City opens up portal for Charlottesville Area Housing Fund submissions

We are in an era where the City of Charlottesville has dramatically increased the amount of local funding that goes to pay for construction and maintenance of housing units that are to be reserved for households below certain income levels. 

“This budget includes $8.9 million in FY2025, and over $48 million in the five-year capital program for several affordable housing initiatives, including the continued funding of $1.5 million per year for competitive application to the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund (CAHF),” reads page 13 of the budget for FY25. 

The Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund was first established in 2007 and at least $50 million has been used for various projects. In 2022, the city conducted the first ever audit of how the money has been spent as I reported at the time.

The city has now opened up the window for applications for the next round of funding through the CAHF, which is just one of four sources of money for housing projects. 

“The CAHF provides financial support for projects that promote the development, preservation, and creation of affordable housing, supporting the City’s goals of increasing housing stability and affordability for low- and moderate-income residents,” reads the announcement for the funding. 

The Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund committee goes through the applications to make recommendations but final decisions are with City Council. 

Four projects were funded through the CAHF in the last cycle and approved on March 18. 

• Albemarle Housing Improvement Program was recommended to receive $117,196 for their Charlottesville Critical Rehabilitation Program
• Community Services Housing was recommended to receive $74,054 for rehabilitation repairs to their existing properties 
• Habitat for Humanity was recommended to receive $393,750 for a home ownership program known as Habitat Core 2024
• The Piedmont Housing Alliance was slated to receive $250,000 toward development of their project at 501 Cherry Avenue 

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