Funding will support affordable new construction and rehabilitation housing, permanent supportive housing, and rapid re-housing projects
RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced nearly $12 million in funding to increase access to affordable housing, reduce homelessness, and provide permanent supportive housing options for Virginians with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The funding includes more than $10.7 million in Affordable and Special Needs Housing loans for 12 projects and more than $1.2 million in Homeless Reduction Grants to support 13 projects funded through the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, which assists local and regional efforts to implement affordable housing solutions.
Earlier today, Governor Northam visited Centenary United Methodist Church in Richmond where he joined local leaders administering the Point-in-Time Count, a national census of people experiencing homelessness. This twice-annual survey provides critical data to ensure the Commonwealth strategically deploys and invests state and federal resources to further reduce homelessness. Since 2010, overall homelessness in Virginia has decreased 36.3 percent, and homelessness among families has decreased 45 percent. The Homeless Reduction Grants announced today will support targeted efforts to reduce homelessness, including projects that provide rapid re-housing for individuals experiencing homelessness and permanent supportive housing options.
“Housing is the foundation for building vibrant communities and creating equal access to economic opportunity across our Commonwealth,” said Governor Northam. “Every time I meet with housing service providers and individuals who have overcome homelessness, I am given hope that with the right investments, we can effectively address homelessness, reduce housing instability, and provide more Virginians with safe and affordable living options.”
The Affordable and Special Needs Housing (ASNH) loan projects are focused on creating affordable new construction and rehabilitation housing projects as well as permanent supportive housing options for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or serious mental illness. These 12 funded projects will create or preserve 607 affordable housing units targeting low-income and very low-income Virginians, and leverage over $246 million in additional federal, state, local, and private lending resources.
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers the ASNH program and combines state and federal resources to ensure a simplified application process. Funding comes from three primary sources: the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the federal National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), and the Virginia Housing Trust Fund (VHTF).
“Increasing and preserving the number of affordable housing units throughout Virginia and supporting programs to make homelessness rare and nonrecurring are key goals of this administration,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “Creating more affordable housing opportunities can transform our communities and the lives of many Virginians.”
The Governor recently announced that his proposed budget invests $63 million in the VHTF, bringing the total amount to $84 million over three years. The VHTF provides financing for housing construction projects that create or preserve affordable housing units, reduce the cost of affordable housing, and increase homeownership. This includes an allocation of an additional $1.3 million in Homeless Reduction Grants that if approved by the General Assembly would support 15 projects providing rapid re-housing and longer-term housing solutions for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
2019 Fall Affordable and Special Needs Housing Awardees:
|
Organization |
Project Name |
Award |
Source |
Project Location |
|
Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing |
Mt. Sterling Senior Apartments |
$700,000 |
VHTF |
Loudoun County |
|
Community Havens Inc. |
Aging in Place for Individuals with Disabilities |
$680,000 |
PSH |
Prince William County |
|
Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity |
Piedmont/Montpelier Housing |
$520,482 |
HOME |
City of Charlottesville |
|
Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg |
Habitat Forest Heights Grove 2020 |
$300,000 |
HOME |
James City County |
|
Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority |
Spratley House |
$800,000 |
NHTF |
City of Newport News |
|
Petersburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority |
Pecan Acres |
$500,000 |
HOME |
City of Petersburg |
|
Piedmont Housing Alliance |
Friendship Court Apartments Phase I |
$2,000,000 |
VHTF HOME NHTF |
City of Charlottesville |
|
Second Act Communities |
Cypress Landing |
$275,000 |
NHTF |
City of Chesapeake |
