Hope Foundation Ventura County will connect with homeless people who are ready to make a change in their lives but who may not qualify for other types of aid, and will provide these individuals with safe, affordable housing. Once the immediate concerns of safety and survival are removed, formerly homeless individuals can begin the process of making changes in other areas of their lives. By focusing on housing first, Hope Foundation Ventura County will help formerly homeless local residents to become healthy, happy, productive members of the local community.

The Foundation will launch its first initiative, the HomeFirst Project, to support people who are homeless by providing affordable housing, spiritual community, social services, job training, and access to employment. Hope Foundation Ventura County plans to commence operations by acquiring a single family house to be used to provide affordable housing for one local family.

Future Development

Hope Foundation Ventura County will launch a fundraising campaign to acquire a multifamily living facility that can provide safe, affordable housing for multiple families and individuals. The Foundation’s ultimate goal is to design and construct a planned community that provides affordable permanent housing for 80 to 120 individuals or families along with case management, food relief assistance, medical, vocational, and educational centers, and recreational facilities.

Phased Growth – A Three-Step Process

Phase 1: The HomeFirst Project – The initial part of our 10-year plan, the HomeFirst Project will be dedicated to providing housing and social services to one homeless family. The Hope Foundation will acquire a distressed residential property through fundraising or donation and refurbish and renovate it in collaboration with other local nonprofits and organizations. This will provide immediate long-term housing for one homeless family with children, with case management oversight and access to financial, vocational, and health-related tools.

Phase 2: Long-Term Housing and Support – The Hope Foundation will establish a long-term housing unit for 20-60 homeless single mothers or families and their children in a purchased property with an existing commercial restaurant and enough property to build a thrift store on-site for revenue generating purposes. The Foundation will collaborate with local trained agencies to teach and train residents for jobs in the retail merchandising and food industries. Our aim is to make this housing community as close to self-sufficient as possible, with 25% of all income being brought in by our generous donors and 75% being generated by the restaurant and thrift store.

Phase 3: A Permanent, Planned Community – The final phase of our growth plan will establish a planned community that will collaborate with businesses, local nonprofit organizations, municipal, state, and federal governments, churches, private business owners, and social service agencies to locate property and build a planned permanent housing community for homeless families and veterans. The site will include all services essential to aiding homeless and low-income individuals, and will provide a place for the homeless and hungry to come for assistance.