Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) begins 2024 by announcing $88,000 in new funds for the development of affordable housing in Ventura County. The funds come in the form of $85,000 in grants from U.S. Bank, First Citizen’s Bank and PennyMac Financial Services as well as $3,000 in year-end contributions from private donors. The amount will be applied toward the increased need for affordable housing funding as the staggering need for housing continues to grow.

U.S. Bank has awarded Housing Trust Fund VC a General Operating Home Grant to assist the organization in addressing the region’s need for affordable housing. The funds are to be used entirely to increase affordable housing options for low- and moderate-income families, seniors, veterans, transitional age youth and special-needs populations throughout Ventura County in alignment with U.S. Bank’s HOME Pillar. “Every dollar we receive is an opportunity to assist in addressing one of our county’s most pressing issues,” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund VC, “These funds will significantly impact the lives of county residents by creating more affordable housing choices for all.” Housing Trust Fund VC received additional support in the form of $3,000 in year-end donations to wrap up 2023.

Housing Trust Fund VC will also receive a grant of $25,000 from the First Citizen’s Bank Community Development grant. The grant is a one-time award which will be used to support affordable housing to low- to moderate-income individuals, families and communities including transitional age foster youth, veterans, farm workers, and the homeless, with the intention of promoting economic development and opportunities for revitalization and stabilization throughout the county.

PennyMac Financial Services has also approved a charitable grant request for Housing Trust Fund VC. The grant is part of the PennyMac Corporate Giving Fund in Memory of Stanford L. Kurland. The PennyMac Corporate Philanthropy Program prioritizes its giving to organizations that align with the corporation’s culture, core values, vision and philanthropic focus areas. “It was an honor to attend the 2023 Compassion Campaign to learn more about the great work that Housing Trust Fund Ventura County does,” said Kisha

Parker Croom, Managing Director, Corporate Sustainability for PennyMac. “PennyMac recognizes the positive social impact that

Housing Trust Fund is making in Ventura County, and it is our hope that this contribution will help further that impact.”

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 December 2023, Housing Trust Fund VC has committed to investing $28 million through its Revolving Loan Fund, creating 1,177 affordable apartments and homes for very-low, low- and middle-income employees, transitional age foster youth, veterans, farm workers, and the homeless.

The Ventura Council of PTAs was one of just eight PTAs from across the country selected to receive a grant from the National PTA’s Center for Family Engagement. The program is part of the National PTA’s efforts to advance family-school partnerships to best support students along their educational journey.

The grant will be used to support implementation of the National PTA’s updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.

“Strong partnerships between families and schools are critical to support our students’ success academically, socially and emotionally, and there could not be a more urgent time for this,” said Yvonne Johnson, president of National PTA. “We are thrilled to provide funding to the PTAs to help advance meaningful and effective strategies for strong partnerships that will make a real impact for students, families and schools.”

“I’m incredibly grateful to have our schools chosen for this grant,” said Cherie Egbert, Ventura Council PTA President. “We’ll all get to improve the ways we surround our students with what they need to succeed, at home, school and in the greater community.”

The Ventura Council PTA coordinates information exchange and support for the 16 PTAs that operate in Ventura Unified School District as well as Santa Paula Unified School District.

Last year, National PTA released its updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships, which provide guidance for building strong partnerships between families, educators, and schools to support student success. The updated PTA National Standards incorporate research and best practices including increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion; and expand the approach to student success to include whole child development. For resources to support implementation of the standards, visit PTA.org/Standards and watch the association’s Transforming Family-School Partnerships Webinar Series.

“Our updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships provide critical guidance and best practices for strong, meaningful partnerships between families and schools,” added Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director.

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all