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.

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 November 2021, Housing Trust Fund VC has invested over $18.7 million through its revolving loan fund, creating 847 affordable apartments and homes for verylow, low- and middle-income employees, transitional age foster youth, veterans, farm workers, and the homeless.

by Mike Johnson, Ventura City Council District 3 

Every year, cities and counties across the US count their unsheltered residents and report the data to the federal government. The snapshot census results help determine crucial state and federal funding for local programs. The next count is coming up, and the County’s Continuum of Care needs volunteers.

The count will take place Wednesday, February 23, from 6am to noon. Volunteers will serve at least one two-hour shift.

Volunteers will be trained in mid-February. They’ll be partnered up and assigned a specific area to canvass, using a cell phone or tablet to collect survey data. Volunteers need to be 18, and able to walk for a couple hours. Learn more or sign up at http://MikeForVentura.com.

Some of the most valuable data is about the subpopulations, grouped by age, race, ethnicity, or gender. If comfortable, canvassers also ask survey questions to learn more about the person they’re interviewing, and the problems they face. 

For example, the community-minded volunteers in 2020 were able to conduct 269 surveys in Ventura. 38 respondents were current or former foster youth; 59 had pets; 29 were fleeing violence or sexual assault. 10 were retired; 54 had been homeless for less than a year; 20 had lost their home to a wildfire or natural disaster. 86 had been in custody during the past twelve months. 19 were veterans.

Knowing this data also helps the city and county better understand the problems we’re working to solve. Comparing data across the county allows the county to shift resources to be most effective. Tracking the data year after year lets us see trends, so we can work proactively. This data also helps us access federal and state grant funding to address homelessness.

In 2020, Ventura’s homeless population – sheltered, unsheltered, or in transitional housing – was 531. We all know the real number is higher – it’s not easy finding every unsheltered person in the city on one winter morning. But by performing the count year after year, we see the trends.

Our highest count was 701, in 2012. Then it dropped steadily until 2016, when we hit 300, our lowest recorded number. As everybody knows, homelessness has grown since then, and not just here. The increases since 2016 in both Ventura and Ventura County follow pretty closely the percentage increases across Los Angeles County.

The city has partnered with the county to address homelessness, because regional problems require regional solutions. The recently completed ARCH shelter is funded 50-50 by the city and the county. So are two social workers who perform street outreach within the city and connect people experiencing homelessness to local resources for housing and shelter. Our partnership with the County’s Continuum of Care has been invaluable.

We have to do more, in Ventura, in the County, in the state. The housing market is in crisis after decades of building very little new housing to accommodate population growth. The best predictor of homelessness in a city our size is median rent, and rent’s ridiculously high in Ventura. The ranks of unsheltered residents are swelling with people who’ve never experienced homelessness before.

Every unhoused person’s path is unique, but illness, disability, substance abuse, trauma and poverty can all push a person into homelessness. Once someone is unsheltered, those problems can get worse. Some people aren’t sick, traumatized, or abusing drugs until after they’ve had to live unsheltered.

In Ventura, with public and non-profit services, we have programs for those who have turned down shelter and services before. We have programs for those who are looking for a dry bed on a rainy night, or a bed of their own. We have programs to help veterans, families, women fleeing abuse, pet owners. We have programs to help people who are on the cusp of losing their home. Call 2-1-1 to connect to services.

We are also committed to adding new housing, both affordable and market rate, to help get California back on track. It will take governments and nonprofits and churches and civic-minded folks working together to find solutions to the many problems that contribute to homelessness. We need your help.

The Ventura Port District has received the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence by the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in recognition of its outstanding efforts to promote transparency and good governance. Ventura Port District oversees management of both the Ventura Harbor and the Ventura Harbor Village. It joins the ranks of 15 other Special Districts in California that have earned the Certificate of Excellence in the past year.  

“This award is a testament to the Ventura Port District’s commitment to open government,” said, Brian Pendleton, General Manager. “Our staff is to be commended for their contributions that empower the public with information and facilitate engagement and oversight.” 

