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Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura
1400 West Hillcrest Dr. Newbury Park, CA 91320-2721
www. ahacv.org • (805) 480-9991 • TTY (805) 480-9119 • FAX (805) 480-1021 Serving Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and the unincorporated areas of Ventura County
Annual Housing Report for the City of Camarillo
for the Year Ending December 2023
Board of Commissioners
Annually, the Board of Commissioners elects the Board Chair and Vice-Chair. Effective February 2023, Mark Lunn (Thousand Oaks) was elected as the Chair and Susan L. Johnson (Fillmore) as the Vice-Chair.
Area Housing Authority Management
While the Board of Commissioners oversees the agency’s policies, Michael Nigh, Executive Director leads the agency’s operations. Mr. Nigh has been with the Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura (AHA) for over 30 years and has served as the Executive Director since 2016.
Overseeing a staff of 62 employees and a budget in excess of $49 million, Mr. Nigh is responsible for ensuring the agency’s fiscal stability while leading strategic planning and development efforts.
Financial Stability
The AHA continues to remain fiscally sound, as evidenced by the unmodified opinion issued on the financial statements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 by the independent certified public accounting firm that performed the annual audit. The annual audit is presented to the Board of Commissioners in January and, once formally accepted by the Board, copies are provided to the City manager.
Funding for housing programs is dependent upon the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the federal government budget process. The AHA continues to operate in a challenging federal environment with ongoing uncertainty in funding as well as program administration. In November 2023, the U.S. Congress passed a Continuing Resolution to extend funding into January 2024. (NOTE: In January 2024 another Continuing Resolution to extend funding to March 1, 2024.) The AHA continues to receive funding allocations at FY 2022/2023 levels to continue housing programs.
Agency Achievements
In 2023, AHA again received the highly distinguished ranking of “High Performer” from HUD. To achieve this level of federal recognition, all areas of the agency undergo an independent audit. From client files and financial records to staff required trainings and operational procedures are scrutinized.
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Federally Funded Programs
The AHA’s two federally funded programs are the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program and the Low Rent Public Housing Program. Each program has a separate eligibility/income qualification, waiting list, and restricted funding stream.
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)
A key element to the Section 8 Voucher Program is household’s responsibility to pay 30% of their total household income for rent with the remaining portion of the rent paid directly to the landlord by AHA using the federal funding provided. The amount paid directly to the landlord is the Housing Assistance Payment (also referred to as HAP).
In Camarillo for December 2023, the average monthly Housing Assistance Payment sent to landlords was $1,491. The average tenant portion of the rent was $544 for the same time period.
Clearly, the significant amount of assistance needed along with the very low amount paid by the tenant illustrates the tremendous disparity between income and rent.
As of the end of 2023, 76% of all voucher holders were extremely-low income. There were 544 Section 8 vouchers in use in the city of Camarillo at the end of 2023, equating to just 23.5% of the total vouchers available. Over $800,000 per month of federal funds is injected into Camarillo’s economy by way of Housing Assistance Payments.
As of the end of December 2023, there were 1,426 households on the Section 8 waiting list. The Section 8 program opened to new applicants in late 2020 and remained closed to new applicants throughout 2023.
Public Housing Program
AHA manages 750 units of Public Housing. Public Housing residents pay 30% of their total household income for rent. Dwindling federal funds are allocated to supplement operations. Public Housing complexes are aging facilities that require extensive and diligent maintenance to meet AHA’s high standards.
Ellis Terrace Apartments on Temple Avenue is the only Public Housing complex in Camarillo. The complex provides 27 units of family housing for approximately 100 individuals. The occupancy rate consistently ranges between 99% and 100%. AHA invested over $70,000 at Ellis Terrace in 2023 for repairs and improvements to this complex.
The Public Housing waiting list was open to new applicants from February 1, 2023 to February 15, 2023. As of the end of December 2023, there were 2,704 households on the Public Housing waiting list. This waiting list is closed to new applicants.
Camarillo Housing Portfolio (non-Public Housing units)
In addition to administering two federal housing programs, AHA also owns, manages, or has a financial interest in the following properties in Camarillo:
Bradford Apartments, 27 units, occupancy 100%
Meadowbrook Apartments 13 units, occupancy 100%
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Mira Vista Senior Apartments, 305 units, occupancy 99% Raemere Street Duplex, 2 units, occupancy 100%
The Casas (Casa de Sueño and Casa Velasquez), occupancy 100%
Bradford Apartments
Bradford Apartments, an older property in the portfolio, was completely refurbished in 2016/2017 using 4% Tax Credit Funding. Improvements included energy upgrades, improved structural integrity, and overall beautification. The end result of the extensive work is a fresh-looking updated complex with improved structural integrity which provides energy savings to the residents. (The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is accepted at Bradford Apartments.)
