OXNARD : Firm Asks Incentives to Move to City

A Paso Robles firm that builds mass-produced homes told the Oxnard City Council that it wants to relocate its manufacturing plant in the city, but it needs some help.

Representatives of House-Tech Inc. told the council in a presentation late Tuesday that it would move its factory to Oxnard if the city would commit to buying as many as 200 of the houses.

“We’d like to have a commitment from the city to build these homes,” said House-Tech Vice President Andres Sanchez.

Councilman Thomas Holden said the homes ideally would be located on about 30 acres the city is negotiating to buy off Lombard Street to provide affordable housing to resettle residents of the aging Oxnard Mobile Home Lodge.

Under preliminary discussion is the possibility that the city would agree to purchase up to 200 homes for about $42,000 each from House-Tech, then sell them to eligible buyers.

“If we could get a project where we could offer a house that’s affordable, I think it warrants looking at,” Holden said. “It’s an attractive idea considering the manufacturing plant would be here.

“We’ve got to get creative to find a way to make homes affordable,” Holden said.

But Eileen McCarthy, an attorney representing residents of the Oxnard Mobile Home Lodge, said she is suspicious of the plan, which has not spelled out any financial details.

House-Tech “is basically seeking a productions contract with the city,” she said. “It would seem to require a vast amount of money committed by the city of Oxnard.”

Councilman Bedford Pinkard, who requested the presentation be placed on Tuesday’s agenda for discussion, said he might support involving public dollars in home building.

“Maybe we could go into the ‘landlord-type’ business if this is what it takes,” he said. “I could see the housing authority getting involved in some kind of way.” Further discussions are not scheduled until the city acquires the Lombard site, Holden said.