Ojai moves homeless encampment from City Hall garden to new tents

The city of Ojai has started moving residents of a homeless encampment in the 8-acre City Hall Community Garden area to a nearby parking lot.

About 30 people live at the site, officials said.

They will be moved into new tents on fire-treated platforms at the Kent Hall parking lot, 111 W. Santa Ana St., about 100 feet away from the garden.

Jamie Nelson, 74, was the first to move to one of the new white tents. She has lived in Ojai for 29 years but moved to the encampment in November after being homeless since September. She stayed at a Motel 6 in the area until she ran out of money, she said.

Nelson, who uses a cane and lives with Mae Mae, her 3-year-old Chihuahua and dachshund mix, was appreciative of her tent and the community.

“Most everybody here is way over wonderful,” Nelson said Wednesday.

Nelson, who moved in Monday, proudly showed off her new quarters with a bed, portable chair and shelf. Each tent will house one resident.

The temporary encampment at the community garden has been at full capacity since December 2023, officials say. The city published answers to common questions about the camp on its website Monday.

The move provides a “manageable and secure area for improved public safety and living conditions” as well as a more sanitary environment, the site says. Sensitive oak woodland and creek areas impacted by the garden encampment will be cleaned up after relocation is complete.

The city owns the Kent Hall property, which is considered part of the City Hall campus, said City Manager Ben Harvey.

Seven other white tents set up in the Kent Hall parking lot on Wednesday still needed to be better clamped to platforms before others could move in, said Rick Raine, the city’s homeless services coordinator. The tents are waterproof and mildew-proof.

Some people moved into the tents on Thursday and the rest will move in Friday or Saturday, he said Friday morning. Rainy weather has been a factor in moving people.

“Speed is of the essence, but safety ranks above that,” Raine said.

At most, about 12 tents can be placed in the parking lot. Another site will be needed for the other encampment dwellers, he said.

On Wednesday, the community garden camp featured a variety of tents, some new, some old, in different colors, shapes and sizes. A sign posted near the tents warns against drug and alcohol use.

While the camp isn’t accepting new people, officials will let residents leave and return. One man went to the hospital for a toe amputation, said Raine, and was expected to come back.

Volunteers built the Kent Hall parking lot camp, which Raine will manage. The new site includes storage units for residents to secure belongings. Residents' property will be limited to their tent and storage areas.

The move will be conducted in phases. Those with health issues will be given priority, said assistant city manager Carl Alameda during the Jan. 23 City Council meeting. Portable bathrooms are located in the area.

The community garden encampment began to develop in summer 2023, city officials said.

The city considers the tents to be a temporary solution until people can be moved into tiny homes or some other option. The full plan is still being developed, Raine said.

Council members voted 3-2 on Jan. 23 to apply for a state grant to help fund the encampment relocation. Mayor Betsy Stix and Councilmember Andrew Whitman voted no because they wanted more information about total cost and other issues.

The council previously allocated $200,000 for the purchase of tents for the Kent Hall site in the effort's first phase.

“If we get the grant, we’ll be able to hire a crew and … throw away all this trash,” Raine said. “It’s too much for one person to do.”

A deadline hasn't been set to move everyone into the new tents, but legally those in the encampment have to have a notice and housing to be moved, Raine said.

Some neighbors aren’t happy. Raine said the city listens to their complaints, but officials can’t move or evict members of the garden encampment.

In response to complaints, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office patrols the site a couple times at night. The Ojai station is small and has to cover the city and unincorporated areas, Raine said.

Nearby, a group of people played pickleball at City Hall courts Wednesday. Some players said they were concerned about the homeless residents and the city’s plan.

“As a short-term solution, I think it’s fine, but more creative thinking has to occur,” said Joanne Quinn of Ojai. “I don’t know how much thought went into providing this campus as a homeless shelter. … It’s like running another community, and they’re having a hard enough time running Ojai.”

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ojai moves homeless encampment from City Hall garden to new tents