Cal Lutheran partnership brings family justice center to East County

A quiet residential street corner in the Conejo Valley is set to become a critical lifeline for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Following a unanimous vote by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 4, a county-owned partnership with California Lutheran University (CLU) will bring the East County’s first family justice center to a home on Faculty Street, adjacent to the Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks border.

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to enter into a lease agreement with the private university and spend $1.2 million to convert a 3,109-square-foot, single-family house into a centralized hub for victim services. For residents in Newbury Park and the surrounding communities, the new facility means an end to navigating a fragmented system, offering legal, counseling, and advocacy resources under a single roof.

A Data-Driven Decision for the Conejo Valley

The Ventura Family Justice Center originally opened its doors in 2019 as the county's first such facility. A second center was subsequently approved for west Ventura County to be located in Oxnard. However, leaders in the eastern reaches of the county—including Thousand Oaks city officials, District 2 Supervisor Jeff Gorell, and Simi Valley Mayor Janice Parvin—quickly recognized the pressing need for a similar resource east of the Conejo Grade, as reported by the Thousand Oaks Acorn.

Both Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks vied to host the new regional center, with Simi Valley pledging up to $1 million toward the project's development. Thousand Oaks ultimately secured the location by pledging $2 million, aligning with the county's 50-50 cost-sharing approach for the facility's development.

However, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko noted that municipal financial commitments were only part of the equation; statistical need weighed heavily in the final decision-making process. In 2024, Thousand Oaks recorded 2,859 law enforcement calls related to domestic violence, outpacing Simi Valley's 2,081 calls. This data underscored the urgent necessity for accessible, localized survivor services in the Conejo Valley.

A Symbiotic Partnership for Healing and Education

The selection of the CLU property marks a shift from the county's initial real estate strategy. Previous staff reports from February 2025 indicated that officials originally sought to purchase a much larger commercial building, specifically targeting an 8,000- to 12,000-square-foot facility. Ultimately, leasing the Faculty Street house provided a more viable and cost-effective path forward.

The university’s involvement goes far beyond acting as a landlord. Supervisor Gorell emphasized that the partnership establishes a pipeline for hands-on learning, creating opportunities for graduate students in counseling, psychology, and social work to gain valuable, supervised clinical experience while directly supporting survivors.

“We all got to come together to solve a local problem,” CLU President John Nunes said, expressing enthusiasm from the university's Board of Regents. “I strongly believe that we can do things at the local level that you can’t do at the federal level.”

This is not the university's first foray into victim advocacy. The campus has a history of collaborating with the Family Justice Center network. CLU students have previously volunteered at existing centers and served as counselors at Camp Hope, a specialized summer camp for children impacted by domestic violence and other crimes. Furthermore, in 2025, the university hosted the county’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week recognition ceremony and has partnered on research initiatives dedicated to improving long-term outcomes for survivors.

Financial and Logistical Frameworks

Under the terms finalized by county supervisors, the lease for the East County center will cost the county $3,700 in monthly rent over a 60-month term. The agreement includes a standard 3% annual increase and comes with an option to extend the lease for an additional five-year term.

While the county's $1.2 million allocation and the lease agreement are officially secured, city officials must still finalize their end of the financial bargain. Alexandra South, a spokesperson for the city of Thousand Oaks, stated that an item outlining the final terms and agreement to fulfill the city's $2 million pledge will be brought before the city council later this fall.

Currently, the house slated for conversion has served as the home of the Scandinavian Cultural Center. Operated by the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation in partnership with the university, the space has long hosted community gatherings, language workshops, and the annual Nordic Spirit Symposium.

What Comes Next for the East County Facility

With the Board of Supervisors' approval secured, the immediate next step involves the logistical transition of the building and finalizing the city's financial agreement this autumn. No director has been appointed to lead the new East County facility as of yet. Supervisor Gorell and President Nunes confirmed that various county agencies—led by the District Attorney's Office—will collaborate on the selection process for the center's leadership.

Once leadership is in place and the $1.2 million conversion is complete, the house on Faculty Street will transition from a cultural museum into a comprehensive sanctuary. For Newbury Park residents and those living in the surrounding Conejo Valley, the upcoming East County Family Resource Center represents a critical, localized step toward ensuring that survivors of crime have immediate access to justice, healing, and support without having to travel across the county.