Meet Our Team
Linda Braunschweiger
Linda is a transformative leader whose career spans more than 35 years at the intersection of finance, public policy, and affordable housing, delivering measurable impact across Ventura County. Her work has directly shaped how communities finance, develop, and preserve housing for the region’s essential workforce and vulnerable populations.
In 2025 alone, the organization committed nearly $17 million in loans to support the development of affordable apartments and homes, contributing to more than $52 million invested countywide since 2013 to support the creation of 2,193 affordable housing units. These investments continue to support affordable housing production across Ventura County, helping stabilize families, strengthen the local workforce, and encourage long-term economic vitality. Under her leadership, Housing Trust Fund VC has earned the support of all 10 of Ventura County’s cities and the county government.
In 2021, recognizing the cost of land as a barrier to affordable housing, Linda and the Housing Trust Fund VC Board established the Housing Land Trust Ventura County, where she also serves as CEO. The land trust receives donated land to build permanent affordable housing. That mission came to life in October 2025, when the Oxnard Navigation Center and Casa de Carmen opened on a parcel of land donated to Housing Land Trust VC by the City of Oxnard in 2021. In July 2021, Housing Trust Fund VC also supported the effort with an $800,000 pre-development loan. The Navigation Center and Casa de Carmen now provide 110 shelter beds and 24-hour supportive services for people experiencing homelessness and offer 56 permanent affordable homes.
Linda has long advocated for safe affordable homes for veterans, farmworkers, transitional age foster youth, homeless individuals, cognitively impaired persons, and low-income individuals and families. She is a leading voice for affordable housing in Ventura County at a time when housing insecurity affects many, believing that everyone deserves a home.
Jason Gaffner
In December 2021, Jason Gaffner was hired as Housing Trust Fund VC’s Deputy Director, Loan Portfolio Manager. Jason brings nearly two decades of experience in commercial real estate finance with over $600 million in real estate debt and equity negotiated and closed. Prior to joining the nonprofit, Jason was a senior member of the West Coast originations team for a real estate lending, investment, and advisory company. With experience as both a broker and a lender, Jason has participated in providing financing for all major asset classes, in California and nationwide.
Jason holds an MBA from Babson College with a focus on entrepreneurial management. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania with a dual concentration in finance and marketing.
Tobie Roach
In November 2020, Tobie Roach was hired as Housing Trust Fund VC’s Office Administrator and was promoted to Office Manager, Grant Coordinator in July 2022. Tobie has lived in Southern California her entire life and has been a Ventura native for over 20 years. For over a decade Tobie worked for the City of Ventura in the Parks and Recreation and Community Partnerships Division as the Public Art Project Manager and most recently was the Welcome Center and Gift Shop Manager for the Ventura Botanical Gardens.
Tobie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art from California State University Channel Islands and has won various awards in the arts. “As a longtime resident and steward of the City of Ventura, I have witnessed a growing stress on the community for more affordable housing,” commented Roach. “I’m excited to share my experience to help make positive change.”