Ventura County Community Development Corporation

Thank you Rise Economy for hosting the inaugural Action and Advocacy Conference #AACon24! Our board member Alex Gallardo, CUDE joined us to hear the latest in housing, economic and racial justice policy trends and strategies to help build resilient communities throughout California, we enjoyed meeting keynote speakers, former HUD Secretary and CEO of the Latino Community Foundation Julian Castro and author and housing policy advocate Leah Rothstein and we loved seeing familiar faces and meeting new friends! Anabel Santamaria Chelsea Amelia Cruz Kevin Stein

Did you know VCCDC is one of only three Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) in Ventura County? CDFIs are lenders with a mission to provide fair, responsible financing to rural, urban, native and other communities that mainstream finance doesn’t traditionally reach. This week we had the opportunity to connect with community partners and meet new friends at the Opportunity Finance Network 2024 OFN Conference! The annual conference is the largest gathering of CDFIs where we had the opportunity to learn, collaborate and celebrate the work CDFIs do to expand economic opportunity. Love this shot of our Executive Director, Bertha G. and Anabel Santamaria, Citi Community Relations Manager! #OFN40

Thank you Housing Opportunities Made Easier (HOME) for the opportunity to participate in your 2024 Ventura County Housing Conference! Thank you for allowing us to moderate and share our insights during the “Transitioning Renters to Homeowners” panel. We had a great time connecting with old and new friends during the exhibit hall and throughout the event and engaging in important conversations regarding housing solutions, innovation and partnerships.

We had a great time seeing many of our friends at #OFN40!!

Congratulations to our 4th Annual Leading People Home Awards recipients! We had a wonderful time celebrating and honoring the contributions made by our award recipients who have committed to improving the lives of families and individuals through investment of time, resources, and advocacy, thereby underscoring community engagement, visionary leadership, and lifetime of excellence. The Leading People Home awards are named after individuals who are the reason why VCCDC exists and continues to touch the lives of over 3,000 future homeowners and families each year since 2001. Thank you to everyone who joined us and to our event sponsors for helping us make this event possible! Please join us in congratulating the 2024 Leading People Home Award recipients: Lynn L. Jacobs Award for Excellence in Lifetime Leadership John Zaragoza, City of Oxnard Rodney Fernandez Founder’s Award for Excellence in Visionary Leadership Monica White, Food Share of Ventura County Michael McGuire Award for Excellence in Community Partnership Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) Ernest Baskette, Jr. Award for Excellence in Community Support Jose Vega, Oxnard College Carmen Ramirez Award for Excellence in Advocacy and Community Impact Kevin Stein, Rise Economy Read more about our award recipients: https://lnkd.in/gZcnGXqH

Our Leading People Home Awards ceremony is officially sold out!?We can’t wait to celebrate this special evening with all of you who have shown such remarkable support. The Leading People Home Awards is a heartfelt celebration of the champions of change who align so closely with our mission to strengthen communities. These outstanding honorees have made impactful contributions that resonate deeply with our values of empowerment, support, and a passion for serving others. We look forward to honoring the contributions made by our award recipients:?John Zaragoza, Monica White, MICOP, Jose Vega and Kevin Stein.?Read more about our Leading People Home award recipients: https://lnkd.in/gZcnGXqH. A heartfelt thank you goes out to our event sponsors for making our event possible and for supporting our mission of empowering low- and moderate-income families and individuals through homeownership and financial education: Presenting Sponsors: U.S. Bank, Bank of the Sierra, Premier America Credit Union; Building Dreams Sponsor Citizens Business Bank; Raise the Roof Sponsor BMO U.S.; Opening Doors Sponsors Port of Hueneme, nphs, Orange County Community Housing Corporation/SteppingUP; Welcome Home Sponsors Bank of America, California Bank & Trust, City of Oxnard, Housing Opportunities Made Easier, Mechanics Bank, Montecito Bank & Trust, OceanAir Federal Credit Union, Ventura County Credit Union

We are delighted to announce that Gustavo Velasquez, Director of the California Department of Housing & Community Development, will be joining us as the keynote speaker for VCCDC's 4th Annual Leading People Home Awards ceremony! Director Velasquez's extensive experience and dedication to housing policy and community development resonate deeply with our commitment to fostering financial stability and promoting homeownership for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. We warmly encourage you to join us for this special evening on Thursday, October 10th at the beautiful Spanish Hills Club in Camarillo, CA, where together we can celebrate progress and inspire future endeavors.?Learn more and reserve your seat by September 30th at https://vccdc-awards.org/

Today, September 26th is the very first Housing Counselor Day! Housing Counselor Day celebrates housing counselors and the incredibly impactful work they do every day to help people advance their financial and homeownership goals. Some may say they’re even the “best kept secret” of homebuying – and we think the results speak for themselves! At VCCDC we have an amazing team of housing counselors (aka Homeownership Specialists) who have helped hundreds of local families work achieve financial stability and homeownership through one-on-one housing counseling. Gaby, Crystal and Karina we are so grateful for your commitment and dedication to the families that we serve, THANK YOU! You CAN achieve your goals with the right help on your side. Talk to your local housing counselor at VCCDC today: vccdc.org/app #housingcounselorday2024 #letsmakehomethegoal #housingcounseling #homeownership

Thank you to all who attended our 2nd Annual Kern County Homeownership Conference on Saturday! It was great to meet so many families excited about the possibility of homeownership and learning about programs that can help make it happen. We are grateful for our Presenting Sponsor U.S. Bank and all of our sponsors, volunteers, board members and staff who made this event possible! We will be back in Bakersfield next month for our HUD-Approved Homebuyer Workshop! Stay connected with VCCDC at www.vccdc.org.

Thank you Veronica Jacuinde of the Wasco Tribune for highlighting VCCDC's services and our Kern County Homeownership Conference and for volunteering on the day of the event!