To receive the award, the Ventura Port District demonstrated the completion of essential governance transparency requirements, including conducting ethics training for all board members, properly conducting open and public meetings, and filing financial transactions and compensation reports to the State Controller in a timely manner. 

SDLF is an independent, non-profit organization formed to promote good governance and best practices among California’s Special Districts through certification, accreditation, and other recognition programs. 

Special Districts are independent public agencies that deliver core local services to communities, such as water, wastewater treatment, fire protection, parks and recreation, healthcare, sanitation, mosquito abatement, ports, libraries, public cemeteries and more.  Districts are established by voters and their funding is approved by voters to meet specific needs through focused service.  They can be specially molded to serve large regions or small neighborhoods depending on the need. 

For information on Harbor amenities, Port District meetings, and happenings visit VenturaHarbor.com.

Ventura Harbor experienced unpredictable currents and damaging surges following a massive undersea volcanic eruption near Tonga on Saturday, January 14, 2022. As a result, the Ventura Port District Board of Commissioners took immediate action at their Board Meeting held January 19, 2022, by approving a State of Emergency resolution to restore District assets in the Ventura Harbor.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the Ventura area following the Hunga Tonga Tsunami Advisory. However, the powerful surges led to damage of both public and private property in the Ventura Harbor and the adjoining Ventura Keys. There are at least two dozen damaged docks at multiple marinas and private residences and two Ventura Harbor Patrol Boats have been rendered out of commission.

“Our Commission’s swift action in adopting an emergency resolution paves the way for the repair and replacement of Port District assets,” said Brian Pendleton, Ventura Port District General Manager. “It will also help the Port to expedite and restore redundancy for our on-water patrol and emergency response capabilities,” Pendleton added.

The Harbor remains open, including the public launch ramp. Recreational activities on the water were temporarily discouraged during the surges, however all activities have since resumed. It is still advisable to proceed with caution as some navigation buoys are absent and residual debris may still be in the water.

Following the tsunami activity, Senior Harbor Patrol Officer, Pat Hummer, conducted a depth soundings to evaluate the conditions of the entrance channel and inner harbor. The sounding showed that sand removed during the surges has increased the water depth, which is one silver lining for the boat traffic in Ventura Harbor overall.

“The efforts by our Harbormaster and Ventura Harbor Patrol officers are commendable, as they offer around the clock support to help safeguard the public and property whenever possible,” said Pendleton. Channel Watch Marine/Tow Boat US/Vessel Assist Ventura also aided in towing and removal of debris. Both teams partnered for a quick response to those in our coastal community during the surges.

The Harbormaster is pursuing solutions to address the reduction in the Harbor Patrol on-water capacity. “Currently the Harbor Patrol’s Fire Boat 1, along with additional vessels, are available to support many of the services in Ventura Harbor,” said

John Higgins, Ventura Port District Harbormaster. “As we work to quickly evaluate solutions for boat replacements or repair, we’ll be relying on the strong relationships that the Ventura Harbor Patrol has developed with fellow community agencies to assist in the Harbor and beyond.”

Pendleton states, “We will continue to work closely with local, regional and state agencies to connect businesses and property owners with permitting agencies to complete necessary repairs to Harbor marinas and private docks.”

“Time and time again I have seen the Ventura Harbor community come together whether there’s been an accident, weather-related incident, pandemic, or in this case, response to a natural disaster half-way around the world,” Pendleton said.

Below, the Ventura Port District shares resources and contacts for assistance to those affected by the tsunami surges in the Ventura Keys and Ventura Harbor. As more information becomes available, updated resources and information will be available on VenturaHarbor.com.

City of Ventura-Contact: Dara C. Sanders, Planning Manager, Community Development Department, City of Ventura: [email protected]

California Coastal Commission-Contact: [email protected] and visit https://www.coastal.ca.gov/cdp/cdp-forms.html to identify the appropriate applications

For repair work that involves pile replacement or other disturbance of the seafloor

US Army Corps of Engineers-Contact: Antal Szijj, Team Lead, Regulatory Division, Ventura Field Office: [email protected]

Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board-Contact: Emily Duncan, Ph.D., Senior Environmental Scientist, Regional Programs Section: [email protected]