NY Times Article Mentions Local Efforts to Launch a Homesharing Program

Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission:

“The July 11, 2014 article in the New York Times, titled “Looking for a Housemate, Not a Mate, in Later Life” by Harriet Edleson includes reference to TJPDC Corporation’s efforts to launch a homesharing program in the Charlottesville area. Homesharing can be a viable option for many situations, including people now living alone in their large family homes, who may need additional income, assistance, and companionship in order to stay in their homes.”

For more information, click here

~TJPDC

Could old school be used for housing?

Carroll County:

“An idea to turn the old classrooms at the former Woodlawn school into housing has been added to the list of what Carroll County supervisors could do with 100-plus-year-old facility. The future use of the building hasn’t been clear since it reverted to Carroll’s ownership recently and ended its long run as an educational institution.

Citizens have expressed an interest in using Woodlawn as a youth center, a place for community functions and school athletics. While county officials have noted there will be a cost to continue operating the facility, Supervisor Tom Littrell reported at the April 14 board meeting that he’s seen successful examples of old school buildings being remodeled into affordable housing by a private agency.

Littrell recalled visiting with officials from Community Housing Partners in Christiansburg, along with Supervisor Sam Dickson and County Administrator Gary Larrowe. That’s where the county officials learned of the possibility of getting a housing developer involved.”

~Writes Christopher Brooke of the Galax Gazette

Click here to read this column

F.C. Planning Commission Gives Unanimous Thumbs Up to Proposed Kensington Project

City of Falls Church:

“An almost four-hour long sequence of meetings at City Hall Monday night culminated with a 5-0 unanimous vote by the Falls Church Planning Commission to recommend approval of the proposed Kensington Assisted Living project at the W. Broad site currently occupied by a Burger King. The Planners’ recommendation of approval was a key step to getting final approval from the Falls Church City Council, which sat with the Planners through the first nearly three hours of a work session deliberation. Following the joint work session, the Planners went into formal session in the Council chambers awaiting some last-minute clarification language on the 18 proffers offered by the developers — Ed Novak of Nova Habitat and Harley Cook of Kensington Homes — and when they were hammered out and signed off on by the developers, it then did not take long for the Planners to finish the night’s work around 11:20 p.m. tonight with their unanimous vote.

The key to overcoming concerns by some on both the Council and Planning Commission that persisted to tonight had to do with additional language added to the Kensington’s proffer package that served to insure the project would yield significant new revenues to the City annually. The change was more semantic than substantive, but it worked to make it clear the project was not seeking a subsidy, but on the contrary is willing to make ‘supplemental payments’ on its tax obligations to, as City Manager Wyatt Shields said, ‘pay its fair share of taxes.’ In an effort to underscore this, the project developers were willing to submit to a tax payment schedule annually equal to a basket, as it was stated, of comparable average tax payments of the 10 highest-taxed commercial entities in the City in any given year.”

~Writes Nicholas F. Benton of the Falls Church News-Press

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Ecovillage: Housing development centered on people, earth

City of Charlottesville:

“Not satisfied with the state of community and the environment, one group has decided to create something more to their liking, an ecovillage. During a recent open house, about 50 people met at Charlottesville Ecovillage’s property off East Rio Road to hear about plans to use the 6.6-acre site as an intentional community and ecovillage — an alternative approach to housing focused on caring for oneself, each other and the Earth…

The vision statement for the community identifies ‘compassion, kindness, cooperation, open communication, justice and mutual trust as central to healthy living.’”

~Writes Effie Nicholaou of Charlottesville Tomorrow

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Housing Conference: Session Proposals

Governor’s Housing Conference:

“The Governor's Housing Conference has a broad range of attendees from many professional sectors including nonprofit organizations, foundations and other philanthropic donors, affordable housing developers, economic developers, local government elected officials, design professionals, financial institutions, government agencies, private developers, real estate professionals, educational institutions trade organizations, community-based and faith-based organizations and public housing providers.

