Housing Development Grant

On July 13, 2021, Virginia Housing announced $40 million in grants to Virginia’s 21 Planning District Commissions for the creation of new housing initiatives. The TJPDC was awarded $2 million to help support new affordable housing units in the region. This initiative will build on several years of regional coordination of housing providers, service providers, developers, and residents to create a network through which the affordable housing gap can begin to be closed. In 2018, the TJPDC, in partnership with public, private, nonprofit, and citizen stakeholders related to housing, created the Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership (CVRHP) to enhance regional coordination and effectiveness in addressing the unmet housing needs of the TJPDC region, with a focus on housing production and preservation, to increase stability for the region’s residents. This partnership serves as the backbone for the successful coordination of efforts across a multitude of stakeholders and service providers to best leverage resources and opportunities that result in meaningful impacts. 

In addition to the CVRHP, the TJPDC manages federal and state funding to promote the development of new housing, rehabilitation of existing housing, and the provision of rental and mortgage relief funds. The TJPDC has two grant programs that provide financial assistance to support home ownership throughout the region: the HOME Consortium (through HUD) which includes down payment assistance and home rehabilitation as eligible expenses, and the Housing Preservation Grant (through USDA), which provides assistance for the rehabilitation of existing homes in rural areas. Finally, the TJPDC provides a free web-based affordable housing locator service called Porchlightva.org to help the regional community find access to available affordable rental housing. The $2 million from Virginia Housing represents an exciting new chapter for the organization as it works to promote and attain regional affordable housing goals.