|
Southside Outreach Group |
Poplar Creek |
$700,000 |
VHTF |
Halifax County |
|
Virginia Supportive Housing |
Cool Lane Apartments |
$2,000,000 |
VHTF HOME NHTF |
Henrico County |
|
Wesley Housing Development Corporation |
The Arden-Building B |
$1,600,000 |
VHTF HOME |
Fairfax County |
|
Wesley Housing Development Corporation |
The Cadence |
$700,000 |
VHTF
|
Fairfax County |
|
TOTAL: |
$10,775,482 |
|||
2019–2020 Homeless Reduction Grant Awardees:
|
Organization |
Project Name |
Award |
Communities Served |
|
Cornerstones |
Rapid Re-Housing Plus |
$100,000 |
Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church |
|
Council of Community Services |
Housing Trust Fund Rapid Re-Housing Project |
$35,000 |
Roanoke, Botetourt, Craig, and Alleghany counties and the cities of Roanoke, Covington, and Salem |
|
ForKids, Inc. |
Rapid Re-Housing for Parenting Youth |
$100,000 |
Isle of Wight and Southampton counties, and the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, and Suffolk |
|
Mercy House, Inc. |
Mercy House Rapid Re-Housing Program |
$100,000 |
Augusta and Rockingham counties, and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro |
|
Micah Ecumenical Ministries |
Permanent Supportive Housing Program |
$51,500 |
Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties and the city of Fredericksburg |
|
Micah Ecumenical Ministries |
Rapid Re-Housing Program |
$77,250 |
Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties, and the city of Fredericksburg |
|
Miriam’s House |
Community First Rapid Re-Housing |
$100,000 |
Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell counties, and the city of Lynchburg |
|
Pathway Homes |
Permanent Supportive Housing – Stabilization |
$100,000 |
Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church |
|
People, Inc. Foothills |
Re-Housing Foothills Housing Network Housing Trust Fund |
$100,000 |
Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties |
|
Samaritan House, Inc. |
SHI Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grant 2020 |
$100,000 |
City of Virginia Beach |
|
Shelter House |
Shelter House Rapid Re-Housing 2020 |
$100,000 |
Fairfax County and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church |
|
St. Joseph’s Villa |
Continuation of the Petersburg High School Housing Stability Pilot Program |
$180,000 |
City of Petersburg |
|
Virginia Supportive Housing – Gosnold and Church |
2020 Gosnold and Church Street Station – Norfolk |
$100,000 |
City of Norfolk |
|
TOTAL: |
$1,243,750 |
||
2019–2020 Homeless Reduction Grant Letter of Intent Awardees:
|
Organization |
Project Name |
Award |
Communities Served |
|
Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network, Inc. (A-SPAN) |
The A-SPAN Supportive Housing Project |
$75,000 |
Arlington County |
|
Bay Aging |
Northern Neck Middle Peninsula Housing Coalition – Bay Aging Rapid Re-Housing |
$50,000 |
Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland counties |
|
City of Chesapeake |
Homeless Youth Rapid Re-Housing Project |
$100,000 |
City of Chesapeake |
|
Commonwealth Catholic Charities |
Affordable Housing for Chronically Homeless Youth |
$95,000 |
City of Richmond |
|
Commonwealth Catholic Charities |
Norfolk SVHC Housing Trust Fund |
$100,000 |
Isle of Wight and Southampton counties and the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, and Suffolk |
|
Doorways for Women and Families |
Doorways Housing Trust Fund |
$40,000 |
Arlington County |
|
HomeAgain |
Single Individuals and Seniors Rapid Re-Housing Initiative |
$94,390 |
Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, and Powhatan counties and the city of Richmond |
|
LGBT Life Center |
VB Youth Stabilization |
$100,000 |
City of Virginia Beach |
|
New Hope Housing, Inc. |
Alexandria Housing First Apartments Program |
$66,950 |
City of Alexandria |
|
New Hope Housing, Inc. |
Arlington County Permanent Supportive Housing Program |
$100,000 |
Arlington County |
|
St. Joseph’s Villa |
St. Joseph’s Villa Housing Trust Fund |
$100,000 |
Dinwiddie, Greensville, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex counties, and the cities of Colonial Heights, Petersburg, Emporia, and Hopewell |
|
Virginia Supportive Housing |
New Clay and South Richmond Studios – Richmond |
$100,000 |
City of Richmond |
|
Virginia Supportive Housing |
South Bay Apartments – Portsmouth |
$55,000 |
City of Portsmouth |
|
Virginia Supportive Housing |
Cloverleaf and Crescent Square – Virginia Beach |
$100,000 |
City of Virginia Beach |
|
YWCA |
YWCA Rapid Re-Housing Expansion |
$99,910 |
Cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk |
|
TOTAL: |
$1,276, 250 |
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VHTF – Virginia Housing Trust Fund
HOME – HOME Investment Partnerships Program
NHTF – National Housing Trust Fund
PSH – Permanent Supportive Housing State Funds
