![]() Ventura County, CA – Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announced today that Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Gustavo Velasquez will keynote the nonprofit’s signature event – Compassion Campaign 2022 on Thursday, May 12th at Maravilla Gardens in Camarillo. “We are honored that Director Velasquez sees the work we are doing here in Ventura County to provide safe, equitable homes for all and will be sharing his perspective on the state of affordable housing in California,” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO, Housing Trust Fund Ventura County. “This year’s Compassion Campaign will be an unforgettable immersion experience, highlighting that our lives are connected through one common need – housing.” Similar to immersive experiences offered by the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, guests will take a deeply moving journey as they experience housing challenges faced through the eyes of members of the local community, from farmworkers to bankers, students to teachers, baristas to veterans. Tickets for Housing Trust Fund Ventura County’s Compassion Campaign may be purchased at www.HousingTrustFundVC.org. “I’m excited to be back in Ventura County and be a part of the 2022 Compassion Campaign event,” HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said. “As we all know, housing is the foundation for everything else one needs to live a decent life, and this administration has made it a top priority to create the affordable housing our state so desperately needs. From the recent release of our new Statewide Housing Plan to big developments in many of the programs HCD administers, we have a lot to talk about, and I look forward to an insightful discussion.” In May of 2020, Gustavo Velasquez was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to be the next Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. In this leadership role, Velasquez leads California’s housing policy agenda and administers a wide range of programs that produce, preserve, and protect affordable housing and communities of opportunity across the state. Velasquez was a senior director at the Urban Institute, a renowned national research organization working to provide data analysis and insights to policymakers and practitioners. Velasquez served for nearly three years as assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and served on behalf of president as the strategic lead of the fair housing and inclusive community agenda for the Obama administration. During his tenure, HUD achieved groundbreaking enforcement victories in fair lending and in major housing discrimination cases. Velasquez led efforts to promulgate the landmark Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, a key tool for cities, states, and other HUD funding recipients to reduce inequality and disparities in access to opportunity.
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Three loans to be funded, Fillmore Terrace in Fillmore, Mesa Ojai in Ojai, Westview II in San Buenaventura Ventura County, CA – Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announces two, $1 million lines of credit (LOC), one each from Community West Bank and Mission Bank, along with a $250,000 below market interest rate loan from CBC Federal Credit Union. The funds will be used as part of Housing Trust Fund VC’s Everyone Deserves a Home revolving loan fund, a community impact note that provides flexible, below-market interest rate loans for the development of affordable housing in Ventura County. Three upcoming developments that will receive funding are a new pre-development loan for Fillmore Terrace being developed by Peoples’ Self-Help Housing Corporation (PSHHC), a GAP loan for Mesa Ojai being purchased by Mesa, and a construction loan to the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) for Westview II. The LOCs provided by Community West Bank and Mission Bank and the loan from CBC Federal Credit Union join a pool of funds from other public and private investors, sponsors, and donors to provide lending capital in support of Housing Trust Fund VC’s Community Promise of building safe and equitable homes in Ventura County. Brian Schwabecher, Chief Banking Officer of Community West Bank stated, “Community West Bank is proud to support Housing Trust Fund Ventura County with financing for their housing initiatives, and we’re also honored to help sponsor the Everyone Deserves a Home Compassion Campaign event on May 12.” The nonprofit’s annual fundraiser takes on a unique twist this year as a guest immersive experience shining light on housing equity as told through the lives of connected individuals. Please visit: www.housingtrustfundvc.org/compassioncampaign2022 to learn more.
