Conserving and improving the existing housing stock helps maintain investment in the community and keeps existing housing affordable. Because a majority of the housing stock in the unincorporated areas of the County is more than 30 years old, rehabilitation efforts are important to preserve housing stock. Several factors can cause residential units to become unsafe or unhealthy to live in. Preventing these problems from occurring and addressing them when they do occur protects the safety and welfare of residents and assists in meeting the County’s housing needs. The County will focus its efforts on rehabilitation, code enforcement, and preserving existing affordable units to take a proactive approach to conserving the current housing stock.
Goal: HE-1
Conserve and improve the existing housing stock within the unincorporated areas of Ventura County.
The County shall support its Code Compliance Division in responding to complaints and ensuring that existing housing meets public health, safety, fire and other applicable development codes and standards, with priority given to designated disadvantaged communities.
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The County shall continue to partner with regional agencies (e.g., Tri-County Regional Energy Network, Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance, Local Government Partnership, etc.) to seek opportunities for subsidizing and incentivizing residential energy conservation.
Energy conservation will also be pursued through the implementation of Programs “V”[1] and “W”[2] in the Conservation and Open Space Element.
[1] Improve Energy Conservation Awareness – The County shall encourage community members to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase awareness about energy efficiency and climate change and adaptation, to conduct targeted outreach to homeowners and contractors to encourage installation of electric appliances upon routine replacement of natural gas appliances and heaters and provide information regarding financial incentives.
[2] Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program – The County shall develop a behavior change program for energy efficiency and conservation. This program would provide energy literacy training for low-income customers on buying energy-efficient products or using energy more efficiently; develop and offer digital applications offering real-time energy use information to residents and businesses; offer anonymized data on community energy use for residents to compare performance; and provide rewards or rebates for improved energy conservation.
The County shall partner with public and private agencies and provide funding support for residential rehabilitation programs that assist homeowners and renters to ensure the safety and habitability of existing housing units and the quality of residential neighborhoods for lower income households.
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The County shall assure that affordable housing in the Coastal Zone is preserved or replaced, where feasible, in accordance with the Mello Act.
The County agencies and departments shall work with state and federal agencies to expedite permit processing for the replacement of homes that were lost due to natural disaster, while maintaining consistency with state building and fire codes.
As a means of providing affordable dwelling units for lower-income households, the County shall continue the preservation of existing mobilehomes and manufactured homes, through the implementation of the Mobilehome Park Overlay Zone and Senior Mobilehome Park Overlay Zone.