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Housing today is considered affordable when an individual or family pays no more than 30 percent of its total annual gross income on housing costs, including rent or mortgage, and utilities. This definition of affordability is a holistic way of looking at the economic picture of an individual or family because it takes into consideration other essential expenses including food, clothing, healthcare, education, and other costs of living.

Because most affordable home communities are developed with the use of federal, state or local funds, the units must be rented to people who have extremely low, very low, low or moderate income. The definition of these income percentages is set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and varies by region and household size. You can find a description of HUD’s income levels and corresponding household sizes on the California Department of Housing and Community Development website.

The commonly used income categories are approximately as follows, subject to variations for household size and other factors:

• Acutely low income: 0-15% of AMI
• Extremely low income: 15-30% of AMI
• Very low income: 30% to 50% of AMI
• Lower income: 50% to 80% of AMI; the term may also be used to mean 0% to 80% of AMI
• Moderate income: 80% to 120% of AMI

Through the development of affordable homes, both ownership and rental, Cabrillo fulfills a tremendous housing need throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Cabrillo EDC’s homes are available to those households earning from 20 to 80 percent based on the Area Median Income (AMI).
Not sure what AMI is where you live? Check out: http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/ctcac/2024/supplemental.asp.
Additionally, Cabrillo EDC accepts housing vouchers such as Section 8 (Tenant-Based), Ventura County Behavior Health (VCBH) and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH).
The Property Management Department at CEDC can help you figure out the eligibility requirements for all new and existing properties.

To find a rental application for any of our rental properties, click here. Please submit the rental application to the property manager at the property or properties of your choice in person or by mail. You will be placed on a waiting list and contacted by the property manager when a rental apartment becomes available at that site.

To see a listing of our properties and the programs available at each, click here.

Each of the communities in Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation’s (CEDC) rental portfolio has its own established requisites based on the affordability requirements for that particular property.

Contact the Property Manager for a copy of the rental policy in English or Spanish. If you are interested in submitting an application for any of the properties, applications must be submitted directly to the property(ies) of interest.

CEDC is an equal housing opportunity provider and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, familial status, handicap, mental status, sexual orientation, ancestry, source of income and other protected classes under state and local laws.

Cabrillo EDC’s Real Estate Development Department (REDD) analyzes the feasibility of potential sites for affordable homes on an ongoing basis. Below is our current pipeline.

Under Construction:
Dolores Huerta Gardens, 58 units in Oxnard for farmworkers and veterans. We anticipate having construction completed in May 2025. We will have updates on completion and when applications will start being accepted on our website and social media.

Village Senior Apartments, 50 units in Buellton for seniors. We anticipate construction to be completed the 4th quarter of 2025. Stay tuned for more details.

Pre-Development (nearing construction):
Camino de Salud, 49 units of supportive housing for homeless and low-income households located in Unincorporated Ventura County (near Ojai). Construction is anticipated to start in the 1st quarter of 2026 and be completed in the 2nd quarter of 2027.

Chaparral Place, 50 units for farmworker and low-income families in Ojai. Construction is anticipated to start in December 2026

Topa Vista Villas, 112 units for low-income families in Santa Paula. Construction is expected to start in November 2026.

Casa Caritas, 67 units of low income and permanent supportive housing in Santa Barbara. Construction is expected to start in March 2027.

The REDD team is in the pre-development stage on additional sites as well.

Like other nonprofit developers, Cabrillo EDC secures funding for land acquisition, predevelopment and development/construction through a variety of public and private sources. The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee provides tax credit equity and is our most common, but highly competitive source of funds. The California Department of Housing & Community Development administers numerous grant and loan programs available to nonprofit developers of low-income, affordable and special needs housing. Federal sources include the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As funding sources differ from year to year, each project requires a unique mix of public and private funding sources to get the project off the ground and ensure it is affordable to the area’s most vulnerable populations. State and federal funding is a critical component in funding these projects.