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Challenge to Arlington County affordable housing project dismissed

An affordable housing project built above a church sanctuary in Arlington County is nearing completion. The project has been contentious from the start, with residents of nearby neighborhoods objecting for six years to its placement atop a Baptist Church.

The latest attempt to halt the project was stymied on Monday, when Judge Claude M. Hilton said Peter Glassman failed to prove that the county, by partnering with the Church, is advancing religion or enriching the church.

Glassman, who lives a block from the church, plans to appeal the ruling to the Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. "We are confident that once the dealings between the county and the church see the light of day, the entanglement and preference will be apparent, he said.

Read more in The Washington Post....

Posted on Thursday, April 15, 2010 - 2:56am

A new look at housing affordability in Virginia

The Center for Neighborhood Technology has released its Housing and Transportation Affordability Index, which factors in the cost of transportation when calculating the cost of living in greater metropolitan areas.

Traditionally, a home is considered affordable if the yearly mortgage payments are about 30% of the homeowner's annual salary. The H+T (Housing + Transportation) Affordability Index suggests that a more realistic measure would factor in transportation costs. Using their model, a home would be considered affordable if the mortgage payments plus transportation costs (car, fuel, public tranportation, etc.) come to about 45% of the homeowner's annual income.

Virginians living in the close-in suburbs largely fare well, according to the CNT model. Roanoke boasts combined housing and transportation costs of just 44% of the area median income (AMI), Charlottesville 43%, and Lynchburg 49%. The Richmond metro area generally falls into the affordable range at 39% of AMI, with the exception of some outlying parts of the surrounding counties. Most of the Hampton Roads is considered less affordable, with housing and transportation taking up more than half of the AMI, with Norfolk the exception at 42%. 

The Northern Virginia area is more affordable according the the H+T model. For example, transportation costs in Alexandria come to about 15% of the local median income.

Wondering how your home stacks up? Homeowners in the Washington metro area can put their addresses into this calculator to find out or read the Washington fact sheet at the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Check out other regions on this interactive map.

Posted on Friday, March 26, 2010 - 11:52am

Charlottesville Mayor Seeks to Establish Affordable Housing Fund

According to the Daily Progress, Charlottesville Mayor David Norris has sought twice before to establish a dedicated affordable housing fund for the City. With a new Council he sees an opportunity to create a fund to ensure that affordable housing programs would always be financed.  The Mayor has always felt strongly about prioritizing affordable housing, as he campaigned on the initiative. Some members of City Council like the concept but are skeptical of the fiscal impact. VHA strongly supports affordable housing initiatives.  Whether it's first time homebuyers or existing owners, affordable housinng broadens housing opportunities.

 

Read the full story...

Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010 - 1:22pm

Richmonders Repair Homes Free of Charge

Rebuilding Together of Richmond recently performed free home repairs for a resident in the Bellemeade community, and is set to do more next spring according to WTVR.

Rebuilding Together is the nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing critical home repair and modification services to those in need at no cost to homeowners.

With the help of everyday citizen volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates make life considerably better for thousands of low-income homeowners.

This type of work is great for homeowners in need, but also for the entire neighborhood because improvements to a neglected home can help protect property value of the surrounding homes.

"Applications will be available on site for an upcoming free repair event being held April 24, 2010. The deadline for applications is November 1, 2009. Typical repairs and renovations include painting, heating/cooling, roof, windows, handrails, porch repairs, improved lighting and removal of trip and fall hazards.

The program is available for homeowners who are 55 years of age or older or have disabilities; having a household income of less than $25,000; and own their own property in the Bellemeade or Oak Grove community."

Read the full story.

Or, visit Rebuilding Together to obtain the application.

Posted on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 5:22pm

Four Person Housing Rule Dismissed in Williamsburg

The proposal to allow up to four unrelated people live in the same house has been deemed ineffective by the Williamsburg Planning Commission, according to the Daily Press.

Increasing the number of persons allowed to live in a single house from three to four was thought of as a potential solution to housing for William & Mary college students. However, city officials have decided that is a band-aid solution to a large problem.

