VCCDC Celebrates 15 Years of Changing Lives Through Homeownership

Rodney Fernandez

Rodney Fernandez

An accomplished local activist, Rodney Fernandez made it his life’s work to achieve the impossible. The Ventura County Community Development Corporation (VCCDC) was founded by Rodney as a way to bring together private financing and public funding to bring homeownership within reach. Given the staggeringly high prices of homes in Ventura County, many people doubted it could be done. 15 years later, VCCDC is going strong.

Since 2001, VCCDC has originated an impressive number of mortgage loans, helped families improve their financial well-being and their standard of living, and contributed to improved economic conditions throughout the communities we serve. VCCDC has made measurable impacts on neighborhood revitalization by rehabilitating distressed housing and making that refurbished inventory available to families in need. We have educated over 3,000 families through group workshops and counseled more than 6,000 families.  With the support of the VCCDC Home Ownership Center’s education and counseling services and affordable loan products and down payment assistance programs we have helped more than 1,000 families become first-time homebuyers.  In addition, since adding Foreclosure Prevention Counseling as a core line of business in 2007, we have been able to assist more than 1,600 homeowners in saving their home from foreclosure.

VCCCD HistoryIn April 2014 we established our corporate offices and one stop Home Ownership Center in Oxnard where we continue to offer a full spectrum of services that includes a variety of financial education programs, credit counseling and repair, and homeownership and foreclosure prevention services and products, such as down payment assistance programs as well as realty services. VCCDC specializes in meeting the financial capability needs of underserved populations. We continue to identify gaps in services through evaluation of our current programs and partner interviews, which currently support development of specialized programs for the unbanked, female single-head-of-household, and veterans.

VCCDC’s exponential growth and success is due to its people. VCCDC is made up of people with a deep, personal desire to make the world a better place to live and who are willing and ready to take on this challenge. Our Board of Directors includes experts in banking, realty, and lending, as well as community representatives who are passionate about ensuring wealth equity and opportunity. As a CDFI and HUD approved counseling agency, VCCDC services are provided by skilled, dedicated staff – licensed professionals and certified homeownership counselors who tailor services to support a customer’s unique financial circumstances and goals.

We are exceptionally proud of our heritage and the accomplishments we’ve achieved over the past 15 years. We also know that we’re just getting started, and the next 15 years are going to be even more exciting! We look forward to celebrating this special milestone with you.
Bertha Garcia

Bertha Garcia

Warmly and Sincerely,

Bertha M. Garcia
Executive Director