Residents urge Ventura Unified to use surplus school land for affordable workforce housing

Public commenters urged the Ventura Unified School District board on Tuesday evening to designate surplus district property for affordable workforce housing, saying the move could help retain teachers and other essential workers and steady declining student enrollment.

Katie Norris, representing Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County, told the board that Ventura’s rental and home‑price pressures are pushing essential workers out of the city and that using district land for 100 percent affordable housing would help teachers, classified staff and first responders ‘‘stay in this area for the long term,’’ which in turn would stabilize school enrollment and funding.

March Stoker, a Midtown resident, and Sullette of the Ventura County Housing Coalition described the neighborhood and economic trade‑offs and urged the district to consider the Old Washington School and other surplus parcels as sites for workforce housing. Richard (a Ventura Unified graduate) and Lucia Marquez, policy director of Cause, echoed those views and framed the effort as aligned with district priorities to support staff and sustain community enrollment.

Board members acknowledged the public comments and asked staff to collect additional information about surplus parcels and partnerships. President Calvin Peterson noted the district’s responsibility to balance property disposition with fiscal and operational constraints, and trustees said they wanted more detail before making any formal decisions.

What happens next: The board did not take formal action on surplus‑land use at the meeting. Staff said more study and community engagement would be required before any site proposal or request for proposals was presented for board approval.