Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announced that the nonprofit has been awarded a $1.5M grant from the County of Ventura’s general fund for the development of affordable housing throughout the community and another $891,059 from the U.S. Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund Equitable Recovery Program. This combined $2,391,059 has the ability to be matched dollar for dollar by the State of California’s Proposition 1 Local Housing Trust Fund, bringing over $4 million to Ventura County in support of developing more affordable apartments and homes.

The process to receive funds from the national Equitable Recovery Program was highly competitive. Housing Trust Fund VC was the only Housing Trust Fund in the state to receive an award. In total, 696 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) from across the country requested a total of $7.69 billion, which is nearly 4.4 times the amount of funding that was available through this program. “This is a huge accomplishment that demonstrates the serious role we take in managing and expanding our financial resources for the production of safe, equitable, affordable housing,” said Tracy McAulay, Housing Trust Fund VC Board Chair. 

Housing Trust Fund VC will leverage these County and Federal funds with matching funds from the State of California Prop 1 Local Housing Trust Fund, and other private and charitable sources, to bring even more funding to the county for the development of new affordable homes. In a letter of support presented to the county from the newly formed Ventura County Housing Coalition (VCHC), it was noted that year after year, the annual progress reports (APR) published by the state’s Housing and Community Development (HCD) department show how the rate of production for low-income units falls short of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) targets. Unfortunately, this means the new units being produced in the county are by and large set at rents that are unaffordable to low-income households.

“Since 2013, we’ve helped to fund the creation of 1,120 affordable apartments and homes in Ventura County. Sadly, however our county is #1 in the state and #2 in the nation experiencing the worst housing shortage. We’re more than 31,000 units short of the need.” Braunschweiger refers to a study, “Housing Underproduction in the U.S. 2022” released by Up for Growth, a nonprofit research group. “We are honored that the County and Federal government see the need in our community and trust Housing Trust Fund VC with helping to solve the problem. These funds will go a long way, especially with the ability to double them through Prop 1, towards meeting the housing affordability shortage.”

To learn more and get involved in helping to solve the housing crisis in Ventura County, Housing Trust Fund VC is hosting Compassion Campaign 2023 – “HOME MADE: Fund It + Build It + Live It” on Thursday, May 11th at the Museum of Ventura County. Three museum-quality exhibits will invite guests to stroll through and learn what it takes to fund, build, and live in safe, equitable, and affordable homes in Ventura County. For tickets, please visit www.housingtrustfundvc.org/2023cc-tickets.

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County announced today that Camarillo-based RAIN Communities, Inc. President David Kohlmeier will emcee a powerful on-stage conversation during its annual fundraising Compassion Campaign on Thursday, May 11th, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Museum of Ventura County. This year’s Compassion Campaign theme, HOME MADE: Fund It + Build It + Live It, features three museum-quality exhibits that invite guests to learn what it takes to fund, build and live in safe, equitable, and affordable homes in Ventura County. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, click here.

In 2006, Kohlmeier found himself and his then five-year-old son suddenly homeless. He credits his newfound faith and discovery of RAIN Transitional Living Center to set them on the road to security through access to safe, affordable housing paired with supportive transportation, healthy meals, job skills training, parenting counseling, and more. Now 17 years later, David’s son is a successful college student as David presides over RAIN Communities, Inc. (www.raincommunities.org) as its President and Chairman of the Board. “We are honored that David is leading our Home Made conversation,” stated Housing Trust Fund VC CEO, Linda Braunschweiger. “It’s important that we all see the faces of housing insecurity and hear their stories. Only then can we truly understand the life-changing impact that providing safe and affordable homes has on the adults and children of our community.”

Kohlmeier will be joined on-stage at this year’s Compassion Campaign by Braunschweiger as together they chat with Jennifer Harkey, Program Director for Ventura County’s Continuum of Care Alliance (www.venturacoc.org) and another local affordable housing resident who will share her journey as a senior in need of and ultimately finding an affordable home in Santa Paula.

Sponsored in part by City National Bank, HOPE (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere), and Ventura Investment Company, Compassion Campaign 2023 - HOME MADE: Fund It + Build It + Live It, seeks to fully immerse guests into three hands-on exhibits complete with audio, video, and tactile items that tell the story of what it takes to fund, build and support residents who live in affordable Ventura County homes. Guests will be provided silent headphones as they are invited to first visit the Community West Bank sponsored FUND IT exhibit where they will learn that funding affordable housing is much like making lasagna. Moving on to the BUILD IT exhibit, sponsored by McCarthy Companies, guests will “virtually” walk through a beautiful affordable community to experience all that goes into developing these homes. Finally, guests approach the LIVE IT exhibit finding themselves at a kitchen table witnessing the positive impact affordable housing has had on residents’ lives as they tell their stories.