Housing as a Cornerstone of Community: Insights from Dr. Jamshid Damooei
- Housing Opportunities Made Easier
- Nov 4
- 3 min read
At the 2025 Ventura County Housing Conference hosted by HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Easier), Dr. Jamshid Damooei, Director of the Center for Economics of Social Issues at California Lutheran University, delivered a keynote that struck at the heart of one of Ventura County’s most urgent challenges — housing affordability. His presentation blended data, compassion, and policy insight to illustrate how the housing crisis ripples far beyond economics, shaping the very fabric of local communities.
The Economics of Affordability
Dr. Damooei’s analysis underscored that Ventura County remains one of the least affordable housing markets in California, a reality that continues to strain working families and the regional economy alike. More than 60% of residents spend over 30% of their income on housing, a threshold commonly defined as “cost burdened.” This imbalance between income and housing costs not only restricts mobility but also reduces local spending power, contributing to broader economic stagnation.
He emphasized that housing affordability is not just a real estate issue — it’s an economic stability issue. When essential workers and families are priced out of their own communities, local businesses lose employees, schools lose families, and the social fabric begins to fray.
Rising income inequality: Despite being one of the most economically prosperous states, over the last 50 years income has been distributed in greater proportion to the top 1%, increasing from 9% to 30.5% in California and 31% in the US. Families in the top 10% earn 11 times more than wage-earners near the bottom. California ranks 12th in the world on income inequality.
Loss of affordable housing: Both naturally occurring and subsidized affordable housing is being lost each year to investor groups with strong financial incentives to maximize returns. One in five homes in California is now owned by investors, and in 7 counties, more than 50% of the housing stock. Housing is being seen more as a financial product than a need to have a place to live.
Rent increasing faster than income: Since 2000, California's Median Rent increased 40% while Median Renter Income increased 9%.
A Human Impact
Beyond the numbers, Dr. Damooei highlighted the growing human cost of the crisis. Limited affordable options are pushing families farther from job centers, increasing commute times, lower homeownership rates, and creating barriers to community engagement. He noted that lower-income households and younger generations feel the deepest effects of housing insecurity. Some 6.9% of students in Ventura County are homeless, resulting in higher dropout and lower graduation rates. “The health of a community depends on how we value and protect access to housing for all,” he remarked.
Building a Collaborative Path Forward
Dr. Damooei called for regional collaboration between government, developers, financial institutions, and nonprofits to design innovative, inclusive solutions. He encouraged local leaders to view housing as a shared investment in long-term community well-being, not merely as a private commodity. He recommended to:
Provide direct help, including more housing vouchers (almost 60,000 households in Ventura County are entitled to vouchers but have not received them), interest rate reductions, and loan products for ownership.
Increase the supply of rental and ownership housing through government investment (California currently funds only 15% of what it needs) and get a bigger share of entitlements and federal funds.
Provide infrastructure for a better arrangement between home and the place of work.
Include as part of the bigger housing affordability picture, a relocation option where people move to places where they can afford to live.
By combining data-driven policymaking with compassion-driven advocacy, Ventura County can pave the way toward a more equitable housing landscape — one where stability, opportunity, and economic vitality go hand in hand.
Key Takeaways
Ventura County ranks among the least affordable regions in California.
Over 60% of households are cost-burdened by housing expenses.
Affordability is an economic issue, not just a housing one.
Collaborative, inclusive strategies are vital to long-term stability.
Closing Thought
Dr. Damooei’s message served as both a warning and a call to action: housing is the foundation of a thriving community. Ensuring affordability and access for all is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity for Ventura County’s future.
Housing Opportunities Made Easier (HOME)
PO Box 191, Camarillo, CA 93011
Phone: (805) 323-6534
Email: info@vchome.org
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