Thousand Oaks, Simi Get Housing Aid : Grant: The U.S. funds will be applied to such uses as seniors’ apartments and helping first-time home buyers.

Housing for the needy in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley got a $1.63-million boost Friday as state officials announced that the two cities were among 36 in California to receive a share of much-sought federal funding.

Thousand Oaks received $1 million for a senior citizens apartment complex, while Simi Valley will use its $630,000 share to fix up old houses and help finance mortgages for first-time home buyers.

Officials from both cities greeted the news with enthusiasm, saying the funds will bring relief to needy residents.

“We certainly need more senior housing for our community,” Thousand Oaks Councilwoman Elois Zeanah said. “I’m delighted.”

Simi Valley Councilman Bill Davis said the grant will bolster the city’s efforts to help people who otherwise might not be able to afford a home.

“If you look at what Simi Valley has done in the past, you’ll see we’ve worked hard to get these kinds of programs,” Davis said. “This money is really going to be a big help.”

The awards were among only 36 grants totaling $27.8 million approved by the state Department of Housing and Community Development. The federal grants, funneled through the state, will help finance housing loans for an estimated 400 needy families and fund construction of nearly 700 apartments statewide.

Friday’s award marks the second time Simi Valley has received a grant through the state program. A grant for $1 million was awarded in 1982.

It’s the first time Thousand Oaks has received such a grant, a state housing department spokesman said.

In Thousand Oaks, the funds will help finance construction of the Oak Creek Senior Villa, a $3-million complex of 52 one-bedroom apartments on Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

“Isn’t it wonderful,” said Ellen Graybill, whose husband is the developer of the project. “We’re thrilled and we’re looking forward to building some beautiful senior housing.”

According to plans approved by the city, the project will include two- and three-story Mission-style stucco buildings surrounding an enclosed atrium.

Apartments in the project, which is expected to be completed in 14 months, will rent for $414 and $550 a month.

“This is good news,” Councilwoman Jaime Zukoski said. “We have a need for this kind of housing.”

In Simi Valley, about $400,000 of the city’s grant will be used to create a new low-interest loan program for first-time home buyers, said Dulce Conde-Sierra, deputy director of housing.

Another $230,000 will go to the city’s home rehabilitation program, which received more than $1 million in federal aid earlier this year to help residents whose homes were damaged in the Jan. 17 earthquake.

“The difference with this money is that we don’t necessarily have to use it for earthquake relief,” Conde-Sierra said. “That means a wider range of low-income people could qualify.”

Times staff writer Stephanie Simon contributed to this story.