Innovative proposals are being sought to address a broad range of housing, community and economic development issues...  

The conference will offer 90-minute concurrent sessions, as well as 30-minute informational snap sessions.  The snap sessions are designed to provide brief and basic information about a specific topic or initiative. Each 90-minute concurrent session will be limited to three (3) panelists. Your proposal can recommend one additional person to serve as moderator or the program committee can provide one for the session. The snap sessions are limited to one speaker. The program committee will review and evaluate all proposals on a competitive basis. Due to session limitations, the conference cannot accommodate all proposed sessions, and the planning committee may merge topics or speakers to best accommodate the need.  Because of the complexity in scheduling around other conference activities, presenters will need to be flexible in availability and the acceptance of assigned time slots. Notifications regarding the status of proposals will be sent by Friday, June 27, 2014.

 All selected conference presenters will receive a complimentary conference registration that enables full participation in all conference activities, except any conference tours. Lodging and travel should be arranged by presenters, as these costs will not be provided by the conference. All selected conference presenters will be required to provide biographical information by Friday, September 5, 2014.”

~ DHCD

Click here to submit a proposal - deadline is May 9th!

Housing the Future Workforce of Hampton Roads

Housing Virginia:

“Dr. Lisa Sturtevant (Executive Director, Center for Housing Policy, National Housing Conference) will present a report on the type, pricing and location of housing needs throughout the region based on projected job growth over the next two decades. A panel of local industry experts will provide a response from the local market perspective.

The panel will include:

• Steve Lawson, Lawson Companies
• Dr. Vinod Agarwal, Old Dominion University
• Michael Carpenter, Virginia Peninsula Association of REALTORS
• William Harrell, Hampton Roads Transit

Sponsored By:

Hampton Roads Community Foundation, The Landmark Foundation, Hampton Roads REALTORS Association, The OBICI Healthcare Foundation, TowneBank, Housing Virginia, The Dragas Companies, The Lawson Companies, Virginia Housing Development Authority, The Beazley Foundation”

~Housing Virginia

Click here to register (by May 6th)

Virginia Beach company will open second facility

Chesterfield County:

“The Memory Center, a Virginia Beach-based company that specializes in services for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, said it plans a second assisted-living community - this one in Chesterfield County near Richmond.

The company, whose principals are Kevin DiBona and Paul Hirschbiel Jr., said The Memory Center of Richmond will be located on a 4-acre site adjacent to Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center. It's scheduled to open in 2015 and will feature 48 residential units designed around a 'town center' that will include a movie theater, general store, bank, tavern, library, ice cream stand and salon.

The Memory Center's first community opened in 2008 on Old Donation Parkway in Virginia Beach.”

~Writes Dave Mayfield of The Virginian-Pilot

Click here for the link

2014 home sales lag behind 2013 in January, February

Hampton Roads:

“Real estate agents say that Hampton Roads will have a stronger housing market in 2014. Even so, recent housing reports indicate that the region lagged behind 2013 in the first two months of the year. January and February home sales were down 9 percent this year compared to the same time last year, according to the latest report from the Real Estate Information Network, the region's multiple listing service.

Home sales fell 2.1 percent in February compared to a year earlier, marking the second consecutive dip after a drop of 15 percent in January year-over year. Snow and budget uncertainty issues had been blamed for the slow start in January. Even so, one bright spot was Portsmouth, which saw a 25 percent increase in sales from February to February. Suffolk saw the largest drop by 34 percent. Active listings and pending sales remained flat. New construction sales dropped 12 percent year-over-year.”

~ Writes the Daily-Press

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CSPDC's HOME Down Payment Program

Central Shenandoah PDC:

“The HOME Down Payment Assistance Program (DPA) in the Shenandoah Valley region has received $75,000 in funding for the calendar year 2014. Created to help first-time, income-eligible homebuyers to obtain decent, safe and affordable housing, this Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program has been administered in the region by the CSPDC for the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for more than a decade. It has helped 225 people grow their personal wealth and equity through homeownership.

