Ventura County’s healthcare system and senior services are facing growing financial pressure that could affect tens of thousands of residents, even as officials report progress on homelessness. A recent conversation with Supervisor Jeff Gorell, who represents the Second District, including much of Camarillo, touched on several issues affecting the community.
Homelessness Is Down, But Work Remains
On homelessness, the county's own data shows a clear trend in the right direction. According to the 2025 Point-in-Time Count released by Ventura County, the total number of unhoused residents countywide dropped from 2,441 in 2023 to 1,990 in 2025, an 18.5% decrease over two years. The decline was seen across the county, including in Camarillo.
"We're not perfect yet, and we're nowhere near it," Gorell said, "but at least we're trending in the right direction."
The data also showed a 53% decrease in unhoused veterans over that same period, driven in part by new housing developments, including Ventura Springs, a facility serving veterans that opened in late 2024. The county currently has 895 emergency shelter beds in use, with additional supportive and permanent housing units under development.
The County's Healthcare Safety Net Is Under Pressure
A major but less visible challenge is emerging in the county’s healthcare system. Ventura County operates two hospitals and a network of clinics, including 19 Federally Qualified Health Centers that together serve more than 106,000 patients annually. These facilities function as a safety net for residents who are uninsured or rely on Medi-Cal.
That safety net is facing serious financial strain. According to reporting by the Ventura County Star, federal funding changes included in H.R. 1 could cost the county health system an estimated $400 million over six years, with annual losses potentially reaching $113 million by 2032. As many as 80,000 county residents could lose Medi-Cal coverage over several years as a result, county financial officials told the Board of Supervisors in November.
"This is paramount to anything else going on in the county," county Chief Financial Officer Scott Powers told the Star at the time.
Gorell acknowledged the pressure directly. "The money is drying up from the federal level and the state level," he said. "That's affecting our ability to deliver services, and this challenge hasn't existed until recently." He said the county is evaluating how to sustain services, which may include consolidating some operations.
Senior Services at a Crossroads
One concrete example of the pressures facing county programs came at the March 3 Board of Supervisors meeting, where supervisors voted 3–2 to pause a plan to transfer administration of the Area Agency on Aging out of county government.
The agency coordinates services for older adults and people with disabilities across Ventura County, including meal programs, transportation assistance, caregiver support, and the Aging and Disability Resource Center, which served 17,000 people last year. The original plan would have handed administration to a nonprofit under state oversight, but community members raised concerns that the transition could cause an 18-month gap in services.
Public comments submitted ahead of the vote illustrated how much residents depend on the agency. Sharon Cohen of Westlake Village, a caregiver for her husband who has dementia, wrote that she relies on it for transportation, meal delivery, and support groups. "I don't know how I would survive without this agency," she wrote, urging supervisors not to disrupt its services.
Gorell proposed the pause, saying it would give the county time to evaluate alternatives rather than rush a transition that advocates warned could leave vulnerable residents without help. "For our seniors who rely on these services, we owe them stability, not uncertainty," he said. The pause adds approximately $1.2 million to next year's county general fund budget and includes up to $150,000 for an outside consultant to assess options.
Resources Worth Knowing About
For residents who may be unaware of what the county offers, Gorell pointed to two resources that tend to go overlooked.
The first is 2-1-1, a free phone line that connects callers to hundreds of assistance programs covering healthcare, transportation, mental health services, and more. The second is the county's network of parks, campgrounds, and public golf courses, including Soule Park in Ojai, which Gorell described as affordable options for families.
How to Reach the Supervisor
Gorell holds monthly outdoor office hours at locations around the community, the same format where this interview took place. Residents can also reach his office by phone at 805-214-2510 or by email at [email protected].
Gabrielle Ridgeway covers local government for the Camarillo Caller. Editor's note: Supervisor Gorell is seeking reelection in the June 2, 2026 primary.
Supervisor Jeff Gorell speaks with a Camarillo resident at his monthly outdoor office hours, where community members can drop in without an appointment.