A sold-out crowd of 350 key decision makers in education, government, land use planning and affordable housing development gathered at the end of February for Housing Trust Fund Ventura County’s (Housing Trust Fund VC) Annual Meeting and “A Home for Education” symposium. The latter was presented in collaboration with the County of Ventura, CSU Channel Islands, Ventura County Office of Education and Ventura County P-20 Council.
Held at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI), the crowd was welcomed by Dr. Richard Yao, President of CSUCI, and Dr. Cesar Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. 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, including $22.9 million from State and Federal government grants, with just over $14 million of that from California State Proposition 1 matching funds, $9 million provided by local government and $8.5 million in donations, grants and community impact note investments from private business and individuals. The resulting impact has brought 1,177 affordable apartments and homes committed, funded and produced throughout Ventura County in just over a decade. The meeting also provided an opportunity for community members to provide comments about Housing Trust Fund VC’s products and services.
Following the Annual Meeting, “A Home for Education” was presented, informing attendees of current issues surrounding the development of affordable housing on educational properties and providing an opportunity for discussion. Keynote presentations by Abraham Galvan Sanchez, of Best, Best, and Kreiger LLP, and Al Grazioli, of the Los Angeles Unified School District, offered clarity and guidance to the legislative hurdles surrounding affordable housing development on educational land.
Grazioli, an expert in site selection and planning, spoke directly to the need for school districts and governments to use as many avenues as necessary to address the housing crisis, including developing affordable housing on underutilized educational properties. By leveraging these valuable resources, local governments and school districts can provide affordable housing near schools to the education workforce they depend on.
A panel discussion followed, moderated by Linda Braunschweiger, CEO, Housing Trust Fund VC and Housing Land Trust VC, and included Sanchez and Grazioli as panelists along with Scott Kolwitz, City of Thousand Oaks, Ken Triguerio, People's Self-Help Housing and Chelsee Russell, County of Ventura. Local case studies were presented by Dr. Kimberly Hoffmans, of Ventura College, Sabrena Rodriguez of the Ventura County School District, and Laurie Nichols from CSUCI.
The event concluded with a guided shuttle tour of two developments adjacent to the CSUCI campus, Anacapa Canyon (mixed-residential community consisting of Market-Rate Apartments, Age/Income Restricted Apartments and a combination of For-Sale Single Family Homes and For-Sale Attached Townhomes by developer Kennedy Wilson) and the currently under construction, University Glen (170 affordable senior apartments). Both developments were built for CSUCI by McCarthy Companies, a local developer of affordable housing and are home to nearly 2,000 residents, including CSUCI employees, educational allies, alumni, military partners and the general public. The communities represent a unique public-private partnership between developers and California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) that generates a significant revenue stream to benefit the campus while delivering much-needed housing to the local community.
The guided tours shuttled groups to the nearby developments where attendees witnessed the effects firsthand. Both Anacapa Canyon and University Glen were examples of the mission set forth by “A Home for Education,” and Grazioli, demonstrating the ability to turn underutilized educational properties into affordable housing solutions, helping to bring vibrant community and vital economy to local schools, and the value of investing in affordable housing. Solutions such as these are possible and necessary in addressing the housing crisis and providing educators with the housing they deserve at prices they can afford.
“Affordable housing for all includes housing affordability for our local educators and educational staff. We gathered many of the area’s leaders, and the energy in the room was one of solutions and determination,” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO, Housing Trust Fund VC and Housing Land Trust VC. “Collaboration and community are the foundation of affordable housing, and we had both in abundance for this widely attended meeting.”
For those interested in developing solutions and adding their support for affordable housing in Ventura County, the next step is to attend, “Unlocking Affordable Living – Reshaping Housing Solutions,” presented by Housing Trust Fund VC on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms in Moorpark. To attend this event or to see the full Housing Trust Fund Ventura County 2023 Annual Report, visit HousingTrustFundvc.org/.
