The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) has partnered with Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura (AHACV) and the Oxnard Housing Authority (OHA) to distribute almost half a million dollars in new Housing Choice Voucher funds from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Mainstream Voucher Program. The HUD Mainstream program provides funding to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities who are transitioning out of institutional or other separated settings, at serious risk of institutionalization, homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless. The HACSB-AHACV-OHA partnership received funding sufficient to support up to 45 families countywide.
This partnership among housing agencies is the first of its kind in our region and reflects an ongoing trend of partnership among county and city jurisdictions in Ventura County to combat increasing homeless concerns. This year’s HUD funding for this Mainstream Voucher Program is the first since 2005, and prior funding was not awarded to local agencies. HACSB’s Chief Executive Officer Denise Wise said, “This Housing Authority partnership and competitive grant win contributes significantly to our efforts to provide affordable housing in an increasing costly Ventura rental market for disabled residents. These Mainstream funds will assist our community in permanently housing disabled residents.”
The Housing Authority partners also assembled a service network of providers to commit support to clients housed through this program. HUD recognizes the necessity of wraparound supportive services and the Ventura housing agencies were successful in rallying the support of a variety of organizations, including the County Human Services Agency, VCAAA, NAMI, the Salvation Army, Turning Point Foundation, and the County Whole Person Care program.
For eligibility screening, beneficiaries should contact partner agency service coordinators or call 211.
The HACSB is the largest residential landlord in the City of Ventura, with 376 public housing units, more than 1,500 Section 8 vouchers, and over 450 non-profit affordable rental units. The agency is actively working to increase the supply of affordable housing and to improve the quality of life for hundreds more of the low-income residents throughout the City of Ventura.
The AHACV is an independent, non-profit agency serving the residents of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and the unincorporated areas of Ventura County with 2,542 Section 8 vouchers, 355 public housing units and over 700 affordable rental units. The mission of AHACV is to be a leader in providing opportunities and assistance to people in need of affordable housing through development, acquisitions, and partnerships.
The OHA’s mission is to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for low-income families and to relieve the shortage of affordable housing in the City of Oxnard. The OHA owns 664 public housing units, and manages over 1,800 Section 8 vouchers. The OHA owns an additional 280 affordable tax-credit housing units, in limited partnership with other entities. The OHA also supports the availability of affordable housing units through its Affordable Housing and Rehabilitation Division (AHRD). The primary activities for the AHRD include financial assistance to low-income first-time homebuyers, assistance to low-income homeowners for housing rehabilitation and financial gap assistance to Community Housing Development Organizations to increase supply of affordable housing units.
