Money matters
Local housing advocates and city leadership sat down with Sen. Mark Warner at Kindlewood on June 14. The senator delivered a $650,000 check from Congress, which Piedmont Housing Alliance will use to establish a permanent Financial Opportunity Center and Housing Hub in the affordable housing community.
Formerly known as Friendship Court, Kindlewood is in the middle of a massive resident-led redevelopment, with support from PHA, numerous nonprofit organizations, and local government. Beyond structural improvements, the project will add more community resources, including the FOCHH.
“The Financial Opportunity Center and Housing Hub … serves Charlottesville City residents, Albemarle County residents, Nelson County residents, the whole range, and it’s a one-stop shop for people to come for housing- or financial-related opportunities,” said Sunshine Mathon, CEO of PHA.
Benefits of the center include access to HUD-certified housing counselors, financial and housing coaching and information, and down payment support opportunities. The FOCHH has been operating out of a temporary location on High Street, but the plan has always been to have a permanent location at Kindlewood.
“A lot of our residents don’t have cars,” said Mathon. “Having access to walkable or busable locations really removes a barrier.”
Beyond the FOCHH, Sen. Warner and local leaders spoke about potential next steps to address Charlottesville’s housing crisis.
While Warner is proud of several Democratic accomplishments in recent years, he lamented the lack of action on affordable housing.
“If we step back and we think about over the last four or five years, particularly coming out of COVID, the one area the federal government didn’t do that much on was housing, and now we’ve got housing shortages everywhere,” said Warner. “The most important thing we could do today is get the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.”
In addition to calling on the Fed to reduce rates, the senator spoke to the benefits of Community Development Financial Institutions and the LIFT [Low-Income First Time Homebuyers] Act introduced by Warner and Sens. Tim Kaine, Raphael Warnock, Chris Van Hollen, and Jon Ossoff.
The LIFT Act—first introduced in 2021—would allow first-time, first-generation homebuyers to purchase a home with a 20-year mortgage at a 30-year rate.
Legislation like the LIFT Act and other federal efforts aimed at addressing affordable housing are crucial, according to Mathon.
“Where we really need to see scaled investment is in affordable homeownership, and the local and state level have some resources to support that, but at the federal level, it’s pretty minimal,” he said. “If we’re going to really make a dent in the homeownership disparity rates between Black and white households in our community, we have to invest federal-level resources to unlock that.”
Shots fired
Around 5:30am on Wednesday, June 12, Charlottesville Police Department Officers dispatched to the 100 block of Harmon Street following reports of shots fired. A total of 41 shell casings from a pistol and rifle were found at the scene. A single home was struck along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. No one was injured in the incident. Police Chief Michael Kochis believes this was a targeted offense connected to other shots-fired investigations and community feuds.
Heading home
The Hoos have been knocked out of the College World Series. After a nailbiter 3-2 loss to the University of North Carolina in the opening game of the tournament, the Cavs entered into an elimination game against Florida State on June 16. The Seminoles quickly pulled ahead, with the score at 7-0 at the end of the sixth inning. Virginia finally got onto the board with two runs in the seventh inning, but was not able to catch up to Florida’s lead, culminating in a 7-3 game.
Cooling off
The City of Charlottesville is reminding residents to stay cool ahead of a major heat wave hitting the area this week. With humidity bringing the heat index over 100 degrees, those looking to escape the hot temps can head to the cooling centers at Herman Key Jr. Recreation Center and the central branch of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. For more information on cooling center hours and tips for managing the blazing weather, visit charlottesville.gov.