South First Street: Bringing resident-designed affordable homes to Charlottesville
VCDC is pleased to welcome South First Street Phase Two to our portfolio.
Phase Two of South First Street is a resident-led housing redevelopment effort that creates 113 income-restricted apartment homes in Charlottesville for low-income individuals and families, just one mile south of the bustling Charlottesville Downtown Mall. The site was previously occupied by an outdated 58-unit public housing development. All existing residents have been relocated and provided the right to move into a newly constructed apartment home upon completion.
South First Street is being developed by several engaged community organizations including the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA), the resident's association known as the Public Housing Association of Residents (PHAR), and Riverbend Development, a local developer. The plan for this development was shaped by input from residents through surveys, meetings, and public hearings. Two additional communities redeveloped by CRHA and PHAR, also syndicated by VCDC, were completed in recent years: Phase one of South First Street comprising 62 affordable homes, and Crescent Halls, offering 105 high-quality affordable apartments.
This redevelopment effort is solely the result of community input and involvement with public housing residents and neighbors participating in public meetings and neighborhood planning sessions for their new homes. Approximately 20 residents of the South First Street community underwent training in the basics of land use, zoning, and design and participated over a two-year period in the site planning and apartment designs for their new community.
South First Street is located in a primarily residential and mixed-income area, close to many single-family homes, a church, parks, and public transit stops. CHRA will operate a multi-service community center designed for residents.
The Affordable Housing Group (AHG) is supporting CRHA and PHAR in their redevelopment work. AHG includes CRHA and local real estate developers, Castle Development and Riverbend Development. AHG has raised over $30 million from local donors and provided staff and resources to help move this project forward. AHG is solely motivated by the community benefits involved in expanding Charlottesville’s affordable housing portfolio, holding no ownership interest in the project.
VCDC has invested a total of $15.7 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Equity through the VCDC Housing Equity Fund 26 to support the construction and long-term success of South First Street. We are thrilled to continue partnering with CRHA and PHAR to create accessible, affordable housing in a community full of opportunity.