Image courtesy of the Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC).
VENTURA COUNTY — Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announces the approval of a $500,000 predevelopment loan to launch Gateway Grove, the adaptive reuse of the former Santa Paula Motel into a 21-unit development, including 20 units of permanent supportive housing for individuals and veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and one manager’s unit.
The two-year loan, funded through the organization’s Revolving Loan Fund in two $250,000 advances, will finance the architectural, environmental, permitting, and due diligence work needed to move the project into construction. The development is a partnership between the Santa Paula Housing Authority (SPHA), Many Mansions, and Homes & Hope.
“Predevelopment financing is often the hardest capital to secure, but it’s what allows a project like Gateway Grove to move from an idea to groundbreaking,” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund Ventura County. “By stepping in early, we’re helping the Santa Paula Housing Authority, Many Mansions, and Homes & Hope turn a vacant motel into 21 homes for people who need them most, including veterans who have served our country.”
Gateway Grove will provide 20 income-restricted permanent supportive housing units, all reserved for households earning at or below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI), along with a two-bedroom manager’s unit. The development will serve individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including people with behavioral health needs referred through Ventura County’s Coordinated Entry System, with two units designated for veterans experiencing homelessness. Supportive services, expected to include case management, behavioral health coordination, life skills training, and referrals to healthcare, employment, and veteran-specific resources, will be coordinated by Many Mansions, which is anticipated to serve as the property’s long-term manager.
Located at 1445 East Main Street on the eastern edge of Santa Paula, Gateway Grove sits directly across from the Harvard Navigation Center, operated by Spirit of Santa Paula, a local homeless shelter and service provider. The project will convert the existing motel through substantial rehabilitation, including new kitchens or kitchenettes, ADA accessibility upgrades, and energy-efficient systems, alongside community space, laundry facilities, and landscaped outdoor areas. Affordability will be maintained for a minimum of 55 years under Homekey+ and Project-Based Voucher agreements. Total development costs are projected at approximately $11.0 million, with the Housing Trust Fund VC loan expected to be repaid at construction closing, anticipated in January 2027.
The development team will submit its Homekey+ application in September 2026 and has already secured preliminary commitments for approximately $3.0 million in Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) funding from the County of Ventura and 20 Project-Based Vouchers from SPHA. Many Mansions, a nonprofit affordable housing owner-operator founded in 1979 with a portfolio of 22 communities and more than 840 units, will serve as managing member. Homes & Hope will serve as co-developer, and SPHA, which has administered subsidized rental housing in Santa Paula since 1969, will support the project through voucher assistance and long-term affordability compliance.
