, but the tenants moved in last week.

"It's been a long and winding road that leads to the door that opened to a place that 34 people can call home," observed Rick Pearson, the long-time Executive Director of Project Understanding. His group will administer the assistance formerly homeless tenants will receive as they work to get themselves back on their feet.

The 15 units of "supportive housing" are part of the much larger WAV project still under construction in Downtown at Thompson and Garden Streets. The 54 "affordable" units for working artists will open later. The LEED-certified project also includes market rate condos, ground floor retail and a 99 seat performance space.

Pearson has been working on this dream for more than a dozen years. The original goal was a year-round homeless shelter. But when that effort proved difficult to site and finance, it was combined with the affordable artist housing project and shifted to "transitional housing," an equally key part of getting individuals and families permanently off the street.

Project Understanding Board Chair Judy Alexander stressed that the new tenants will be able to regain what the rest of us take for granted: a bathtub, a shower, a permanent address and a place to come home to.

The larger project was financed by PLACE, a non-profit that secured local redevelopment, county, state and federal affordable housing funding as well as private donations and sponsorships.

Mayor Christy Weir hailed the ribbon cutting, thanking Community Services Director Elena Brokaw and Economic Development Manager Sid White for their efforts on behalf of the City to support the successful effort. Councilmember Neal Andrews recalled the City's commitment to the effort beginning nearly seven years ago and called for more partnerships like this in the future.