United Way of Ventura County’s Landlord Engagement Program has officially provided permanent housing for 110 local households with a 96% retention rate. This means 188 individuals, including 45 veterans, now have a place to call home in the Ventura County community.
Homelessness and housing challenges have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and limited affordable housing supply, extremely low vacancy rates, and rising rents make the situation increasingly challenging. UWVC’s Landlord Engagement Program advocates for and supports those prioritized for housing vouchers and housing subsidies provided by local jurisdictions and community partners.
The LEP focuses on increasing the rental housing stock available for utilization of housing vouchers through collaboration with landlords willing to help prevent and end homelessness. The program encourages landlord participation by addressing their key needs and concerns, such as responsive customer service, timely rental payments, assistance with inspection processes attached to housing voucher programs, loss of income during move-in lag time and more.
“In today’s competitive housing market, many people are struggling to find affordable places to live,” said Mitchel Sloan, president and CEO of UWVC. “Our Landlord Engagement Program is helping provide a safe place to call home for our community’s most vulnerable individuals, families, seniors and veterans.”
So far, the program has provided 38 housing placements in Oxnard, 35 in Ventura, nine in Port Hueneme, eight in Camarillo, seven in Simi Valley, four in unincorporated areas, three in Thousand Oaks, four in Fillmore and two in Santa Paula. Of those housed, 50 are between the ages of 0-18, 11 are young adults between the ages of 19-24, 89 are adults between the ages of 25-64, and 38 are ages 65 plus.
If you are a landlord interested in becoming a member of the Landlord Engagement Program, please email [email protected]. To learn more about UWVC and its programs, visit www.vcunitedway.org.
