Ventura County OKs Loan to Fix Quake Damage

Seeking to speed up efforts to build earthquake-damaged homes, Ventura County supervisors Tuesday approved a temporary loan of $300,000 from the county’s general fund to replace delayed federal funds.

The Housing Rehabilitation Program, to be administered by the city of Fillmore for residents there and in neighboring Piru, needs the funds now to buy materials to help residents repair homes, Administrative Analyst Susan Van Abel said.

Volunteers have been assembled to help repair homes and victims have been identified, she said.

“We’re ready to go with the program in Fillmore and Piru, but we don’t have the money because of an administrative holdup with the Community Development Block Grant funds,” Van Abel told the Board of Supervisors.

The funds will help Hand to Hand, Habitat for Humanity and the Christian Relief Work Reform Committee work with residents of the two communities to repair homes.

Project organizers have requested a total of $575,000. but the $300,000 will get them started until the federal funds arrive, Van Abel said.

“There was a lot of noise made about the federal government getting the money to us very quickly, and it has not been forthcoming,” Supervisors Chairwoman Vicky Howard said.