Homelessness was one of my top priorities going into this race. It was personal. My little brother has experienced homelessness, and that gave me a different kind of understanding of this issue than most. Not just empathy. A real sense of what it takes to actually solve for it.
I voted to approve Thrive Grove, the first shelter in Thousand Oaks city history. That vote mattered to me personally.
Four years later, the results speak for themselves.
In Thousand Oaks, homelessness has dropped from 128 residents in 2023 to just 87 in the most recent count, a 46% reduction. And for the first time in our city's history, the count includes sheltered residents, thanks to the opening of Thrive Grove, our new shelter and services center on Lawrence Drive.
Here's what changed.
It happened because we made real investments and demanded real accountability.
I voted to waive every city development fee for the Thrive Grove site, removing a financial barrier that could have stalled the project before it started. I voted to accept $5.83 million in state funding that made it financially viable. And I voted to finalize the full agreement package, a ground lease, development management, and services contracts with Many Mansions, DignityMoves, and Hope the Mission, totaling $8.1 million in committed investment, with the majority covered by state and county funding.
Thrive Grove opened in 2025, giving us a real place to bring people in off the street. A shelter where they could get back on their feet, access services and job training, and work toward getting back into a job and a life of their own. Dedicated Sheriff's homeless liaison deputies work our community every day, building relationships and connecting people to resources. We partnered with nonprofits and county agencies to create a coordinated system, not just bed counts, but case management and long-term housing pathways.
I voted to fund nearly $700,000 in Community Social Service Grants to local nonprofits over four years. And I made the motion on a $900,000 loan to support Hillcrest Villas, a permanent supportive housing project for residents moving out of shelter and into stability.
And we enforced the law. I made the motion on a $1 million encampment cleanup contract to keep our parks and public spaces clear. Every encampment in Thousand Oaks has been cleared. Our parks and public spaces belong to the families of this community, and we made sure they stayed that way. We did it legally and we did it consistently.
What's next.
The work isn't finished. Thrive Grove is at capacity and we're exploring expansion. The goal isn't just fewer people on the street. It's a complete, functioning system that addresses the real issues: mental illness, addiction, and the barriers that put people there in the first place, so they can rehabilitate, get back on their feet, and stay off the streets for good.