Ventura‘s El Patio Hotel opened in 1927‚ and continues to provide much-needed single occupancy homes. There is a garden in a quad area‚ in the heart of the hotel‚ inaccessible from the street. It is one of the hotels most charming features. The El Patio is located just blocks away from the ocean and Ventura County Fairgrounds.

It‘s true the El Patio Hotel in downtown Ventura was the better of the residential hotels‚ before it‘s transformation. One reason I liked it‚ was because I had my own complete bathroom‚ rather than having to walk down an open hallway‚ and use a bathroom shared with all the other residents and their guests.

The antiquated electrical power system would constantly trip fuses‚ because someone on the same circuit as my room was a power hog‚ and caused the power to fail‚ sometimes several times a day. Solar panels were installed in order to assist with modern day electrical use‚ and help pay for the installation by the 4th year of installation.

It is located in down-town Ventura. And‚ the noises at times‚ like during parades‚ or the race track or trains‚ could grind on your nerves.

Parking was hard. There was not enough in back of the Hotel and the street was hard; especially on Saturdays‚ when Farmer‘s market was right across the street.

No one tells you‚ that if you live in a residential hotel‚ that when you move‚ given the status as a “hotel,” the USPS refuses to forward your mail. That was a huge snafu for me.

What did we work for me‚ was that rent could be paid weekly or monthly‚ if you needed to pay rent in installments. Not very many apartments will work with residents like that. Since it has been rehabbed and is now part of networking partnerships working in ending homelessness‚ that arrangement is probably no longer available.

I became aware of the nonprofit People‘s Self-Help Housing after my residence at the El Patio started and ended. I visited their Hotel Victoria in Santa Barbara to apply for a residential management job at the Hotel Victoria. I found I would rather stay in Ventura.

People‘s Self-Help Housing has several properties they manage‚ and they truly rehabilitate residences‚ giving the communities they serve‚ decent places to live. This is a more desirable and constructive way to save our architectural history‚ and provide housing for homeless. And‚ single-room-occupancy places are effective for people who chose to live alone‚ and face homelessness because they are a single income household of one.

El Patio Hotel‚ a historic part of down-town Ventura‚ and is now almost entirely rebuilt‚ with its 41 studio units. The project was shared by agencies‚ like Ventura Homeless Services program‚ to provide housing. Partnerships continue and Housing Authority of Ventura still assists with tenants that qualify for‚ and use Housing Authority subsidies for their rent.

Many city‚ county and non-profits refer their clients for housing in the El Patio. It remains a viable resource for decent‚ clean‚ up-to-code and safe housing for other-wise disadvantaged citizens.

There were glitches in getting the financing‚ creating new partnerships which then fell apart. But the housing market had brought the unexpected surprise of a drop in the value of the property. Upsetting to previous owner‚ this was a blessing to People‘s Self-Help and the rest of the supporters of this project‚ when the drop got the hotel at a much lower price.

El Patio Hotel 167 South Palm Street‚ Ventura‚ California 93001-2711 805-643-9703

Other Resources:

Peoples Self Help Housing
26 E Victoria St
Santa Barbara‚ CA 93101
805-962-5152

Ventura City Homeless Service

Homeless Assistance Resources in Western Ventura County

Homeless Assistance Resources in Eastern Ventura County

Turning Point Foundation 805-652-0596

Project Understanding 805-652-1326

Catholic Charities 805-643-4784

Salvation Army 805-648-4977

Homeless One Stop Center - Every Tuesday 10 - 1pm‚ 3147 Loma Vista Road‚ Ventura, CA

J. Deborah Coss Editor
Email JDCoss@RoadSideWow.com

Copyright, 2014, J. D. Coss