For more information on the HOME program contact Kimberly Miller, kimberly@cspdc.org, 540.885.5174.”

~ Central Shenandoah PDC

Report says new home sales in Central Virginia were up 30 percent in 2013

Central Virginia:

“The number of new home sales in Central Virginia increased 30 percent to 2,763 in 2013 compared to 2012, and the average price for a new home rose 9 percent to $341,407.  New home construction picked up as well, with building permits 25% higher than in 2012, according to a new report.

The Home Building Association of Richmond (HBAR), in partnership with Commonwealth Partnerships, released a semi-annual report that looks at the state of the housing industry in the greater Richmond area. ‘We felt very strongly that there was a need for this kind of data among professionals in the housing industry in Central Virginia,’ Craig Toalson,  the HBAR’s CEO said in a statement.

Data provided by Integra Realty Resources-Richmond (IRR) indicates that while activity was up last year, it remains below pre-recession levels. Still, ‘The increase in new home sales and new development activity are positive signs for the industry,’ said Ken Brown, Senior Managing Director at IRR. Chesterfield County was the most active jurisdiction in terms of new home sales. In 2013, the county captured a 38 percent market share. Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover Counties accounted for 81 percent of all new home sales in the market. Yet Goochland County saw the largest jump in the number of overall home sales in 2013 with 131 percent more closings than in 2012.”

~Virginia Business

Click here for the link

For an online version of the report, click here

Rezoning granted for new construction slated for Langston Park

City of Hopewell:

“An amendment to the zoning of the Langston Park Public Housing Development was granted by City Council Tuesday, amid questions and hesitations from some councilors about a plan to revitalize the development. Community Housing Partners, plans to demolish the 52-year-old development in favor of building energy efficient mixed-income units. CHP is a nonprofit organization that works with public and private partners to provide energy efficient and quality affordable housing.

The current 30-unit development will be replaced by 56 units, 26 of which will be rented at market rate. Thirty of the units will be under the Section 8 voucher program. Construction of the apartments is slated to cost about $9.5 million. CHP has acquired all of the funding for the project, which includes state and federal tax credits, grants and private investment.

The area is currently zoned R-4, but is slated to become a Planned Unit Development following Tuesday's decision. During a Council work session last month, developers stated that the new designation would allow more open space, and be landscaped into a safer, more well lit environment.”

~Writes Leah Small of Progress-Index

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Affordable senior housing proposal meets opposition from residents

Shenandoah County:

“A proposal to build low-income senior citizen housing in downtown Woodstock has many town and Shenandoah County residents upset. At a public hearing during last Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, at least a dozen people criticized or defended the proposal to transfer county land to People Inc. for a senior citizen housing development.

Previously, the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging had planned to build affordable housing for senior citizens on a small tract of land across the street from the old Woodstock School on Court Street. SAAA had also planned to renovate the old school and use part of it for office space. The organization started encountering severe financial difficulties in 2011 and did not move forward with the project even with a large federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. About $1.3 million in grant money was transferred from SAAA to People Inc., which dropped the plans to renovate the old school.

Many Woodstock residents who live close to the school said on Tuesday that they don’t want to see the building go to waste, and they do not support a project that would not put it to good use. People Inc.’s Vice President for Development, Bryan Phipps, said the organization is not in a position to use the school. It does not need it for office space and was told by HUD that it could not use the funds to renovate the school. The grant money is only designated for new construction.

‘Those funds can’t be used to do anything with the school,’ Phipps said. The $1.3 million in grant funds would be used to build 11 housing units for low-income seniors. To qualify for the housing, families or individuals must meet income requirements and have at least one household member age 62 or older.

County residents who spoke at Tuesday’s public hearing said they didn’t feel there was a large need for affordable senior housing in Shenandoah County. Many Court Street residents who can see the old, deteriorating school from their windows also said they didn’t want to see any such project move forward in that area if the school wouldn’t be renovated.”

