Westview Village II will receive federal funding for the Community Center and Early Childhood Classrooms

Ventura, CA — The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) is excited to announce that with Congress passing the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) appropriations bill, Westview Village II will receive 1 million dollars in Community Project Funding (CPF)/ Congressional Directed Spending (CDS), formerly known as earmarks, allocation through Congressman Salud Carbajal and the late Senator Feinstein.

The HACSB submitted a request early last Spring for a CPF through Congressman Carbajal and a CDS through Senator Feinstein to complete the construction of the new Community Center and Early Childhood Center located in Westview Village Phase II. Child Development Resources (CDR) will operate the early childhood center.

“Child Development Resources of Ventura County, Inc., (CDR’s) Head Start/State Preschool Program is honored to have the opportunity to partner with the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB), to provide a high-quality preschool experience in the two classrooms built at the Westview II affordable housing development. CDR’s Head Start/State Preschool programs will provide a strong foundation to build promising futures for enrolled children.  Also, the children enrolled in these programs will be fed homestyle meals, prepared onsite by a Head Start cook, utilizing the commercial kitchen and amenities that was built into the structure. Having this opportunity to serve these children and families in an environment that supports high-quality learning and family engagement will result in positive outcomes for children and families,” said Suzanne Godinez, CDR Early Care and Education Programs Director.

Although the HACSB was aware of its project being selected in the proposed CPF/ CDS for the Congressman and the late Senator, it was cautiously optimistic as the projects still had to undergo Congress approval which comes with no guarantees. This is the first time, since its inception, that the HACSB has received this type of allocation.

“We have been anxiously waiting for this for months. It is a huge relief to know that we can now complete the Community Center and Early Childhood Center and make it a resource for the residents at Westview Village and the surrounding Community,” said Jeffrey Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of the HACSB.

This is a prime example of the unwavering dedication of Congressman Carbajal and the late Senator Feinstein toward our local community. “Their relentless efforts have had a significant impact, and we are grateful beyond words for their support. Westview Village has been going through a major transformation, and we are now one step closer to completing the renovation of this community. I can finally say that the Community Center, the heart of the development will be complete very, very soon,” said Lambert.

“I’m proud to be bringing more than $3 million in direct funding for Ventura County projects back to our community – including this critical million dollars for the community spaces of the Westview Village development. This funding will have a profound impact on our families that call Westview home and improve the quality of life for its current and future residents,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I have been pushing to see this funding approved for the past year, and although our federal appropriations process has become even more tied up in political games and brinksmanship in recent months, I’m proud to help break this logjam and deliver this key funding for Westview’s new child development center and other community spaces at Westview Village.”

The funding will support the new community spaces that will deliver vital resources to Westview residents, including a state-of-the-art community center, a commercial kitchen, an accessible community playground, and an early childhood development center.

For photos. Click the following link:

https://hacityventura.box.com/s/8x35ktkzo3ppvs7xqbp961bso91cd6xt

To learn more about the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura, visit www.hacityventura.org.

ABOUT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SAN BUENAVENTURA

The HACSB is the largest residential landlord in the City of Ventura with more than 1,480 Housing Choice Vouchers and 1097 affordable rental units. The mission of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura is to provide and develop quality affordable housing for eligible low-income residents of Ventura County and to establish strong partnerships necessary for HACSB customers to achieve personal goals related to literacy and education; health and wellness; and job training and employment leading to personal growth and economic self-sufficiency.