Mesa, in partnership with Ventura County and PSHHC, is funded in part by a Housing Trust Fund VC $2.5M GAP loan. The development will provide housing and a wellness center for 13 Transition Age Youth (TAY). The plans include light renovation of a four-bedroom house, and the addition of 10 single occupancy tiny homes, in addition to space for a community building, health and wellness, employment, and education programs. The allocated funds for this loan, as well as the construction loan for Westview II (which will provide 50 homes to low-income and homeless seniors), were pulled from a pool of investments from Bank of the Sierra, Mission Bank and Community West Bank, and were provided to the developers at below market interest rates and reduced fees to help the developments move to the next phase of development. “We are excited to build on our Community Promise of funding affordable homes with the support of both Community West Bank’s and Mission Bank’s generous lines of credit, which allow us to continue funding impactful developments,” states Housing Trust Fund VC CEO Linda Braunschweiger, “The Fillmore Terrace, Mesa and Westview II developments are such noteworthy examples of providing safe and equitable homes for those who need it most, because everyone deserves a home.”
Housing Trust Fund Ventura County names Jason Gaffner as new Deputy Director/Loan Portfolio Manager3/16/2022 ![]() Ventura County, CA – Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) has hired Jason Gaffner as its new Deputy Director, Loan Portfolio Manager. In this newly created position Gaffner will manage Housing Trust Fund VC’s portfolio of existing loans including underwriting and review to close loans expeditiously for affordable housing developments in the community. He’ll also work with developers to secure a pipeline of future loans and prepare documentation needed for reporting to investors, funders, grantors, and others. Jason Gaffner joins Housing Trust Fund VC with two decades of commercial real estate finance experience, including over $600 million in real estate debt and equity successfully negotiated and closed. Prior to joining the organization, Gaffner held a senior member position on the west coast originations team for a real estate lending, investing and advisory company. He holds an MBA from Babson College with a focus on entrepreneurial management and a Bachelor of Science degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania with a dual concentration in finance and marketing. “We are excited to welcome Jason to our growing team and certainly appreciate his expertise as both a mortgage broker and lender. His perspective on both ends is sure to provide numerous benefits for our developers, our fund, and most importantly those we serve to ensure housing equity for all,” states Housing Trust Fund VC CEO Linda Braunschweiger Jason Gaffner was accepted into the 2022 Southern California Association of Governments Housing Policy Leadership Academy (SCAG-HPLA). The 10-session program provides an opportunity for people of different backgrounds and disciplines to better understand how to advance policy solutions that positively impact the need for affordable housing. The course offers perspective on the physical and social aspects of a successful housing ecosystem. To learn more about Jason Gaffner, and Housing Trust Fund VC’s Community Promise of committing to funding solutions for safe, equitable and affordable homes in Ventura County for U.S. veterans, young adults transitioning from foster care, farm workers, homeless individuals, and low and very low income seniors, individuals, and families, please visit: www.housingtrustfundvc.org An unforgettable and deeply moving immersive event shining light on housing insecurity. Ventura County, CA – Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) will host their 2022 Compassion Campaign on May 12, 2022, from 5PM-9PM, in-person at Maravilla Gardens in Camarillo. Sponsored in part by City National Bank, this unique evening invites guests into an immersive experience highlighting that all lives are connected through one common need – safe and secure housing. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit: www.housingtrustfundvc.org/compassioncampaign2022.
