As we go ‘to press,’ parts of Ventura County have been ravaged by wildfire, heightening the housing crisis to emergency levels, and making clear communication and public information more important than ever.
Ventura County, California has always been a highly desirable place to call home, but there’s a catch: finding a place to live. As far as housing goes, given the local median price, local average income, and extremely restrictive land use policy, it is, in fact, the least affordable county in the country to buy a home. The Ventura County Coastal Association of REALTORS® is getting to the root of the region’s housing issues with a new series of webinars and podcasts supported by NAR’s REALTOR® Party.
Though California’s housing crisis dates back at least 50 years, explains Director of Government Affairs Rob Leatherwood, it is clouded by significant public information gaps. “Folks don’t understand how we got here, or how we get out of it. It’s daunting, but not impossible – there are models – and it takes an informed public to support constructive solutions and shun candidates or initiatives that will hinder housing progress.” He notes that it also takes some discernment to recognize misinformation and cut through confusing stances; for example, some NIMBY organizations will support policies like rent control because of their negative effects on housing development.
To begin to educate the community, the association knew it would have to meet people where they are. “No number of pretty mailers or catchy posts were going to convey the complex information involved in real estate, property rights, taxation, and zoning issues,” says Leatherwood. “We decided a webinar format that could also be heard as an audio podcast would be the best way to reach our audience.” The project involves him sitting down with an expert guest and embarking on an in-depth, unscripted exploration of a particular housing topic. “It’s all in plain English, built for the average Joe and Jane, to help everyone understand the issues,” he explains. “As I told our producer: “I want my mom to watch this and understand 90% of what we’re talking about.’ And though we’re conveying serious information, we try to maintain a relaxed sense of humor to draw people in and keep them engaged.”
To date, a Consumer Advocacy Grant from the REALTOR® Party has supported an initial season of six 45-to-60-minute segments, featuring, among others, the CEO of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce on a business-prohibitive water policy; the CEO of the Ventura County Housing Trust Fund on the complexities of affordable housing funding; the CEO of the local housing authority rebuilding a community following a natural disaster; and local elected officials on land use policies that prevent affordable housing for agricultural workers. Leatherwood meets each guest in advance for a careful planning session. “It’s never adversarial. We are giving experts the opportunity to speak directly to the public, and they appreciate that. In fact, all the guests I’ve approached with an invitation have been aware of the series, and eager to join in the discussion.”
The response from members and the community has also been entirely positive. “Ventura is a ‘big small town,’ and people are recognizing me on the street as the housing podcast guy,” reports Leatherwood. “That was never the goal, but it means we have an audience!” Indeed, the first six webinars have received nearly 90K total views so far, on YouTube and Facebook; the podcast versions are available on all the usual sources and platforms.
Leatherwood was new to this kind of media production, but he shopped around and figured out the best way to get it done. “I prefer to stay in my lane, and it was fairly easy to find others with expertise in media. We’ve been working with an independent producer who provides a studio, does the recordings, and cleans up the audio and video tracks for me and our in-house marketing director to edit for final distribution, including short promotional clips.” The rest of the grant funding is spent on advertising. “Google ads are really good at finding your market,” he says; “we have to credit them for all the views we’ve been getting. And that means we’ll be reclaiming the narrative, and, hopefully, effecting meaningful change in the region’s housing landscape.”
With continued support from the REALTOR® Party, Leatherwood plans to up production to a monthly schedule in 2025 and bring on more municipal staff as guests. He whole-heartedly encourages any local associations considering applying to the REALTOR® Party grant programs: “The staff at NAR is wonderful to work with! You’ll figure out pretty quickly that it’s a pretty painless process that can lead to real results.”
To learn more about how Ventura County Coastal Association of REALTORS® is working to educate the public on complex housing and real estate issues through single-subject, easy-access webinars and podcasts, contact Director of Government Affairs Rob Leatherwood at rob@vcrealtors.com or 806-252-2544.
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