Cedar Grove Apartments
Project Impact
A count of homeless individuals in the Hampton Roads area in January 2013 included 312 military veterans, according to figures from the Hampton VA Medical Center. In Virginia Beach in 2014, veterans accounted for 23.6% of homeless adults. Drawn to the area because of its considerable military population, many veterans choose to stay in Hampton Roads because of the camaraderie of this community, but the severe shortage of permanent supportive housing—an important stabilizing option for veterans who have traveled back and forth between shelters and living on the street—has left them in a state of precarity.
As the first permanent supportive rental housing development for homeless and/or disabled veterans in the area, Cedar Grove is helping fill the urgent need for housing for low-income and disabled veterans.
The development consists of 32 affordable, accessible units, a resident lounge and fitness center, shared green space featuring an organic garden, and offices for case management and property management. All apartment units are universally designed, with accessibility accommodations for residents to age in place. With stable housing, residents are better able to attend to other needs like personal health and employment, receiving case management services through the Hampton Veterans Center. Residents are linked to appropriate community resources and benefit programs as well as transportation services to and from Cedar Grove.
Development partner VBCDC was awarded the 2013 Virginia Governor’s Housing Award for Best Housing Development, and the 2014 HRHC Across the Region Award. In honor of Cedar Grove’s opening members of the Tidewater Quilters Guild Chapter of the National Quilts of Valor Foundation made and donated 33 quilts for Cedar Grove Residents. When presented with a one-of-a-kind quilt at Cedar Grove’s ribbon-cutting ceremony resident Dan Hallock remarked, “It’s nice to have a home now, instead of just a place to stay.”
VCDC’s Housing Equity Fund of Virginia 16 provided $3.5MM in equity to support the project. Other funding sources include a $1.2MM loan from VA Housing Development Authority; $1MM in HOME funding; and $780K from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Cedar Grove is the second partnership between VBCDC and VCDC.
Location:
Virginia Beach, VA
Date of Closing:
April 2013
Development Partner:
Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation
Total Units:
32
Project Cost:
$6,613,014
Private Equity Invested:
$3,500,000