Housing Trust Fund VC’s Compassion Campaign invites guests on an unforgettable and deeply moving immersive journey, amplifying its message that, “Everyone deserves a home.” Inspired by immersive experiences offered by the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and the Titanic Artifact Exhibition in Las Vegas, Compassion Campaign guests will assume the role of individual characters as they are immersed within connected lives on a journey through housing insecurity. From the opening reception through dinner and during the insightful program, participants will meet and become -- Jeff and his family, struggling college student and barista Javier, high school teacher Ms. Jasmine and her students Daniella and Cassie, foster youth Carla, veteran Ted, recently widowed Rosa, and cognitively impaired Jason. “We’re pleased to be gathering once again, safely outdoors and in person for our annual fundraiser,” stated Housing Trust Fund VC CEO, Linda Braunschweiger. “This new, one-of-a-kind immersive experience centered on housing equity will be both engaging and memorable as we illustrate how it truly feels to experience housing insecurity, and how the need for affordable housing touches our daily lives, sometimes when and where we least expect it.” Housing Trust Fund VC’s annual Compassion Campaign draws a diverse crowd of decision makers, community leaders, change makers and advocates for housing, mental health, homelessness, farm workers, foster youth, the disabled community, seniors, and more. This year’s unique immersive experience is certain to sell-out and sponsorship provides businesses and companies an opportunity to be seen as active leaders in strengthening our community, by positively impacting lives through supporting the development of safe and equitable homes in Ventura County. Sponsors like City National Bank, and CIT Bank, play an integral role in supporting our community promise of funding affordable housing solutions. For more information on how to become a Compassion Campaign sponsor visit, www.housingtrustfundvc.org/compassioncampaign2022. Invites the community to learn more about the impact of affordable housing at January 26th Annual MeetingHousing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announced today a $1 million investment by Bank of the Sierra into the nonprofit’s Everyone Deserves a Home Revolving Loan Fund. This community impact note will be pooled with funds from investors, both public and private, to provide flexible, below-market interest rate loans in support of building safe and equitable homes in diverse neighborhoods, that positively impact people’s lives in Ventura County. Additionally, investors earn a modest financial return on their investment. Housing Trust Fund VC also welcomed a $250,000 investment from CBC Federal Credit Union. “We are honored investors like Bank of the Sierra and CBC Federal Credit Union see the value in helping to support more affordable apartments and housing in our community,” commented Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund Ventura County. “Having funded over $18 million in loans in the past 10 years, it’s truly a fulfilling moment to reflect on the significant impact we and our community partners have made and continue to make throughout our county by providing lending capital for the early development costs of affordable housing units, from land acquisition to early construction.” Housing Trust Fund VC hosts Annual Meeting on January 26, 2022, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom. Join Housing Trust Fund VC at its Annual Meeting to learn more about its “Community Promise” – a commitment to positively impact people’s lives through the ongoing funding of safe and equitable homes. Local housing experts Ray Pearl, Executive Director of California Housing Consortium, and Troy Brown, Moorpark City Manager will join Housing Trust Fund VC CEO Linda Braunschweiger on January 26th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom. Click HERE to register. Our CEO was featured in the VC Reporter on November 23, 2021 as she discussed the high cost of living in Ventura County and the growing need for more affordable housing.
Article written by Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer, VC Reporter $3.2 million to Westview Village II in Ventura and $800,000 to Homeless Solutions Center in OxnarD Housing Trust Fund Ventura County announces a $3,225,000 construction loan commitment to the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) for the Westview Village II and an $800,000 predevelopment loan funded to 2nd & B Street Homeless Solutions Center in Oxnard. Additionally, Housing Trust Fund VC has received operational grant funds in the amounts of $20,000 from Wells Fargo and $7,500 from Union Bank, with the potential to double with the State of California’s Proposition 1 match. ![]() With an increasing need for senior affordable housing in the City of Ventura, the HACSB is replacing the city’s oldest and largest public housing complex with four new development phases, Westview Village II will service the need for housing with 50 senior units, including, five units specifically reserved for homeless seniors. This loan will be funded, in part, with direct impact from the 2020 State Prop 1 Local Housing Trust Fund match awarded last year. CEO at HACSB, Denise M. Wise shared “The Housing Trust Fund loan is critical funding for Westview Village II to provide needed housing for very low income seniors. Wise continues, “The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura really appreciates the Trust Fund’s creativity and responsiveness to the community.” ![]() 2nd & B Street Homeless Solutions Center will include 55 affordable housing units, targeting the homeless community in Oxnard. The Center will be constructed on the first piece of land ever donated