Overlooking Housing Needs

At a time when the Oxnard City Council suddenly finds there is a shortage of affordable housing, members of the council are bickering over a situation that has been prevalent for years.

The so-called city’s General Plan barely touched on the housing needs and provided very little affordable housing. The city council then put together an affordable housing ad hoc task force, made up mainly of developers, an escrow company, a bank representative and one citizen. This citizen presented a plan for affordable housing that would have provided the city with 3,000 manufactured homes and a net profit to the city of $3 million.

The plan was presented to the entire city council at least two times. Evidently, the council was not listening or paying attention. Or, since this plan did not involve the developer (who they depend on for campaign contributions), action wasn’t taken.

Evidently, the city council and city officials are not really interested, despite the city’s need for affordable housing and the desperate need for millions that could be available.

OSCAR KARRIN

Oxnard