Another Planning Commission meeting will be held October 7th from 4-6 p.m.n the third-floor conference room of the Municipal Building, 401 Lafayette St.

Hopefully city officials, homeowners and college representatives will be able to find a solution that provides appropriate housing for students and alleviates the fears of some homeowners who are concerned about student rentals negatively affecting their home values.

"Just over a month after it began to circulate, a proposal to allow up to four people to live in the same house in Williamsburg seems to be dead in the water.

At a Planning Commission work session Wednesday afternoon, commissioners one by one panned the plan as unpalatable, ineffective and generally unenforceable.

City staff drew up the plan after months of discussion between stakeholders, including students, homeowners, city representatives and the College of William and Mary.

The city currently allows no more than three unrelated people to live in a rental house. The proposed ordinance would allow up to four people if certain restrictions are met.

That plan has gotten no love from dozens of speakers, many of them repeat participants, in a series of public forums held on the issue.

City Council last month sent the proposal to the Planning Commission for further discussion.

Wednesday, commissioners reached a consensus that the ordinance should be gutted of all references to upping rental occupancy caps. Definitions and other housekeeping aspects of the draft will be used to strengthen the current ordinance, though any decision by the commission must still pass muster at council."

Read the full story.

Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 1:43pm

Albemarle County Supervisors Receive Annual Housing Report

Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center recently gave an in-depth account of Albemarle County's Housing Director Ron White's report to the Board of Supervisors for the previous fiscal year. The report covered county efforts to administer programs that benefit lower-income residents, including programs that assist homeowners with housing rehabilitation and emergency repairs.

The county has numerous efforts to assist with first-time homebuyers, as well. With a vision to create a safe and stable community by providing families with safe and stable homes, all area homeowners should become familiar with the county's efforts.

"Albemarle County participates in efforts to increase the number of affordable living choices within its borders through working with non-profit partners such as the Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) and the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program (AHIP). Ron White, the County’s Director of Housing, gave the Board of Supervisors a report on his office’s activities during the previous fiscal year at their meeting on August 5, 2009."

Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center also posted highlites from White's report:

  • The County’s Homebuyer Assistance Program helped 18 families, down from 38 in the previous year. White said the decrease is due to fewer people buying homes as well as tighter restrictions on mortgages
  • County funds made up 14% of the $7.5 million expended by the County and its partners on affordable housing initiatives. The rest came from a mixture of private and other public funds
  • Over 450 families in the County received rental assistance
  • The Albemarle Housing Improvement Program (AHIP) rehabilitated 27 houses at a cost of $572,443
  • The Piedmont Housing Alliance provided financial counseling to 169 Albemarle families. 91 successfully purchased a home, and 57 families sought help with potential mortgage defaults.
  • For the past six months, the County has had no families stop using rental vouchers. Without that turnover, White said the County is unable to issue vouchers to new families. He added that if new funding does not materialize, the County may have to eliminate vouchers for some families currently receiving them.
  • The County received $700,000 from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to support the creation of the Crozet Meadows Project. The project begins construction next week and will rehabilitate 28 existing homes to Energy Star standards and will build 38 new units for seniors.
  • The 88-unit Treesdale Park complex off of Park Street has received preliminary notification that it will be eligible for low-income tax credits.

Read full story, including a podcast of the meeting and Ron White's full report.

Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 11:27am

Virginia Receives $36 Million for Housing Programs

WDBJ 7 in Roanoke recently reported on a siginificant amount of federal funding heading to Virginia to help with a variety of housing programs. The more than $36 million will be used to support community development and affordable housing.

"Virginia is getting more than $36 million in federal funding for a variety of housing programs.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said Monday the funding will be used to support community development and produce more affordable housing.

The money includes $19.6 million in Community Development Block Grants, $14.2 million in HOME Investment Partnerships, $1.7 million in Emergency Shelter Grants and $667,943 for Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS."

Read original story.

Posted on Friday, August 7, 2009 - 3:42pm