by the City of Oxnard to Housing Trust Fund VC, to be transferred to the Housing Land Trust Ventura County. The value of the donated land will be matched through Proposition 1 during a future construction loan. The Center is a joint collaboration between the City of Oxnard, Community Development Partners, and Mercy House and is a highly anticipated development for the community. President of Community Development Partners, Kyle Paine commented, “We are thankful to HTFVC for providing a predevelopment loan for our upcoming Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) project in the City of Oxnard. It’s great when you can work with a lender that is efficient and also shares in your mission of bringing much needed affordable housing to communities.” The Housing Trust Fund of Ventura County continues to amplify the increasing need for affordable housing, and invites mission-minded community leaders, CEOs, executives, business owners and others to join a virtual roundtable discussion sponsored by City National Bank on August 31st, from 4p.m. – 5p.m. on Zoom. The discussion will be led by Housing Trust Fund VC’s CEO Linda Braunschweiger and will be an opportunity for attendees to learn about the power of community impact investing, and how an investment can earn modest returns while contributing to a revolving loan fund that helps to provide safe and equitable homes built in richly diverse neighborhoods throughout Ventura County. “It’s through the support of investors, Prop 1 match, grantors, and sponsors that allows us to provide low cost, flexible lending capital for the development of affordable housing in Ventura County,” commented Braunschweiger, “We are thankful to have this ongoing support and know our community’s collective prosperity rises with each new affordable development built.” If you know a mission-minded corporate leader or if you’d like to join the roundtable discussion, please send an email to Linda Braunschweiger at or visit housingtrustfundvc.org for more information. Camarillo, CA – Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) announced that it has received $1,826,265 from the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution’s (CDFI) Rapid Response Program, to support economic relief efforts in Covid-19 impacted communities. This award will directly impact affordable housing in Ventura County through Housing Trust Fund VC’s Revolving Loan Fund and provides an opportunity to double to potentially $3.6 million in lending capital under California’s Proposition 1 Local Housing Trust Fund matching grant program.
The CDFI grant award comes days after the nonprofit’s successful Second Annual Everyone Deserves a Home Compassion Campaign fundraising event, where keynote speaker Dr. Tiffany Manuel (aka Dr. T) of TheCaseMade spotlighted the growing need for housing equity. “Housing should not be the politics of luck. Regardless of where you come from, we are all worthy of safe and affordable housing.” Dr. T continued, “We are in a powerful moment because of organizations like Housing Trust Fund Ventura County. Being able to make critical capital available in a moment where so much is happening in our communities requires that we make strong investments in communities, and that’s really important.” In response to the U.S. Treasury’s announcement Housing Trust Fund VC’s CEO Linda Braunschweiger commented, “We are incredibly honored to be receiving this significant grant from the CDFI Fund. It will make a positive impact on socio-economically diverse neighborhoods and will further aid in our push to develop housing that is affordable. We have the tools to leverage grants, donations, and community impact investments to help fund the most difficult housing to finance—low to extremely low income. This grant will help us open doors of opportunity for many.” Braunschweiger refers to the nonprofit’s Everyone Deserves a Home Community Impact Note as an investment tool for corporations, foundations, mid-size businesses, and individuals to invest in affordable housing in Ventura County while receiving a return on their investment. Housing Trust Fund VC is hosting a community impact investing roundtable on August 31, 2021, from 4-5pm where it will highlight the $2,150,000 in funded developments in 2021 and plans for the future. Anyone interested is welcome to attend by contacting Tobie@HousingTrustFundVC.org to reserve your seat. Camarillo, CA – Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (HTFVC), continues the conversation about affordable housing with its 2nd Annual Everyone Deserves a Home Compassion Campaign. The online event will take place on Thursday, June 10th, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Purchase tickets at www.housingtrustfundvc.org/compassioncampaign2021. The impactful evening will shine light on housing insecurity and the growing need for housing equity in our community through the development of safe, affordable homes. This educational, engaging, and entertaining event features keynote speaker, Dr. Tiffany Manuel, PhD, President and CEO of TheCaseMade. “Dr. T,” as she is known, is a leader dedicated to helping make the case for system change, working with passionate social change makers, innovators and adaptive leaders throughout the country, to build stronger, better communities, that are diversified, equitable and inclusive. Joining Dr. T during the event will be producer, director Giorgio Angelini who will share his experiences about the dark history of the US housing economy during the making of, “Owned: A Tale of Two Americas.” Rounding out the signature event will be shared lived experience stories as individuals share how their life has been supported by affordable housing. A poetry reading accompanied with an artistic performance by poet Phil Taggart and artist Sienna Browne will spotlight homelessness.
