South First Street: Resident-Led Redevelopment
Project Impact: Resident-Led Redevelopment in Charlottesville, VA
For nearly 50 years, the public housing complexes on South First Street in Charlottesville, VA have stood as a stark reminder of the disenfranchisement of Charlottesville’s Black residents. These units were built in 1974 to replace predominately Black Vinegar Hill neighborhood. Declared “blighted” by local authorities, Vinegar Hill was targeted for redevelopment by the federally funded Urban Renewal program. The neighborhood was razed by the city, and, displaced from their homes and businesses, roughly 500 residents were forced to relocate to public housing.
In 1998, the Charlottesville Public Housing Association of Residents (PHAR) formed with a mission “to educate and empower low-income residents to protect and improve our own community through collective action.” The organization is a model for community-driven development of affordable housing. It is made up entirely by people living in public housing and now works closely with the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA) to advocate for public housing residents.
Together, PHAR and CRHA are taking on a comprehensive redevelopment and expansion of public and affordable housing on South First Street. The entire redevelopment effort has been initiated and directed by the public housing residents themselves, who, through PHAR, published a 2016 blueprint for the redevelopment of public housing and an expansion of affordable housing in Charlottesville.
Over the last couple of years, PHAR and South First Street residents have met with architects, received training on land use and site planning, and helped to design the second phase of redevelopment which is slated to begin next year and includes replacing the 58-unit public housing buildings with 113 units in a combination of 21 townhouse, duplex, and garden-style apartments.
In February 2021 long-time resident leader of PHAR, Joy Johnson, received the Cushing Dolbeare Lifetime Service Award from the National Low Income Housing Coalition for serving her community and the nation for decades as a public housing advocate, organizer, and activist-leader. Her work continues to hold institutions like the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the City of Charlottesville accountable for providing housing that is safe and affordable. At the groundbreaking for South First Phase One, Johnson discussed residents’ involvement in the planning process including their presentations to City Council, the Planning Commission, and the Governor’s Conference. “To say that public housing or low-income residents don’t know what kind of community they can build—they proved them wrong,” she said.
VCDC’s Housing Equity Fund of Virginia XXIII, LLC is supporting Charlottesville’s redevelopment effort with an investment of nearly $6.6 million in South First Phase One. The Crescent Halls project will see a $7.7 million investment from Fund XXIII. The City of Charlottesville has also committed to providing $3 million per year over the next 5 years to the redevelopment of the city’s public housing.
Location:
Charlottesville, VA
Total Units:
113
Private Equity Invested:
$6,600,000
