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.” 
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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. 

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.

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.

Housing 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.”
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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

​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.

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.

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.