~ Writes Kassondra Cloos of The Shenandoah Valley-Herald

Click here to learn more

Region III HUDLine News

HUD:

“An e-briefing from Region III featuring news and information about housing and community development efforts in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.”

Click here to learn more

County Board Members OK Redevelopment of Ballston Apartment Complex

Arlington County:

“County Board members on Jan. 26 gave approval to the redevelopment of the Carlyn Springs Apartments, being sought by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH). As part of the proposal, the existing 27-unit apartment complex near the Ballston Metro station will be replaced by a five-story, 104-unit property with underground parking, a community center, tot lot and headquarters for APAH.

Under the plan approved by the County Board, 98 of the units will be guaranteed to remain affordable to families earning less than 60 percent of the area median income for the next 60 years. Other units will be rented at market rates. To help fund the project, APAH plans to apply for housing tax credits from the Virginia Housing Development Authority. If the request wins approval, construction is expected to start in late 2014, with completion in 2016. APAH also plans to use $7.8 million from the county government’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund to help finance the project.”

~Writes the Sun Gazette

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Fairfax County considers expanded use of developer fees for housing

Fairfax County:

“Fairfax County is considering using developer contributions to further expand affordable housing options, particularly in transit centers. The proposal builds on a concept pioneered in Tysons Corner, where the developers of commercial properties near the four new Metro stations are expected to contribute $3 per square foot to the county’s housing trust fund.

However, some supervisors expressed concern that such fees could hamper commercial development in other parts of the county. The so-called '3-2-1' concept developed by county staff would encourage $3 per square foot contributions from commercial development in areas within a quarter-mile of a transit station, $2 per square foot for properties between a quarter and half mile, and $1 per square foot for any other commercial development.

It would apply only to rezoning cases that include an increase in density, said Marianne Gardner, director of the planning division of the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning. Property owners could also take multiple years to pay the fee, for example paying 25 cents per square foot per year, Gardner said.

The Housing Trust Fund would focus on creating affordable housing in the $3 and $2 per square foot tier areas, under the proposal. Affordable housing options would be targeted at people making less than 80 percent of area median income, or about $80,000 for a family of four.”

~Writes Kali Schumitz of the Fairfax Times

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Age-restricted apartments proposed in Bealeton

Fauquier County

“Fauquier’s planning commission last week recommended approval of a rezoning for construction of 100 age-restricted apartments in Bealeton. The commissioners Jan. 30 voted, 5-0, to support amendment of the April 2012 rezoning for Mintbrook, a mixed-use development along Routes 17 and 28.

The board of supervisors almost two years ago voted, 3-2, to approve the development of 475 dwellings and 220,000 square feet of commercial space on the 332-acre site. That original approval contemplated multifamily housing at Mintbrook. But, it required separate review of what would happen on the 8.6-acre parcel where Chantilly-based Mintbrook Developers LLC and the South-Carolina-based Humanities Foundation propose the apartments. The developer also needed separate approval for as much as 125,000 square feet of “future” commercial development.

Mintbook has reduced that total to 39,000 square feet, a proposal the planning commission also endorsed last week. With the changes, Mintbrook would have approval for 575 dwellings and 265,000 square feet of commercial space.”

~Writes Fauquier Now

Click here to learn more

Complicated Real Estate Deal Designed to Preserve Affordable Housing in Ballston

Arlington County:

“County Board members on Jan. 28 agreed in principle to move forward with a complicated, three-way real estate deal involving affordable housing in Ballston. If it goes through, the deal will result in the county government taking title to the 513-unit Ballston Park Apartments, then turning around and leasing the site to AHC Inc., a nonprofit housing developer, for 75 years.

The complex is bounded by North Glebe Road, 5th Street North, North Oakland Street and 2nd Street North. The approval, which was unanimous, came at the end of the board’s January meeting without prior public notice. ‘We believe that through this transaction, the county can preserve long-term affordability and acquire a historically valuable asset for less than an estimated $70,000 per unit,’ county officials said in a statement to the Sun Gazette.

