Monthly Archives: February 2021

Piedmont Housing Alliance to build units at Southwood

Albemarle County has entered into an agreement with Piedmont Housing Alliance to use some of the county’s allotment of federal housing vouchers for the first phase of the redevelopment of Southwood Mobile Home Park. Habitat for Humanity was able to secure a rezoning for this first phase, which would see new construction along Old Lynchburg Road on land that is currently wooded. (details)

Now Piedmont Housing Alliance will develop the actual new homes and will seek  Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to make the project more feasible. This agreement could help the application’s chances with the Virginia Housing Development Authority, an entity that now goes by the name Virginia Housing. 

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Hundreds of units pending in development process in Albemarle as county considers new affordability strategy

As we begin this story, a quick notification to you that a public comment period for Albemarle’s draft housing plan ends on Monday. Take a look at the county’s website to read the plan and to fill out a questionnaire. (draft plan website)

The first objective is to increase the housing supply to meet the needs of an Albemarle population projected by the Weldon Cooper Center to be 138,485 by the year 2040, up from a current estimate of 109,722. (read Feb. 9 edition for an update on population

“To accommodate this growth, the County will need to add approximately 11,750 new units to our housing stock over the next 20 years,” reads the plan. “The majority of this need—8,134 units or 69% of the required new housing – is projected to be met with units already in the residential development pipeline. This means the county must support the development of an additional 3,616 units to fully accommodate projected household growth through 2040.”

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Charlottesville Parks and Rec board briefed on pandemic-related closings, reopenings

The Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board had not met for 11 months before their first virtual meeting of the year last night. Since then, Council took an action that changed the group’s relationship to city government. 

“We appear to have been demoted,” said Ned Michie, who was appointed as chair at the beginning of the meeting. “We’re now an advisory committee to staff rather than a City Council appointed advisory board.”

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