Brenda Lopez, Oxnard’s housing director, told the City Council on Jan. 6 that the city’s housing authority is embedded in the Housing Department and runs a range of federally funded programs, including Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) and public housing. "We have a total of 7 divisions and in this 7 divisions we have exactly 68 employees," Lopez said as she reviewed staffing and program roles.

Lopez said the housing authority manages specialty vouchers — emergency housing vouchers, VASH for veterans, mainstream and family‑unification vouchers — and administers a project‑based voucher program tied to specific units. She said the authority releases roughly $30,000,000 in housing assistance payments and serves thousands of residents, citing an internal figure of about 3,695 people housed through voucher programs.

The director described the housing authority’s public‑housing portfolio as about 523 units across 11 sites and said HUD capital fund grants support property repairs. "We also have a capital fund division responsible for applying for a grant so that we can continue to improve our properties," Lopez said. She described in‑house and external inspection schedules and the case‑management role for staff who recertify families annually.

Lopez reviewed the department’s resident services initiatives, including a ROSS (Resident Opportunity Self‑Sufficiency) coordinator based at the multi‑service center on Camino Del Sol and programs that connect tenants with job‑training, citizenship workshops, GED support, food distribution and a mural project. On the department’s Financial Self‑Sufficiency (FSS) program, Lopez said 126 households currently participate and that since 2010 the program has graduated 96 families, dispersing about $1.6 million; she added that eight graduates purchased a first home.

On challenges, Lopez warned of two interlocking risks: changing federal eligibility rules for mixed‑status families and phased implementation of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOPMA), which has required staff to operate under both pre‑ and post‑HOPMA rules. She also flagged the possibility of HUD budget shortfalls that could place the authority on "shortfall status," limiting admissions to programs.

Lopez asked the council for continued support on several fronts: consideration of Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversions to generate capital for deferred maintenance; continued staffing for rent‑stabilization enforcement and an anti‑harassment enforcement investigator; and funding to sustain homeless‑service and resident‑services activities. She said the Choice planning grant process is underway with a $500,000 planning award and the goal of applying for an implementation grant later in the grant cycle to pursue neighborhood transformation in five Oxnard neighborhoods.

The council praised staff responsiveness during a follow‑up Q&A. Lopez described how forfeited FSS escrow funds are recycled into the program pool and emphasized outreach to partner agencies and residents when properties are tagged or relocations are imminent. The department said some program specifics — such as exact counts on certain waiting lists and post‑project outcomes — remain subject to ongoing data collection and follow‑up.