The agreement, which could take another six months to complete, would involve AHC exercising its existing authority to purchase the property from Pershing Drive Associates Limited Partnership. An AHC affiliate already is a partner in that venture. The title to the property would pass directly to the county government, rather than AHC.”

~Writes Scott McCaffrey of the Sun Gazette

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Nonprofit pilots program to purchase proffered affordable units

Albemarle County

“When the Albemarle Board of Supervisors rezones land for a new residential development, county policy requires developers to designate a portion of the units as affordable. Since 2000, the policy has created a potential of more than 1,200 homes that are restricted to families or individuals with an annual income less than 80 percent of the area’s median. However, very few actually have been purchased by qualified buyers, nor have many been built. ‘Developers don’t really like to build those units,’ said Mark Watson, director of development for the Piedmont Housing Alliance.

Instead, builders have the option to pay cash to avoid the requirement, with the proceeds going to affordable housing programs, such as down payment assistance, run by the county. Watson said many developers prefer to contribute cash because they cannot make as much of a profit for selling a smaller house. However, one developer is working with Watson on a pilot project that could lead to more such units being built, increasing the county’s stock of affordable housing.”

~Writes Sean Tubbs of Charlottesville Tomorrow

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A look at the 2013 D.C. region housing market data by Zip code

Northern Virginia:

“Home owners in the D.C. region don’t want to spend much time in their cars. At least that’s what we’ve learned after reviewing the 2013 housing market data. With the help of RealEstate Business Intelligence, a subsidiary of Rockville-based MRIS, we crunched last year’s numbers to get a sense of where sellers and buyers fared best in this area. We found a few surprises – Springfield and Hyattsville – and got confirmation of what we’ve long suspected. (Great Falls is an expensive place to live.)

But after speaking with a number of real estate agents to find out what they had to say about the market, one term we kept hearing was “walkability.” At every income level, home owners seem to want to walk or take public transportation to where they need to go. They’re tired of being stuck in their cars. The push to move outside the Beltway to buy a bigger house is in the past. These days buyers are sacrificing space for shorter commutes.”

~Writes Kevin Cobb of the Washington Business Jounral

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Greenhouse Village Housing Project Receives CDBG Grant

Central Shenandoah PDC

“With the help of a $288,936 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Rockbridge County has partnered with Rockbridge Area Habitat for Humanity to address a need for affordable housing in the Rockbridge area. The Greenhouse Village Housing Production Project will provide for the construction of eight homes for low- and moderate-income (LMI) families and the infrastructure required to serve them within a two-year period. The new infrastructure component of the project will not only serve the eight homes called for in the grant, but also serve 30+ future home sites in the Greenhouse Village neighborhood currently without access to public water, sewer or streets. The project also identifies a significant amount of down payment assistance available to eligible homebuyers, further reducing their cost of homeownership.

The CSPDC assisted Rockbridge County with the CDBG grant proposal and will provide ongoing grant administration services.  ”

~Central Shenandoah PDC

County Board Approves ‘Blue Goose’ Redevelopment

Arlington County:

“The distinctive 'Blue Goose' building in Ballston is heading for the proverbial wrecking ball after the Arlington County Board approved replacing it with an office and a residential building. The Board unanimously voted to redevelop the 1963 building, allowing the developer The Shooshan Company, in partnership with Marymount University, to build a nine-story office building and a 15-story, 267-unit residential building with 11 dedicated units of affordable housing.

The entire site will sit on three levels of underground parking, with 317 office spaces and 264 residential spaces. There will also be 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail space. Marymount University will occupy the first six stories of the office building with plans to expand into the final three floors in the future. The office building will front on Fairfax Drive while the residential building will sit on the corner of Fairfax and N. Glebe Road.

In additional to the affordable housing — which includes a $275,000 donation to the Arlington Housing Investment Fund — the Shooshan Company also agreed to contribute more than $4.5 million toward the construction of a west entrance to the Ballston Metro Station and $1.15 million for improvements to the Ballston beaver pond restoration project and Custis Trail. The buildings are expected to be built to a LEED Gold environmental standard.”