Meadowbrook Apartments
Meadowbrook Apartments continues to serve Camarillo residents as an affordable family housing property. Turnover at Meadowbrook is infrequent. New residents are provided with information on local transportation, schools, and health services, along with applications for Camarillo Library cards. (The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is accepted at Meadowbrook Apartments.)
Mira Vista Village Senior Apartments
During 2023, Mira Vista residents accessed the “on-site” case management and resident services.
Residents were assisted with health care benefits and local transportation options. Mira Vista staff coordinated assistance to renew Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) applications, Section 8 re- certifications, and obtaining benefit information from the Social Security Administration and Human Services Agency. In addition, weekly food distribution is provided on-site. (The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is accepted at Mira Vista Village.)
Raemere Street Duplexes
This 2-unit complex continues to provide much needed affordable housing to Camarillo residents.
Located near downtown, residents are centrally located near shops, services, and transportation. (The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is accepted at Raemere Street Duplexes.) 1
The Casas (Casa de Sueño and Casa Velasquez)
Acquired from Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation as part of their portfolio re-alignment in late 2018, these 23 units are income restricted. The AHA continues to assess the overall needs of the property and to prioritize capital improvements. (The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher is accepted at Casa de Sueño and Casa Velasquez.) 1
1 Over $13,000,000 has been invested in repairs and improvements at Casa Velasquez and Raemere Street apartments.
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Development
The need for affordable units continues to exceed the city’s inventory and limited funding resources are extremely competitive. The high cost of land and lack of available funding continue to be obstacles to increasing the supply of affordable housing. Therefore, the AHA actively seeks opportunities to increase the number of affordable housing units through the use of tax credit funding. An essential element to AHA’s success in securing this funding is the ability to partner with our jurisdictions, respected nonprofit agencies, and private developers to bring a full complement of services and amenities to the proposed developments. Tax credit funding is highly competitive and has limited funds but is currently the best funding tool available to us.
In 2018, the AHA and our development partners submitted a successful joint proposal for Vista Campanario located at 2800 Barry Street. At AHA’s July 27, 2022 Board Meeting, the Board approved an allocation of up to 59 Project-Based Section 8 Vouchers 2 exclusively for this development. In September 2022, AHA was notified of its award of $25 million in Tax Credit funding. A Notice to Proceed (with commencement of work) was issued by the AHA on April 10, 2023 and construction began soon after. In September 2023, AHA hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for City officials.
The AHA
continues to work closely with City staff to ensure progress.
In order to develop Vista Campanario, AHA was required to implement water savings measures of
10.25 acre feet of water per year within the City. AHA worked with Pleasant Valley Recreation and Parks District (PVRPD) on water conservation projects, ultimately replacing 82,000 square feet of turf with drought tolerant plantings and warranting the plantings for 90 days.
AHA continues to expand partnerships and enrich our relationships with community organizations to broaden our ability to provide services and leverage funding. With the goal to maximize the resources of each organization, there is confidence that additional services and affordable units will be developed.
Attachment 1:
Payment Standards
Income Limits
Monthly Rent Related Averages
Section 8 Voucher Distributions by Income Category
2 Project-based vouchers (PBVs) are a component of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program to allocate vouchers to a specific development or housing complexes. The AHA uses its tenant-based voucher funding to allocate project-based units to a project. No additional funding is provided by HUD.
Attachment 1
City of Camarillo, 2023 Annual Report Attachment PageA1 of 2
AHA PAYMENTS STANDARDS
(Effective 12-01-2023)
Payment Standards are the maximum contracted rents allowed under the Section 8 Program.
0-Bedrooms (Studio) $1,850
1-Bedroom: $2,200
2- Bedrooms: $2,650
3- Bedrooms: $3,640
4- Bedrooms: $4,250
5- Bedrooms: $4,600
Single Room Occupancy (SRO) is 75% of 0BR: $1,388
INCOME LIMITS
Effective: 05-15-2023
Median Family Income $123,500
Income Limits are the maximum household income allowed for HUD programs. The Section 8 and Public Housing Programs serve extremely-low and very-low income households.
Household Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Extremely Low
Income
(30% AMI*)
$27,900
$31,900
$35,900
$39,850
$43,050
$46,250
$49,450
$52,650
Very Low
Income
(50% AMI)
$46,500
$53,150
$59,800
$66,400
$71,750
$77,050
$82,350
$87,650
Low Income
(80% AMI)
$74,400
$85,000
$95,650
$106,250
$114,750
$123,250
$131,750
$140,250
* Area Median Income
Attachment 1
City of Camarillo, 2023 Annual Report Attachment PageA2 of 2
MONTHLY RENT RELATED AVERAGE
PS = Average. Payment Standard at time of Lease Up
RENT = Average Contract Rent
HAP = Average Housing Assistance Payment
TTT = Average Tenant’s Portion of Rent
SECTION 8 VOUCHER DISTRIBUTIONS
by Income Category
Extremely
Low
76%
Very Low
19%
Low
4%
Other
1%
Extremely Low
Very Low
Low
Other