Ventura, Ojai Seek Voter OK on Housing
With Ventura County housing prices soaring to record highs, Ventura and Ojai officials will seek voter approval Nov. 2 to provide more affordable housing in their cities for senior citizens, the disabled and those with limited income.
Measure D would allow the Housing Authority of Ventura to construct or acquire up to 500 residential units with state or federal financing. Ojai’s Measure G would allow construction of up to 50 units for seniors.
The state Constitution requires housing authorities to obtain voter permission before increasing public housing built with government money. Neither measure would raise taxes or fees, nor are they tied to specific projects.
The Housing Authority of Ventura owns 716 units and last had its allotment increased 25 years ago when 300 units were added. The agency also coordinates federal Section 8 housing vouchers to subsidize rents at 1,200 units.
When the nonprofit housing authority completes the 38-unit Chapel Lane apartments in eastern Ventura next spring, it will have fewer than 100 allocations left, said Terri Andrade, deputy director.
“Everyone understands what a high-cost area Ventura is. People worry that their children won’t be able to live here,” Andrade said. “Affordable housing is a crisis in Ventura County. We’re consistently in the top five most expensive places to live in Southern California.”
According to Southern California home sales figures released Thursday, Ventura County is the second most expensive place to buy a home, with a June median price of $500,000, up $104,000 from the same month last year. Orange County tops the list with a median price of $540,000, up $126,000 for the year.
A typical one-bedroom apartment in Ventura County rents for $1,087, and a two-bedroom unit rents for $1,356, according to Ventura-based real estate consultants Dyer Sheehan Group.
At the $7.5-million Chapel Lane complex, one-bedroom units are expected to rent for $848 and two bedrooms for $1,083.
In Ojai, officials last sought approval for public housing in 1976 for Whispering Oaks, a 101-unit complex for seniors and the disabled in the southeast portion of town.
Kathleen McCann, who handles development issues for Ojai, said a two-acre parcel on Bryant Street near Whispering Oaks was being considered for additional senior housing, though a specific project hasn’t been determined. The city has about 160 affordable housing units, she said.
“People are concerned about the environment and the pressures of development,” McCann said. “Our voters will see the wisdom of having more affordable housing for our seniors. I think people will be very compassionate.”