~ Writes Ethan Rothstein of Arlington Now

Click here to learn more

Study eyes assisted living in Nelson County

Nelson County

“The Jefferson Area Board of Aging and Nelson County have joined forces to investigate the potential need for assisted living and care for memory-impaired individuals in the area. The two entities are paying for a feasibility study by Maryland-based Howard & Associates that is to be concluded by the end of January and will help determine if there is a need for expanding care in the county.

‘The question is, What would meet the needs of people in Nelson County?’ said Marta Keane, the CEO of JABA. A few years ago, Medical Facility of America announced it would be relocating its operation at Lovingston Health Care Center to a new facility in Albemarle County, the construction of which now is in process. The organization obtained a Certificate of Public Need from the Virginia Department of Health, and the move is to be concluded some time in 2015, Keane said.”
~Writes Katherine Lacaze of the Nelson County Times

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Road Map to Affordability

City of Alexandria

“It’s been years in the making, but City Hall finally has a plan for tackling one of Alexandria’s most daunting challenges: the dramatic loss of affordable housing in recent years.

The city saw more than 12,500 homes deemed affordable for those making 60 percent of the area’s median income disappear in a 12-year span. And hardest hit was Alexandria’s stock of housing for its most vulnerable: Homes attainable by those making just 30 percent of the region’s median wage dropped from 10,374 to just 454.

At the same time, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment shot up 71 percent, while the average assessed value for residential property more than doubled, from $191,341 to $449,411. The area median income jumped as well, up to $106,100 in 2011.

The sudden crunch has put city leaders on edge. During the run-up to the 2012 election, affordable housing — and how to save it from near-extinction in Alexandria — came up time and again.”
~Writes Derrick Perkins of the Alexandria Times

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Affordable Housing for Low and Moderate Income Reisdents

Fairfax County

Stacy Patterson, who serves as Fairfax County’s Public Information Officer said that in 2003 the Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) “’opened Gum Springs Glen, a 60-unit affordable independent living property. Last year the FCRHA provided a $3.9 million loan to a private developer for the acquisition, preservation, and rehabilitation of Mount Vernon House, a 130-unit affordable senior rental property. In addition to these properties, there are privately-owned senior housing properties in the Mount Vernon area. An example is Paul Spring Senior Housing, and there may be others.’”

~Writes Jerry Fill of The Connection

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Debate Over Residential Studio Units Continues

Fairfax County

“Fairfax County residents have yet to agree on the specifics of residential studio units and are continuing the debate on several aspects of the proposed amendment.

As of Jan. 6, the Planning Commission proposed amendment defines residential studios as efficiency units that make up a multiple-family residential building, or part of a building, in which 80 percent of the units must be for those who do not make more than 60 percent of the median income of the area. In the Washington, D.C. area, that is $45,000.

The Residential Studio Unit Amendment has also been amended to remove residential studio units from consideration in lower density R-E through R-8 districts, where single family detached homes are allowed.”
~Writes Janelle Germanos of The Connection

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ARHA Offers Seven Sites For Redevelopment

City of Alexandria

“The Alexandria Redevelopment & Housing Authority today offered seven of its properties for redevelopment, beginning a process that will change Alexandria’s landscape. These seven sites include 546 of ARHA’s 1,150 assisted housing units, which are guaranteed by Alexandria City Council Resolution 830…

ARHA, in partnership with its affiliated development corporation, Virginia Housing Development, LLC, published part 1 of a 2-part Request for Proposals seeking responses from highly-qualified development partners to assist in the redevelopment of seven of these sites. Redevelopment of each site shall include all activities meant to deliver a built project that is the highest and best use of ARHA’s land assets and could include mixed-income, mixed-finance and/or mixed-use components.”
~Writes Carla Branch of Alexandria News

Click here to learn more