County faces two different paths on the housing crisis

Ventura County is suffering from a housing crisis and economic malaise, problems that have roots stretching back decades and based in decisions supported by county voters. Two recent decisions on housing and land use, one in Thousand Oaks and the other by the County of Ventura, illuminate the divergent choices facing the region on how…

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Board Doubles Down on Failed Housing Policies

Cities and civic organizations across the county are holding sometimes contentious conversations about density, growth and the future of housing in Ventura County. However, some members of the Board of Supervisors appear increasingly married to the idea that little needs to change in the county unincorporated areas to solve the region’s dire housing crisis. The…

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County Must Clear the Way for New Farmworker Housing Projects

While the severe lack of suitable housing for farmworkers has been a subject of discussion in county meetings for decades, little progress has been made for the majority of workers. This is largely due to regulations that prevent farmworker housing complexes from being approved in unincorporated areas even though they are specifically allowed by ordinance.…

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County Launches Pre-Approved Building Plans for Farmworker and Accessory Dwellings

The County of Ventura unveiled three standard building plans for single-family homes at a Board of Supervisors meeting in October. These “pre-approved” plans will shorten the process for homes built on parcels that meet certain size and zoning criteria in the unincorporated county. VC CoLAB advocated for these pre-approved plans to address the current difficulty…

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County expands housing opportunities through new granny flat ordinance

Ventura County’s ongoing housing shortage continues to be a significant drag on the local economy.  Multiple local economists such as Mark Schniepp from the California Economic Forecast in Santa Barbara and Matthew Fienup from CLU have pointed to the lack of housing as one of the main reasons for Ventura County’s stagnant economic growth. Just…

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Ventura LAFCO Persists with “Analysis Paralysis”

The Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) was true to form with a 4-3 split vote on February 15th, continuing the delay for the City of Ventura’s Northbank project. Developer Vince Daly provided a historical perspective from 2004 when the property was identified as being in the City Sphere of Influence, not subject to SOAR…

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