Category Archives: Homelessness
Housing is an issue for RVA leaders
The 10 minute video below was made by the Leadership Metro Richmond housing team. Housing is a regional issue that requires regional solutions.
Listening Sessions on housing this summer
The Virginia Housing Coalition and the Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness in partnership with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development are holding six regional information and input sessions this summer. The meetings are open to anyone with an interest in affordable housing and homelessness who wants to have a say in the future housing policies in the state.
The sessions will include:
- A summary of the outcomes of housing and community development legislation during the 2012 General Assembly session.
- An update on the status of the State Housing Policy Framework and the State Homelessness Plan.
- A discussion and prioritization of housing issues for the 2013 General Assembly session (with special focus on issues of regional significance).
- Input into the design of the newly created Virginia Housing Trust Fund. The Department of Housing and Community Development must submit a program plan to the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees by November of this year.
The schedule for these forums is:
Charlottesville
Date: July 31, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Partner: Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission
Location: Water Street Center - 407 E. Water Street Charlottesville, VA 22902
Register for this session here
Roanoke
Date: August 2, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Partner: Roanoke Regional Housing Network
Location: Boardroom Office - 502 Campbell Ave, SW Roanoke, VA 24016
Register for this session here
Northern Virginia
Date: August 8, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Partner: Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance
Location: Northern Virginia Community College – Annandale Campus
Ernst Cultural Center - 8333 Little River Turnpike Annandale, Virginia 22003
Register for this session here
Richmond
Date: August 15, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Partner: Richmond Community Development Alliance
Location: Virginia Housing Development Authority - Henrico room 1
4224 Cox Road Glen Allen, VA 23060
Register for this session here
Fredericksburg
Date: August 21, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Partner: Central Virginia Housing Coalition
Location: Central Virginia Housing Coalition
208 Hudgins Road Fredericksburg, VA 22408
Register for this session here
Please register for these important input and discussion forums by following the link for the forum you wish to attend. All events are free and open to the public but registration is required and appreciated. If you have any questions about this event or registration please email VAHousingCoalition@gmail.com
Glowing Homeless
The homeless are invisible and we try to make sure to avoid homeless individuals when we encounter them on the streets. New art work attempts to pull us out of our willful ignorance and force us to see and think about the homeless:
Thus Allié brought an object into being that represents the thousands of homeless that face social exclusion and the troubles of street life every day and night
Taking control of your life starts with a home
Control is really key for comfort…it’s good to keep in mind that the best territories have clearly defined borders and allow for some privacy. They’re low on stress and high on security…[t]erritories have rituals.
These statements from an article about staying overnight at a hotel or the homes of family or friends during holiday travel essentially speak to the second most fundamental and basic of human needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – the need for security.
10 Must Know Facts About Housing in Virginia
Our friends at Housing Virginia have compiled a brilliant list of ten facts you should know about Housing in Virginia in 2011. I am listing them below:
10. The rate of homeownership in Virginia continues to decline. The home ownership rate in Virginia peaked in 2006 at just under 70%. Since then, it has been in decline, dropping more than 3% by 2010. At the start of 2011, the rate stands at 67.7%, the lowest rate in a decade. As home ownership declines, demand for rental housing grows.
9. Declining home values the past four years have resulted in record numbers of Virginia homeowners who are “underwater.” Their home is now worth less than the amount that they owe on their mortgage. In 2011 over 291,000 homes in Virginia were underwater – over 23% of all mortgages. Another 76,000 were “near” negative (within 5% of value) – bringing the total to almost 30% of Virginia’s mortgages.
Sen. Watkins discusses housing with constituents
Sen. Watkins speaks to constituents about housing & economic recovery at Project:HOMES
State Senator John Watkins discussed housing issues with constituents over lunch on Tuesday October 25th. The “Community Conversation on Housing” was co-organized by Project:HOMES and Housing Opportunities Made Equal. Attendees included volunteers, clients, staff and Board members from these two Richmond area non-profit housing organizations.
