A proposed affordable townhome project with 78 units won support Monday night from the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission.

Commissioners voted 4-0 to recommend the City Council approve the People’s Self-Help Housing development on city-owned property at 384 Erbes Road. Commissioner Mic Farris was absent.

The 3.86-acre location is the former site of Hillcrest Christian School, which moved in 2019 to a new Thousand Oaks campus on Wilbur Road.

Assistant City Attorney Noel Doran told the commission the city will deed the Erbes Road site to People’s Self-Help Housing, which will then deed the land to a trust fund.

The project originally called for 59 townhomes but has grown to 78. As proposed, they will be in eight three-story buildings. Attached garages will provide 148 parking spaces, with another 17 or so guest parking spaces on site. Townhomes will be for sale.

The City Council chose People’s Self-Help Housing in 2022 to develop the affordable housing project. At that time, Veronica Garcia, People’s Self-Help Housing chief real estate development officer, said sales prices would vary from $275,000 to $600,000.

Median annual income in Ventura County for a family of four is $123,500, according to a staff report. Some 59 units will be sold to households who make 80% or less than the median, or up to $106,250. The other 19 will be for households making up to 120% of the median, or $148,200.

Residences will vary from one to four bedrooms, Angela Georgeff, associate planner, told the commission Monday. Each home will have a private balcony.

Garcia told commissioners the nonprofit is talking with Ventura County Community Development Corp. about being involved with loans for homeowners. “We will be working with VCCDC to maximize opportunities for down-payment assistance,” Garcia said.

People’s Self-Help Housing and the community development corporation are both based in Oxnard, where Garcia works. People’s Self-Help also has offices in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

The city bought the site for $10 million in 2021 for affordable housing.

A homeowners association will be formed and managed by owners of the 78 units, said Doran, the assistant city attorney.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks panel OKs People’s Self-Help Housing development