Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a former fair housing attorney, announced $55,516,821 in federal funding to improve affordable housing in 26 communities across the Commonwealth. The funding is awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Capital Fund Program, which annually provides funds to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to build, renovate, and modernize the public housing in their communities.
“All Virginians deserve access to safe, affordable housing,” said the senators. “We’re glad this federal funding will help our communities expand, renovate, and improve affordable housing units, and will continue to do all that we can to expand access to affordable housing in Virginia.”
The funding is distributed as follows:
· $14,365,691 for the Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $10,700,670 for the Norfolk Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $4,923,972 for the Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $3,658,188 for the Newport News Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $2,214,776 for the Portsmouth Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $2,047,487 for the Alexandria Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $1,714,697 for the Chesapeake Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $1,608,481 for the Danville Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $1,584,848 for the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority
· $1,361,850 for the Charlottesville Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $1,266,189 for the Petersburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $1,244,327 for the Lynchburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $1,207,251 for the Hopewell Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $1,177,309 for the Bristol Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $1,013,715 for the Hampton Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $895,502 for the Cumberland Plateau Regional Housing Authority
· $806,492 for the Marion Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $753,444 for the Norton Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $739,207 for the Wytheville Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $627,569 for the Wise County Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $619,466 for the Waynesboro Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $382,263 for the Williamsburg Redevelopment & Housing Auth.
· $299,312 for the Scott County Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $193,411 for the Lee County Redevelopment & Housing Authority
· $103,565 for the Abingdon Redevelopment and Housing Authority
· $7,139 for the Franklin Redevelopment and Housing Authority
Capital grants can be used to address maintenance needs, reduce vacancies, relocate residents, fund programs supporting economic self-sufficiency, support resident security, safety, and homeownership activities, integrate utility management and energy saving measures, and make other improvements.
Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to increase access to affordable housing. Last year, they announced $98,345,447 in federal funding for affordable housing, community development, and homelessness assistance throughout the Commonwealth. In March 2023, they cosponsored the Downpayment Toward Equity Act, legislation to provide federal grants to first-generation homebuyers to cover down payment costs, closing costs, and costs to reduce the rates of interest. In April 2023, Kaine introduced the Fair Housing Improvement Act to protect veterans and low-income families from housing discrimination. Last July, Warner introduced bicameral legislation cosponsored by Kaine to help first-time, first-generation homebuyers – predominately Americans of color – build wealth much more rapidly by offering a 20-year mortgage for roughly the same monthly payment as a traditional 30-year loan. This week, Kaine also cosponsored the Housing Alignment and Coordination of Critical and Effective Supportive Health Services (ACCESS) Act, legislation to address the intersecting crises of homelessness, mental health, and substance use disorder.