Courtesy photos.
VENTURA COUNTY — Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) welcomed community leaders to its Annual Meeting and “A Home for Education” symposium February 29th at the CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) campus. The symposium was presented in collaboration with the County of Ventura, CSUCI, Ventura County Office of Education, Ventura County P-20 Council, and Housing Trust Fund VC to an audience of key decision makers in education, government, land use planning, and affordable housing development. The Annual Meeting highlighted accomplishments by Housing Trust Fund VC, including $27.5 million in funded or committed loans since 2013 and $40 million raised, resulting in 1,177 affordable apartments and homes committed, funded, and produced throughout Ventura County. The meeting also provided an opportunity for community members to provide comment about Housing Trust Fund VC’s products and service.
The symposium was held to inform attendees of current issues surrounding the development of affordable housing on educational properties, providing an opportunity for discussion and questions. The event began with keynote presentations from Abraham Galvan Sanchez of Best, Best, and Kreiger LLP, and Al Grazioli of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The keynotes were followed by a panel moderated by Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund VC and Housing Land Trust VC, and included Sanchez and Grazioli as panelists with Scott Kolwitz, City of Thousand Oaks, Ken Triguerio, People’s Self-Help Housing and Chelsee Russell, Office of Ventura County. The event continued with local affordable housing case studies presented by Dr. Kimberly Hoffmans of Ventura College, Sabrena Rodriguez of the Ventura Unified School District, and Laurie Nichols from CSUCI.
Shuttle buses sponsored by McCarthy Companies led guided tours of two developments adjacent to the campus, University Glen and the currently under construction Anacapa Canyon. Both developments were built on educational properties owned by CSUCI and will be home to nearly 2,000 residents including CSUCI employees, educational allies, alumni, seniors, and the public. “These developments remind us that discussions like today have the potential of becoming homes tomorrow. Today we took an important step towards ensuring more homes for all as a community.” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO Housing Trust Fund VC and Housing Land Trust VC.
For those interested in developing solutions and adding their support for affordable housing in Ventura County, the next step is to attend Unlocking Affordable Housing – Reshaping Housing Solutions,” presented by Housing Trust Fund VC on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms in Moorpark. To learn more about this event or to see the full Housing Trust Fund Ventura County 2023 Annual Report, visit https://www.housingtrustfundvc.org/.
Housing Trust Fund Ventura County – Launched as a 501c3 nonprofit corporation in 2011, Housing Trust Fund VC is the local trusted leader in helping to increase affordable housing options throughout Ventura County by leveraging public-private partnerships to provide low-cost, flexible loans early in the housing development cycle. As of December 2023, Housing Trust Fund VC has committed to investing $28 million through its Revolving Loan Fund, creating 1,177 affordable apartments and homes for very-low, low- and middle-income employees, transitional age foster youth, veterans, farm workers, and the homeless.