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(VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.) – February 22, 2023 – Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) has acquired 2 acres of vacant property on Bryant Road in the City of Ojai for the purpose of developing a new community to serve the housing needs of lower-income families and farmworkers of Ojai. The proposed multifamily housing development “Cabrillo Vistas” will be a 50-unit,100% affordable housing development.

“The property is zoned “M-1 Manufacturing” as is most of Bryant Street in the vicinity, but the property also has a general plan and zoning alternate “overlay” for affordable housing.  CEDC intends to construct 50 new apartment units in compliance with the affordable housing overlay zoning and using State Density Bonus Laws,” said William Hughes, Director of Real Estate Development at CEDC.

Cabrillo Vistas has 1, 2 and 3-bedroom units plus common meeting room, laundry room and restroom facilities contained in two and three-story structures which have been designed in the Modern Farmhouse aesthetic. The project will be built using modular construction so the development process will be relatively quick, and the units will be highly energy efficient and insulated.  

The new development will be “family-focused” with outdoor play areas and structures, and indoor after-school facilities and programs. CEDC estimates that 78 children will live in the community and attend local schools. Tenant rent levels reach as high as 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) indicating that essential workers at the school district or other similar residents could qualify for an apartment at this development. 

“CEDC takes great pride in delivering the highest standard of housing for those most lacking in opportunity. With public, private, and community partners, we develop housing that positively impacts the community’s health, education, public safety, social services, and economic development,” said Margarita H. de Escontrias, Chief Executive Officer at Cabrillo EDC. “Therefore, it is with great pleasure Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation has this opportunity to develop additional affordable housing at Cabrillo Vistas, which would represent our third property in the City of Ojai, behind Sycamore Homes and Montgomery Oaks.”

A professional market study was performed to demonstrate the need for affordable housing in the city of Ojai, and a 237-person waiting list at CEDC’s Montgomery Oaks apartments corroborates the market study’s conclusions. To address California’s agricultural worker crisis, Cabrillo Vistas apartments aims to benefit the community by reserving 19 of the 50 housing units for farmworker families: (9) 2-bdrms units and (10) 3-bdrm units.  

Many features will be incorporated into Cabrillo Vistas apartments to reduce water use, including low-flow plumbing fixtures, high-efficiency laundry washers.  The site will be engineered to capture rainfall for landscape irrigation, as well as to accommodate run-off from large stormwater events. Hardscape and low-water trees and plants will be utilized to landscape the site. 

The development will be net-zero for energy use, incorporating very high-efficiency appliances, as an “all-electric” development, and will utilize solar photo-voltaic panels and batteries capable of storing 3 days’ electricity supply.  The development will also provide electric vehicle charging stations.  Transportation Demand Management measures will include eBike chargers and locked bike storage.

Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation will begin its community outreach efforts in the next week to both share information about the project, and to receive public comment. CEDC looks forward to working with community-based organizations to help provide support for the children and parents of the development. 

The non-profit company operates its own management company to maintain the highest standards of property maintenance, customer service, and after-school services for children and families.  The company has an over 40-year record of successful affordable housing development and operation in Ventura County.