| | For much of her childhood, Mirella believed crowded living conditions were simply a part of life. The middle of five children in a family of longtime Ventura County farmworkers, she grew up in a small studio apartment in Oxnard, until 2019, when their landlord gave the family 30 days to move. | Unable to find an affordable home, Mirella's parents joined the Ventura Housing waitlist and relocated the family to Bakersfield where 10 people shared a two-bedroom apartment. Nearly two years later, a phone call changed everything: a home was available for their family at Westview Village in Ventura. | | |
At 11 years old, Mirella moved into a four-bedroom home with her family, a moment she still remembers vividly. That stability gave her family room to grow. Her older sister is now a dental assistant here in Ventura, her older brother serves in the U.S. military in Japan, and Mirella herself is 18, attending Ventura Community College and interning with Ventura Housing's Community Services team.
"I want kids like me to feel represented and know there is more out there for them."
| | A Bright New Space for Play | | |
A bright, new space for play is here! 🎉🛝
Four of our communities received newly refurbished playgrounds, with support from a City of Ventura Playground Rehabilitation Grant. Many of the original structures dated back nearly 50 years. These upgrades give children today a safe, clean, and welcoming place to play, explore, and make memories.
At Ventura Housing, we're committed to creating communities where families can thrive and that includes investing in spaces that bring joy and fun to our youngest residents.
| | Back-to-School with a Helping Hand | | |
On Saturday, July 25, more than 20 community organizations came together to join us at Westview Village for our annual Back-to-School Resource Fair. Centered around the theme "Strong Families, Strong Futures," the event brought students and families together for a fun day filled with free backpacks, school supplies, meals, and entertainment.
The day also opened the door to a wide range of resources, connecting families with local organizations supporting education, health and wellness, workforce development, and youth enrichment. Participating partners included Ventura County Library, Ventura College, California Lutheran University, Clinicas del Camino Real, and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura.
Ventura Housing's spirit of connection continues throughout the year and across the city, often in ways many people don't realize. Ventura County Library runs a free mobile library service that visits four Ventura Housing properties each month, open not just to residents but to anyone in the surrounding community. The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura operates a satellite location at Westview Village, offering free after-school programming for families across the Westside, not just those living at Westview. It's the kind of community access that goes beyond what most people expect from a housing authority, and both programs still have room for more families to join.
| | Diane Lopez Named Deputy CEO – Housing Programs | | |
Sometimes the strongest leaders are the ones who already know an organization inside and out. That describes Diane Lopez, who has spent more than 23 years building a career at Ventura Housing and now steps into a newly expanded role as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Housing Programs.
Diane's journey with Ventura Housing began as a Revitalization Program Assistant. Over the years, she has served as a Housing Specialist, Bilingual; Asset Property Manager; Compliance Director; Asset Manager; and Manager of Assisted Housing, most recently serving as Director of Assisted Housing. That path has given her firsthand experience across nearly every corner of affordable housing, including Housing Choice Voucher programs, property and asset management, compliance, development, budgeting, and staff leadership.
For the past nine years, Diane has led Ventura Housing's Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program, guiding a complex operation while maintaining strong compliance with HUD requirements and consistently earning high marks under HUD's Section Eight Management Assessment Program. She is also a licensed Real Estate Broker, adding another layer of expertise to her new role.
In her expanded position, Diane will bring that depth of knowledge to a broader part of Ventura Housing, strengthening connections between programs, supporting staff development, and helping ensure residents and community partners continue to receive the highest level of service.
Please join us in congratulating Diane on this well-earned next step.
| | Ventura Housing is growing. Meet a few of the team members helping make it happen. | | |
Yecenia Aguilar, Property Manager
Valentine Road Apartments
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Thomas Angulo
Lead Supportive Housing Case Manager
Valentine Road Apartments
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Ulises Hernandez, Resident Site Manager
Valentine Road Apartments
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Alexandra Morales
Promoted to Housing Specialist I
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Kimberly Vargas
Intern
Ventura Housing
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Mirella Toledano
Intern
Community Services Team
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Free Little Library Brings Snoopy to Westview | | Valentine Road and Westview Village both welcomed new community lending libraries this quarter. At Valentine Road, McCarthy Companies designed and built the library, unveiled during the property's ribbon-cutting celebration. At Westview Village, Community West Bank designed and built a "Snoopy" themed Little Free Library. Both libraries were donated by Housing Trust Fund Ventura County as part of its annual Paint It Forward Lending Library Competition. Residents at both properties now have free access to books and a place to share stories for years to come. | | $35,500 in Scholarships Awarded to 16 Students at ATLAS Annual Scholarship Celebration | | |
On June 17, ATLAS, Ventura Housing's nonprofit affiliate providing scholarships and support services for residents pursuing education and career advancement, welcomed more than 150 guests to the Museum of Ventura County for its annual Scholarship Celebration. The event recognized students pursuing higher education, career training, and professional development, and marked the reveal of ATLAS's new brand direction, one that better reflects its mission to empower and uplift Ventura Housing program participants toward stability and self-sufficiency.
This year, ATLAS reviewed 29 scholarship applications and selected 16 students to receive a combined $35,500 in funding. Since launching in 2015, the program has awarded 67 scholarships and distributed more than $127,500 in educational assistance to Ventura Housing students.
Help ATLAS reach even more students next year. Every gift funds scholarships, school supplies, and the programs that put opportunity within reach. Make your tax-free donation at ATLAS-venturahousing.org/donations.
| | Make Your Voice Heard This November | | |
This November, California voters will decide on Proposition 1, the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026. Funding from Proposition 1 is critical to Ventura Housing's plans to expand the supply of deeply affordable housing within the City of Ventura; please make your voice heard this election season.
Voters go to the polls on November 3.
Learn more about Prop 1 here.
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Reserve your seat for our
State of Ventura Housing Breakfast
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