VENTURA : Housing Agency to Honor Supporters

The Cabrillo Economic Development Corp. will celebrate its 10th anniversary Thursday with an awards dinner in Ventura to honor supporters of the countywide, nonprofit housing agency.

Started in 1981 in Saticoy, the corporation has developed 648 low- and moderate-income housing units in cities and communities including Ventura, Piru, Moorpark, Santa Paula and Ojai.

The projects include rental units, senior citizen complexes and self-help efforts in which farm workers own and help build their homes.

The anniversary event is planned “as a way of celebrating (the corporation’s) achievements and in return saying ‘thank you’ to the many individuals, firms, sponsors and supporters of the CEDC,” said Ernie Morales, president of the corporation’s board of directors.

Since its creation, the agency’s director said, Cabrillo has become the leading producer of low-income housing in Ventura County.

A first-time home buyer housing project in Simi Valley is in the planning stages. Cabrillo also has proposed new low-income housing for Oxnard, Camarillo, Santa Paula and Moorpark.

The corporation--together with Santa Paula, Ventura County and a private developer--recently completed a 150-unit apartment complex for seniors in Santa Paula.

The invitation-only awards dinner starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Ventura Theater. The popular Los Angeles band Los Lobos will provide entertainment.