Courtesy images.
VENTURA — Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announces the approval of a $1,500,000 predevelopment loan to help fund College Community Courts, a People’s Self-Help Housing Corporation (PSHHC) affordable housing development in Ventura. With construction set to begin in late 2024, the new multi-family housing community will provide 57 affordable units for farmworkers and their families.
College Community Courts will provide 15 one-bedroom, 27 two-bedroom and 15 three-bedroom units for a total of 57 new, affordable apartment homes, housed within five contemporary two-story buildings that harmonize with the modern aesthetic of the neighborhood. Residents will include our community’s essential farmworkers and their families, as well as working class individuals and families earning between 30% and 60% of Ventura County’s Area Median Income (AMI). Several resident-serving amenities have been integrated into the property including a large community room, computer lab, children’s space, management offices, and outdoor courtyards that feature comfortable seating, children’s play structures, and barbeque areas. One distinctive feature of the College Community Courts property is the design of the primary entrances, which lead into these inviting courtyards, outdoor patios, and balconies along the main building fronts. This layout fosters a sense of community and offers ample opportunities for residents to build neighborly relationships.
“57 new units are 57 safe and comfortable homes for individuals and families who won’t have to worry about where they will end each day,” commented Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund Ventura County, “We are confident that this development from People’s Self-Help Housing will bring much-needed stability our hard-working neighbors are searching for.”
Through their Supportive Housing Program (SHP), PSHHC has provided direct resident services for two decades. The SHP is a social services program offered to residents completely free, with social service professionals providing coordination of on-site group activities and services to influence positive support for residents. Other assistance for more complex issues that may affect stability and housing for individuals and families are also offered by the SHP.
In its 2021-2029 Housing Element Update, the City of Ventura quantified its specific housing objectives to be 1,187 newly constructed units for extremely low- and very-low-income households and 865 units for low-income individuals and families. The completion of these 57 permanently affordable rental units for households within the 30-60% of Area Median Income range will directly contribute to addressing this need.
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 October 2023, Housing Trust Fund VC has committed to investing $27.8 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.