Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announced that its 6th Annual Compassion Campaign raised record-breaking funds for the fourth consecutive year. Held in September at Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms in Moorpark and supported in part by Keystone Sponsor HOPE (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere), the evening brought together more than 200 community leaders, advocates and supporters to “RAISE THE ROOF” for affordable housing in Ventura County.
During the evening, Denia, a mother of three who endured years of housing instability before finally finding stability through affordable housing, delivered a moving testimony. With persistence, faith and community support, Denia and her daughter received the keys to a safe, affordable home. She recalled the moment they stepped into their apartment, filled with sunlight, space and hope: “We couldn’t sleep for days out of pure joy. After so many years of uncertainty, this was a blessing from above.” Her story, both deeply personal and profoundly relatable, served as a poignant reminder of the life-changing impact of affordable housing in Ventura County.
Building on Denia’s experience, distinguished guest speakers Dr. John Nunes, President of California Lutheran University, and Giorgio Angelini, Director of “OWNED: A Tale of Two Americas” and producer of the upcoming documentary “Evicted,” adapted from Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize–winning book, explored how stories like Denia’s reflect the broader urgency of affordable housing in America, and how art, education and faith can inspire systemic change. Their dialogue connected the audience back to Denia’s journey, reminding everyone that behind policy debates and cultural narratives are real families whose lives are transformed when safe affordable housing is within reach.
"The power of our Compassion Campaign community event is delivered by voices across our community—storytellers, leaders and residents—reminding us why safe, affordable homes matter to every family in Ventura County," says Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund Ventura County and Housing Land Trust Ventura County. "It’s through community support and local investment in affordable housing that real change happens.” Braunschweiger emphasized that local impact investing is more than just a financial tool, it’s a way for the community to directly shape its future. By investing in affordable housing, residents and partners not only help families like Denia’s find stability but also generate a return for themselves while their money is reinvested to create even more homes. This cycle of investment and impact ensures that Ventura County can continue building opportunities for generations to come.
Other memorable highlights of the 2025 Compassion Campaign included a local case study from Executive Director of Many Mansions Doug Menges, who shared the story of Central Terrace, an 87-unit affordable housing development in Oxnard funded in part by Housing Trust Fund VC. Menges highlighted how partnerships between the Housing Trust Fund VC, local governments and financial institutions made the project possible. Pillar sponsors Adey Tesfaye, SVP CRA Manager of City National Bank; Leona Rollins of the City of Ventura; and Veronica Quintana of Montecito Bank and Trust emphasized the critical role of public-private collaboration in sustaining developments like Central Terrace. A special moment of recognition occurred for Chair Emeritus Dawn Dyer, recently honored with the California Association of Realtors Champions of Home Impact Award, for her unwavering dedication to supporting affordable housing initiatives and community development. Guests were also invited to participate in a live vote as part of the "Build a Home" lending library decorating competition, selecting McCarthy Companies as the inaugural “Paint It Forward” award recipient. The libraries were built by local Life Scout Andrew from Troop 858 as part of his Eagle Scout project. Each library will be placed in communities supported by Housing Trust Fund VC, extending the impact of Compassion Campaign beyond the event.
Joining Keystone Sponsor HOPE in supporting Compassion Campaign 2025 is a prominent list of sponsors, including City National Bank, City of Ventura, Montecito Bank and Trust, Community West Bank, McCarthy Companies, Mission Bank, L.A. Lath & Plaster, Kaiser Air Conditioning, and Wicks Roofing, Solar, and Electric.
Learn more at 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 July 2025, Housing Trust Fund VC has committed to investing $48.8 million through its Revolving Loan Fund, creating 1,899 affordable apartments and homes for very-low, low-and middle-income employees, transitional age foster youth, veterans, farm workers and the homeless.