News from Housing Virginia

Housing Virginia E-News

December, 2011

Chesapeake Renovation Raises Quality of Housing and Keep Rents Affordable

The Rivers

Federal, state and local officials attended the ribbon cutting at The Rivers Apartments early this fall to dedicate the newly renovated 240-unit apartment complex. The $6.8 million renovation extended the viability of the community for the another 30 years.

Formerly called Harbour North Apartments, the property was developed in 1978 and 1979 by The Lawson Companies and continues to be managed by the Hampton Roads company. All units within The Rivers Apartments were stripped to the wallboard and rebuilt to meet EarthCraft energy-efficiency requirements. Twenty-four units were converted to full Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards. Construction lasted 12 months and was completed ahead of schedule.

The Rivers Apartments now stands a modern, energy-efficient apartment community serving working families. It is conveniently located near a major Hampton Roads job center - the Great Bridge and Greenbrier sections of Chesapeake. And rents remain low - between 30 percent and 40 percent below market - providing much needed affordable housing. Currently, more than 563
residents live there.

Regional Housing Service Portal Puts Housing Resources at Your Fingertips

Housing choices and opportunities are very much regional in nature, yet many of the housing related services are very location specific. In recognition of the disconnect between service provision and the demand for housing services, the HRPDC is developing a Regional Housing Portal that will connect consumers with appropriate service providers. This tool will also help to identify gaps and duplications in services across the region. The HRPDC's Regional Housing Service Portal will address the following:

* Identify housing related services pertaining to downpayment/closing cost assistance, first-time homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention, rental counseling, and housing services for persons with disabilities in a uniformed database.

* Identify gaps in services and service area coverage by GIS tracking services as it relates to the region for identification of needs and future planning.

* Create a regional web-based portal for consumers and housing providers to access appropriate services.

The final step in this project is to create a regional web-based portal for consumers and housing providers to access appropriate services and resources. The end goal is to create a "No Wrong Door" concept and policy for regional housing providers.

Hampton RHA Creates a New Standard with Old Point Homes

Situated on 3.2 acres, Old Point Homes is comprised of 27 rental homes with 18 two-bedroom and 9 three-bedroom homes. The homes consist of five separate buildings anchored by a community area and green space. Plans for the next phase includes 6 single family homes and a resident clubhouse.

In Virginia this is only the second community created using a mixture of replacement housing funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and low income tax credits from the Virginia Housing Development Authority. Mixed income and mixed funded communities are likely to become the standard for future HRHA developments.

The development is a green community and is one of the first certified by EarthCraft in Hampton. EarthCraft homes provide a blueprint for healthy, comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment as well as meet strict guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Five of the homes embrace the principles of Universal Design and incorporate the needs of physically challenged individuals with wider doors and hallways; easier to operate latches, switches, and appliances, in addition to user-friendly bathrooms and kitchens.

Prior to acquisition by HRHA, the site was a mobile home park that housed 26 mobile homes and a rental office. HRHA purchased the property in 2007 and worked to relocate the residents into safe, decent, and affordable housing.
HRHA currently manages 549 units of public housing and 153 non-public housing units and has constructed and sold 55 single family homes throughout the city.

- Submitted by Aaron Carter, HRHA

1940's Public Housing Finds New Life in Newport News

before

after

Orcutt Townhomes III was developed by the Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NNRHA) It is comprised of thirty (30) apartments and is the final phase in the rebuilding of the former Orcutt Public Housing community. Following Federal approval, the old 148 unit property, built as war housing during the 1940s, was torn down in stages beginning in 2001.

The Orcutt Phase III development is situated on 1.6 acres in the Southeast area of Newport News, Virginia located at the intersections of 32nd and 33rd Street and Wickham Avenue and 35th and 36th Streets and Wickham Avenue. This construction consists of 12 duplex apartments and 18 townhome units. Twenty of the thirty units are designed using Universal Design principals of which four are fully accessible for disabled and special needs tenants.

A total of 120 housing units (50 elderly units in a mid-rise complex and 70 family units) have been re-constructed at the Orcutt site.

An important objective during the planning of this attractive all-brick complex was the incorporation of maintenance free materials and the use of very energy efficient equipment and amenities.