OXNARD : Housing Authority Seeks Deposit Hike
The Oxnard Housing Authority has agreed to seek increases in the security deposit it charges tenants of the city’s public housing to cover the rising cost of repairs, cleaning and unpaid rent.
Before the authority can adopt the new rate, tenants will review the proposal for 30 days. A public hearing has been scheduled for March 17.
Under the proposal, new tenants of the 780 units of federally subsidized housing would pay, on the average, a deposit 134% higher than is now charged. Current tenants who have damaged their apartments and not responded to notices will also be required to pay the higher deposit.
Deposit increases include from $50 to $100 for studio apartments and from $150 to $360 for a five-bedroom apartment.
The proposal drops a provision rejected by the Housing Authority last September that would have required current residents to pay the difference between the old rate and the new rate.
Instead, current residents will only be charged an additional deposit equal to 20% of what they initially paid.
The Housing Authority will allow both current and new tenants to pay the deposit over a six-month period.
The Authority sought the higher deposit because of the rise in unpaid rents and tenant-caused damage, said Sal Gonzalez, Oxnard’s housing director.
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