| A Message from HV Board Member
Earl B. Reynolds, TAP and Richmond Regional Network
 Dear Friends in Affordable Housing
As the Director of Housing and Community Development at Total Action Against Poverty (TAP) and a member of the Roanoke Regional Housing Network, I'm excited to also be a Housing Virginia Board member.
Housing Virginia makes the case for increasing the supply of affordable housing options across the state by providing local leaders with up-to-date housing research, proven approaches and effective community education strategies.
The Roanoke Regional Housing Network was established with the purpose of bringing together diverse, yet complementary interests to promote discussion, conduct research and facilitate action on housing issues. Members of the RRHN meet on a monthly basis to share information, identify current issues and seek ways to work together to resolve housing problems facing the region.
The RRHN has accomplished much over the past years. For example, it has formed partnerships to conduct comprehensive housing surveys such as the 21st Century Challenge to Eliminate Substandard Housing in Roanoke City, published the Directory of Housing Services for the Roanoke area, and monitored the City of Roanoke Rental Inspection Program.
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Virginia Beach Workforce Housing Roundtable
Brings New Approach to Mobile Home Dilemma
One of the timely stops on the Virginia Beach Workforce Housing Roundtable's June 13th bus tour to Charlottesville was a briefing by Dan Rosensweig, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville. Dan educated the group on their efforts to the redevelop two mobile home parks in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
As a result of this contact and briefing, Dan provided testimony at a rezoning hearing before the Chesapeake City Council on the process that they are using to redevelop the mobile home parks without dislocating a single family.
At their June 17th meeting, the City Council of Chesapeake voted to deny a rezoning request from a developer to displace and redevelop the 170 unit, Providence Mobile Home Court, that straddles the cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. The Virginia Organizing Project selected this mobile home park as a priority project to help the residents from being displaced after learning that Virginia Beach City Council had already approved the conversion of the property to a multi-family residential development.
Mobile home parks offer some of the most affordable housing options in Hampton Roads. If the residents were displaced there would few if any housing options available to the families that would be as affordable. Read More... |
Housing Virginia Board Member Honored
Charlie Famuliner, Director of the Virginia Program Center for Multifamily Housing, HUD Richmond, presents Bill Miles with the Virginia Housing Coalition's Housing Hall of Fame award. Bill Miles served as the HUD Field Office Director in Richmond from 2005 until early this year. Bill also served as an active Board member for Housing Virginia for the past five years. Last year, Bill suffered a stroke, from which he is still recovering. On June 24, Bill was inducted into Virginia's Housing Hall of Fame at an awards dinner that featured keynote speaker Bob Sledd, Senior Economic Advisor to Governor Bob McDonnell. Charlie Famuliner and former HUD Field Office Director Mary Ann Wilson recently visited Bill at his home on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation east of Richmond to personally present the award. |
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Bike and Build Capital Ride Starts in Richmond
On Saturday, July 10th, dozens of young cyclists gathered for dinner at River Road United Methodist Church to learn more about local affordable housing issues before they started on the 2nd Annual Bike and Build Capital Ride from Richmond to Philadelphia on July 12th. The information session was the first of two that are scheduled for their trip, along with several days of riding and three days of building with Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together Philadelphia.
The cyclists typically stay at community centers or churches along their route, and spend time exploring the communities where they visit and serve. When asked about whether it was difficult to sleep in a different place each night, a cyclist from Philadelphia said that he hardly noticed; "I'm asleep before they turn the lights out," he shared, as other cyclists laughed and nodded in agreement. All riders are expected to raise their own funds for the trip, and proceeds are donated to local affordable housing organizations.
During the Richmond information session, Rebuilding Together of Richmond Executive Director Amy King described their one-day "blitz", held on the last Saturday in April, when over 1500 volunteers each year make both major and minor repairs to qualified homes in the Richmond area. Lynn Bivens, Program Director for the Partnership for Housing Affordability, also gave a presentation about Affordable Housing Awareness Week, which recruits hundreds of volunteers each spring to work at dozens of affordable housing worksites in the Richmond area.
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Give to Housing Virginia
Your generous gift helps Housing Virginia to make the case for increasing the supply of affordable housing options across the Commonwealth.
Your tax-deductible donation may be sent to:
Housing Virginia
P. O. Box 4658
Richmond, VA 23220
Or you can make a secure online donation here.
Housing Virginia also participates in the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign. Please use CVC code # 3690. |
More Stories From Housing Virginia
State Housing Policy Development Continues
Virginia continues to move in the direction of a first ever, state housing policy as a result of Governor McDonnell's commitment to highlighting the state's economic and social health. Working toward a deadline of announcing some initial findings in time for the Governor's Housing Conference in Richmond in November, an online survey was conducted by VCU in the past thirty days that sought opinions on a variety of housing issues including foreclosure, land use, housing finance and affordability.
A second, larger Advisory Council has also been formed, in addition to
the Policy Work Group, and will hold its first meeting on July 30 -
with results of the survey expected to be presented.
The effort is being led by Bob Sledd, Senior Economic Adviser to Governor McDonnell. VHDA and DHCD are providing staff support to the efforts.
Statewide Organizations Seek Partnership Opportunities
Virginia is fortunate to have several committed, talented statewide non-governmental organizations, targeting key community development and housing affordability issues. In recent months, Housing Virginia has been convening a flow of conversations with representatives from several key groups including, Habitat for Humanity, Housing Opportunities Made Equal, the Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness, the Virginia Housing Coalition and the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (VAHCDO). The focus of meetings has been to examine common and differentiating activities, audiences, scale of impact and key messages, in order to find ways to compliment, support and ultimately all be more effective in connecting to decision makers and the communities we serve.
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