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Ventura Housing reports foster‑youth voucher pilot and transitions emergency vouchers into regular Section 8
Summary
In public comment, Ventura Housing said it is piloting foster‑youth-to-independent vouchers and has transitioned 33 emergency housing vouchers into regular Section 8 to prevent households from losing housing when federal EHV funding ends; staff warned this may produce funding shortfalls later this year.
In public comment to the Housing and Homeless Subcommittee, Jeff Lambert, CEO of Ventura Housing, described two operational updates: a foster‑youth voucher pilot and a decision to absorb Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) into the regular Section 8 program.
Lambert said Ventura Housing began a foster‑youth‑to‑independent voucher initiative, initially housing five foster youth with 11 additional referrals in process. "We can get between 25 and 50 of these vouchers every year," he said, adding the vouchers are federally issued and can be used throughout Ventura County.
Lambert also updated the subcommittee on EHVs provided during the COVID pandemic. He said the housing authority received an allocation of 45 EHVs, of which 33 were being used; following a federal decision to end the dedicated funding, Ventura Housing moved those 33 households into the regular Section 8 voucher program to keep them housed. "…the most important thing was to make sure those 33 households who are housed during COVID…would not be put back on the streets when the money expired," Lambert said. He cautioned the decision may lead the housing authority to a shortfall before the end of the year and that the agency will seek shortfall funding to remain whole.
Lambert also invited councilmembers to a ribbon cutting and resident‑story presentations for Valentine Road and said the agency is preparing further information for the subcommittee and council.
