OJAI : Grant to Finance Housing Renovation
A wish list of building improvements will come true with a $760,900 grant to renovate a housing project for 112 handicapped or low-income senior citizens in Ojai.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the grant to the Area Housing Authority of Ventura County to renovate the Whispering Oaks complex at 999 E. Ojai Ave.
“We were real pleased our request was granted,” said Rochelle Stephens, deputy director of the local agency.
Built in 1981 on city property next to Soule Park Golf Course, the 101-unit complex became eligible for modernization funds on the eve of its 10th anniversary, Stephens said.
“We gathered the seniors together and said this was like a Christmas list for what they’d like if they had unlimited money. They came up with some very efficient concepts,” she said.
As a result, fire alarms will be accessible to residents in wheelchairs, water faucets and gas ranges will be replaced with models easier to operate, telephones for the hard of hearing and automatic doors will be installed in the lobby, and heavy gates to trash enclosures will be replaced with lighter versions, she said.
Other improvements include replacing difficult locks, installing energy-efficient lighting and water-saving plumbing fixtures, painting the interior of 62 units, exterior painting, new wheelchair ramps and repairs to old ones, turning some of the large, common lawns into walkways with benches and more parking.
