CHRA posts annual plan for FY25/FY26

The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority was created in 1954 after voters in the city answered “yes” to an April 15 referendum on whether it should be brought into existence. The vote was 1,105 to 1,069. 

A lot has happened in the past 70 years as the CRHA presided over the urban renewal project that demolished homes and businesses in the city’s Vinegar Hill neighborhood. Hundreds of public housing units were built in some but not all parts of the city. 

The past few years have been a very different CRHA as the agency redevelops some of its properties, makes renovations to others, and purchases more housing units across the city. 

Today the agency posted its draft annual plan for FY25/FY26 as required by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations. CRHA’s next fiscal year begins on April 1, 2025. (read the draft plan)

According to the plan, CRHA now oversees 293 public housing units and administers 641 housing choice vouchers. The agency proposes continuing to dispose some of its existing units to prepare them for demolition and will continue redevelopment through “mixed finance modernization” at the Sixth Street property. 

The CRHA needs HUD to approve a plan to demolish one existing apartment unit with six units to make way for new places. 

“We anticipate developing between 40-45 units on the site with a mixture of 1- to 3- bedroom units,” the plan continues. 

Other units that have been traditional public housing units are being transition to ones subsidized through project based vouchers. That’s the case at the second phase of the South First Street project where 58 units have recently been demolished.

“Through the Mixed Finance redevelopment of South First Street, we have determined it is most financially feasible for CRHA to redevelop the site with a mixture of project- based voucher, public housing units and non-subsidized tax credit units,” the plan continues. 

Other highlights from the plan: 

• “The CRHA acquired a total of 80 units within the last year and is currently in the process of acquiring 15 additional [Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing] units.”
• The CRHA is in the midst of creating a non profit to assist in fundraising for operations.
• The CRHA is also creating a homeownership program for residents with a target of using five housing choice vouchers.

There will be a series of meetings for people to review the plan before a public hearing on December 12. 

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment is from the October 28, 2024 edition of the newsletter. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.