In 2020, Housing Trust Fund VC held its first annual, “Everyone Deserves a Home Compassion Campaign,” highlighting how we can all make a difference in people's lives, from small acts of compassion, to being part of the affordable workforce housing solution in Ventura County. This year’s, “shaping lives through housing equity,” theme emphasizes the need of providing safe and equitable homes built in socially and economically diverse neighborhoods to positively impact the trajectory of people’s lives and our County’s collective prosperity. To support the 2nd Annual Everyone Deserves a Home Compassion Campaign with sponsorship please contact Housing Trust Fund Ventura County CEO Linda Braunschweiger at Linda@HousingTrustFundVC.org or at 805-384-1144. This year’s sponsors will receive a spectrum of benefits, including recognition on Housing Trust Fund VC’s website, within social media, during the event, and more. With last year’s first virtual event drawing 135 attendees, there is an anticipated growth in attendance for this event, as community visibility and awareness has increased with ever growing housing prices and unaffordability becoming a real problem for too many residents in our community. To purchase tickets – www.housingtrustfundvc.org/compassioncampaign2021 “We continue to be in awe of our generous sponsors and supporters, who have made impactful differences in support of affordable housing for Ventura County and who are committed to developing safe and equitable homes for all,” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund VC. “Each sponsorship makes a statement about how vital and important investing in affordable housing is to our community, especially for our seniors, farmworkers, low-income families, essential workers, veterans and transitional age foster youth. Where we live shapes how we live, and we are truly grateful to those who choose to shape a better future for our community.” 241 West Second Street land to be the future home of the Homeless Solutions Center
Ventura County, CA – Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC), on behalf of the newly formed Housing Land Trust Ventura County, has entered into a disposition and development agreement to receive donated land valued at $840,000 from the City of Oxnard. Located at 241 West Second Street, the unused city land will be developed as the future home of the Homeless Solutions Center, a supportive housing development that will provide 55 permanent housing units, 120 shelter beds and 24-hour supportive services for the homeless population. “In 2020 we formed the Housing Land Trust Ventura County as a way to provide lasting community assets and permanently affordable housing opportunities for families, workers and fixed-income residents in our County,” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund VC and Housing Land Trust Ventura County. “By working to acquire donated land and preserve it for affordable housing developments we remove the most cost-prohibitive part of building affordable homes, which is the high cost of land.” Braunschweiger notes that Housing Land Trust Ventura County is designated by the State of California as a Supporting Nonprofit comprised of an 11-member Board of Directors who are working to identify and receive donated land in the region that can be developed to provide affordable housing on a 99-year lease for either rental housing or home ownership. The new nonprofit will not act as a developer but rather work with affordable housing developers selected through an RFP process. The land donated by the City of Oxnard is the first such project for the newly formed Housing Land Trust Ventura County. “The land donated by Oxnard aligns with its 2018 five-year homeless strategy plan,” said City of Oxnard Housing Director Emilio Ramirez who is also a member of the Housing Trust Fund Ventura County Board of Directors. “The plan specifically calls for a permanent year-round homeless shelter putting housing first, which studies show can rapidly end homelessness by increasing housing stability.” The Homeless Solutions Center will be developed by Community Development Partners, LLC and on-site management will be provided by local nonprofit, Mercy House. The City of Oxnard will contribute an additional $1.5 million for the project build-out from allocated Measure O funds and the Housing Land Trust VC will work with the Housing Trust Fund VC to raise other funds needed to complete the project, which is set to start construction in the spring of 2022. |
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January 2023
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