What’s New?
Mission Elevation Success Stories: Judeo-Christian Outreach Center
The Judeo-Christian Outreach Center (JCOC) is a community-focused organization that provides essential services to low-income and vulnerable residents including an emergency shelter, a veteran transitional housing program, a food pantry, and a day support program. Recently, JCOC reached a major milestone in their mission to empower communities after beginning renovations for a campus that will create 38 new supportive housing homes for people experiencing homelessness in Virginia Beach. As JCOC has expanded, Executive Director Todd Walker and Development Director Kristin Ward recognized the need to enhance their administrative, financial, grant management, and fundraising capacities. To address these needs, they joined VCDC’s Mission Elevation (ME) program.
Aaron Mills Apartments
The Aaron Mills Apartments is a new community of affordable housing in a historically industrial area of downtown Martinsville, Virginia. The development will serve elderly individuals, aged 55 and up, making 60% of the Area Median Income or below.
Parkside Apartments
Parkside Apartments is an affordable apartment community in Culpeper, VA with 37 newly constructed homes designed for low-income families. The townhome-style complex offers 7 one-bedroom, 23 two-bedroom, and 7 three-bedroom apartments constructed on the site of a local scenic park. The homes are Parkside Apartments are specifically reserved for area residents making no more than 40%, 50% and 60% of the Area Median Income, addressing a critical need for stable and affordable housing in Culpeper, where these types of communities are typically challenging to find.
Fairfax Hall: A historic renovation for affordable senior homes
Originally constructed in 1890 as a bustling hotel, the Fairfax Hall building in Waynesboro, VA has seen many transformations and held many different faces. The structure operated until the early 1900's as the Brandon Hotel and was later used as a music institute, Brandon Hall, until it eventually converted into a junior college for girls. Today, thanks to the support and assistance from the city of Waynesboro, local public entities, and VCDC, Fairfax Hall has been transformed and updated into 54 high-quality affordable homes for senior citizens.
The Tygart Hotel showcases the spirit and vibrance of West Virginia
Nestled in West Virginia’s serene Monongahela Forest of the Appalachian Mountains, the Tygart Hotel shines as a treasured community staple in the City of Elkins, WV. In March, the new-and-improved Tygart Hotel opened to an outpouring of support and excitement from Elkins residents, state and local legislators, visitors, and more. After 8 years of planning and development, the Tygart Hotel now brings 56 boutique hotel rooms and 57 vital jobs to Elkins.
Townhomes at Liberty Place
March 2024 – Townhomes at Liberty Place is a new affordable apartment community in the City of Richmond, VA, that creates 40 townhomes for low-income families and households. The multifamily development features 34 three-bedroom units and six one-bedroom units across 10 buildings on a six-acre site. All units at Townhomes at Liberty Place are designed for households making 40%, 50%, and 60% of the Area Median Income, addressing the need for more affordable homes accessible to nearby services in the City of Richmond.
Building Partnerships for Affordable Housing Success with People Incorporated of Virginia
Our longstanding partnership with People Incorporated of Virginia (People Inc.) has resulted in significant achievements in providing affordable housing in areas across Southwest Virginia and the northern Shenandoah Valley. To date we have provided technical assistance and financing support leading to the development of 23 People Inc. communities that serve historically disinvested neighborhoods throughout the region, with VCDC and affiliates investing in over $52.5 million. Luray Meadows and Culpepper Crossing are two communities from this partnership that have made a positive impact in Page and Culpepper Counties.
Horner Run Apartments
October 2023 — Horner Run Apartments is a new community that will create 49 affordable housing apartments designed for low-income families in the County of Chesterfield, Virginia. The site consists of one three-story building with a unit mix of 6 one-bedroom, 31 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units.
Orcutt Townhomes
Orcutt Townhomes I is a redeveloped community that will offer 40 fully redesigned and refurbished homes for families making 40%, 50% and 60% of the Area Median Income in Newport News, Virginia. With a poverty rate of 16.9%, which is over 6% higher than the state average (US Census), the City of Newport News has a high need for high-quality, affordable housing, and Orcutt Townhomes is leading the way to achieving better homes for families who need them the most.
