VENTURA — United Way of Ventura County’s Landlord Engagement Program has officially provided permanent housing for over 400 people with a 97.4% retention rate. This means 434 individuals, including 74 veterans, 54 seniors, and 153 children, now have a place to call home in our Ventura County community.
Homelessness and housing challenges are continuing to rise due to limited affordable housing supply, extremely low vacancy rates, and rising rents which all elevate the critical nature of this program. UWVC’s Landlord Engagement Program (LEP) advocates for and supports those prioritized for housing vouchers and housing subsidies provided by local jurisdictions and community partners.
Courtesy photo.
“In today’s competitive housing market, many people are struggling to find affordable places to live,” said Mitchel Sloan, president, and CEO of UWVC. “Our Landlord Engagement Program is helping provide a safe place to call home for our community’s most vulnerable individuals, families, seniors and veterans.”
The LEP focuses on increasing the rental housing stock available for utilization of housing vouchers through collaboration with landlords willing to help prevent and end homelessness. The program encourages landlord participation by addressing their key needs and concerns, such as responsive customer service, timely rental payments, assistance with inspection processes attached to housing voucher programs, loss of income during move-in lag time and more.
“Through United Way, I have been able to find and secure housing. Honestly, at the point of which I finally received help they stepped in and helped my life change instantly. My case manager at United Way looked out for me and checked in often and did wellness checks, which was a lot more than I have been given in the past. I am so thankful to have not only a person who cared, but an organization. They helped me with my housing issue within a matter of weeks and have not only reassured me with this stability now but for the future as well so I can continue my path to a happy and healthier overall future,” said Kimberly, a local transitional aged youth (pictured above).
“The LEP’s goal is not only to house people but to keep them housed. The LEP team provides stability support and landlord mediation to maintain housing and provide the client and landlord with a positive experience. The LEP has not had a single eviction in their four years of operation”, said Carie Bristow, program manager of Homelessness Initiatives for UWVC. “To date, our program has provided 218 housing placements including 58 in Oxnard, 60 in Ventura, 10 in Port Hueneme, 15 in Camarillo, 35 in Simi Valley, 8 in unincorporated areas, 13 in Thousand Oaks, 9 in Fillmore, 7 in Santa Paula and 3 in Ojai.
If you are a landlord interested in becoming a member of the Landlord Engagement Program, please email Carie.Bristow@vcunitedway.org. To learn more about UWVC and its programs, visit www.vcunitedway.org.
About United Way of Ventura County — Since 1945, United Way of Ventura County has advanced the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. United Way identifies the root causes of poverty and works strategically to solve them by building alliances across all sectors, funding targeted programs and advocating for change. When we work together in common purpose, we LIVE UNITED. For more information about United Way of Ventura County, visit www.vcunitedway.org.