Funding Opposed for Housing Project

Oxnard housing officials have recommended the city not provide federal money to a nonprofit group that wants to build low-cost housing in La Colonia because officials say the organization does not have enough community support.

The City Council is scheduled to vote tonight on whether to give $273,000 in federal grants to El Pueblo Unido Reinvestment Corp. to build two to four homes using sweat equity--the labor of future homeowners.

“The support that the City Council has asked [the group] to get does not appear to be there,” said Ernie Whitaker, a city housing official.

The housing proposal has stirred controversy.

Vincent Godina, El Pueblo Unido’s president, says opposition comes mainly from absentee landlords who fear new housing in the neighborhood would lure away tenants or force them to make repairs. He has also said that some La Colonia residents feared--wrongly--that the group would condemn existing properties to build the homes. The group wants to purchase empty lots.

Opponents deny the claims, saying the project has flaws and that El Pueblo Unido has failed to explain its merits.

Despite lobbying efforts by El Pueblo Unido, members of the Colonia Neighborhood Council voted last month not to back the project.

But Godina said many residents, churches and businesses support the proposal.

“We have people in the neighborhood that want to help on this,” Godina said.

Godina said the group has collected more than 100 signatures of supporters and has asked backers to write the city in support of the project.

Whitaker said that as of Friday, the city had not received any letters from project supporters. Whitaker also said the city does not have other bidders on the special grant money.