VCDF awarded $4 million by U.S. Treasury in Capital Magnet Funds to support affordable housing
The federal government has awarded VCDC’s Virginia Community Development Fund (VCDF) $4 million from the Treasury Department’s Capital Magnet Fund (CMF). The grant will finance high quality affordable rental housing in communities across VA and WV where developers are hard-pressed to get financing from traditional sources.
A face for the community: “The Listener” beautifies downtown Newport News
"The Listener” is the newest downtown mural created by artist Nico Cathcart in collaboration with the Newport News Street Museum and the Contemporary Arts Network Foundation. Using the Warwick Apartments building as a canvas, Cathcart pays tribute to the historic site in her design of The Listener, who is affectionately known as “Mr. Warwick” to residents of the building.
Grayson Manor
Grayson Manor is a newly renovated apartment complex in Independence, Virginia, creating affordable living opportunities for seniors and low-income individuals with disabilities in the Southwest Virginia region.
Affordable and Accessible Homes: Honoring Disability Pride Month
As a part of our mission to create vibrant homes in thriving neighborhoods for all, we are committed to working with our partners create homes that individuals with disabilities are proud to live in. Over the years, we have worked with partners to help create 19 communities that prioritize accessibility and comfort for individuals with disabilities in need of affordable housing.
Virginia Community Development Fund receives 2023 Community Impact grant from the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond to support its Technical Assistance Program
VCDC’s lending affiliate, Virginia Community Development Fund (VCDF) announced this week that it received a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond to expand its Technical Assistance (TA) Program. The TA Program offers a range of technical support, consultant services, educational resources, and professional development opportunities to meet the unique individual needs of VCDF partners, empowering them to strengthen their organizations, enhance their understanding of development processes, and build capacity to play a leading role in developing sustainable, vibrant communities.
Monticello Vista: VCDC’s Commitment to Vibrant Communities Over 30 Years
Just three years after the initiation of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program in Virginia, VCDC made its inaugural investment of over $1 million in LIHTC equity to establish Monticello Vista Apartments, providing homes for seniors and families in Charlottesville, VA. Monticello Vista comprises 50 affordable apartment homes designed with convenient accessibility features and amenities.
A Spotlight on NASLEF as VCDC welcomes first Executive Director
Holly Court Apartments is a community in Kilmarnock, Virginia with 40 affordable homes dedicated to senior citizens. Holly Court will be renovated to improve individual apartments homes, building facilities, a community room, and more. The community will offer a range of engaging perks for residents, including outdoor picnic areas, a large community space, and routine social and recreational activities such as holiday parties and bingo nights. Holly Court also offers residents skill-building, healthy living, and self-sufficiency programs to support residents. New renovations will prioritize energy efficiency and resident comfort with modern amenities.
An artful investment in Richmond’s beloved art nonprofit, Studio Two Three
Studio Two Three is a forward-thinking nonprofit art studio in Richmond, VA with a mission to empower artists to create civic change and community engagement through art. After 13 years of growth, Studio Two Three decided to explore the opportunity of purchasing a permanent home for their high-performing studio. Our lending affiliate, VCDF, helped Studio Two Three receive an $800,000 loan so the organization can make an impact in their forever home.
Welcoming Cohort 6, the Mission Elevation Class of 2024
We are delighted to announce the six organizations joining Mission Elevation for the 2023-2024 program cycle. The Mission Elevation program has been creating professional growth opportunities for community development nonprofit and quasi-governmental organization leaders since its inception in 2017.
Remembering Karl Bren, a Trailblazer in Affordable, Sustainable Housing
This February, the housing community lost Karl Bren, an instrumental leader who changed the landscape of affordable and sustainable housing across Virginia. Since the 1990’s, Karl was a key player in the creation of several nonprofit organizations and groups focused on affordable housing, homelessness services, and green building.
