Ventura County Supervisors Give ‘Conceptual Approval’ for 51-Bed Residential Center for Mentally Ill
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday granted "conceptual approval" for the construction of a proposed 51-bed supervised residential center for people with mental illnesses, the Los Angeles Times reports. But before construction can begin, the supervisors agreed to hold a study session in January to discuss details of the plan, including the cost (Saillant, Los Angeles Times, 12/5). The proposed facility would be built on state-donated land near Camarillo and run by the county's Behavioral Department of Health. Officials estimated the minimum start-up costs for the project at $8.4 million (Koehler, Ventura County Star, 12/5). Supervisor John Flynn said, "That's an awful lot of money. But we will find the money to do this. We have to" (Los Angeles Times, 12/5). The Board of Supervisors had debated between the approved 51-unit proposal and a "broader" plan that would have build 200 new low-cost apartments and townhouses (California Healthline, 12/3). Mental health advocates, who have said that more beds are needed in the county, called the supervisors' move a "good first step" (Los Angeles Times, 12/5).
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