State awards nearly $12M in affordable housing funds

The state will allocate nearly $12 million to affordable housing and homelessness reduction programs throughout the state, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

The funding includes $10.7 million in Affordable and Special Needs Housing (ASNH) loans for 12 projects, which will create or preserve 607 affordable housing units for low-income Virginians, and $1.2 million in grants for 13 projects funded through the Virginia Housing Trust Fund (VHTF) that provide residences for homeless people.

The ASNH awardees include:

• Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, $700,000 for the Mt. Sterling Senior Apartments in Loudoun County
• Community Havens Inc., $680,000 for Aging in Place for Individuals with Disabilities in Prince William County
• Greater Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity, $520,482 for Piedmont/Montpelier Housing in Charlottesville
• Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg, $300,000 for Habitat Forest Heights Grove 2020 in James City County
• Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority, $800,000 for Spratley House in Newport News
• Petersburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority, $500,000 for Pecan Acres in Petersburg
• Piedmont Housing Alliance, $2 million for Friendship Court Apartments Phase I in Charlottesville
• Second Act Communities, $275,000 for Cypress Landing in Chesapeake
• Southside Outreach Group, $700,000 for Poplar Creek in Halifax County
• Virginia Supportive Housing, $2 million for Cool Lane Apartments in Henrico County
• Wesley Housing Development Corp., $1.6 million for The Arden Building B and $700,000 for The Cadence, both in Fairfax County

Awardees for Homeless Reduction Grants include Cornerstones, Council of Community Services, ForKids Inc., Mercy House Inc., Micah Ecumenical Ministries, Miriam’s House, Pathway Homes, People Inc. Foothills, Samaritan House Inc., Shelter House, St. Joseph’s Villa and Virginia Supportive Housing.

The ASNH projects also have access to federal, state and local funding, as well as private loans. Northam’s proposed 2020-21 budget includes $63 million for the VHTF, bringing the total amount to $84 million over three years.