Charlottesville City Council approves funding for affordable housing projects

There are many opportunities for nonprofit developers and other organizations to secure funding for various projects. One of those is the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund (CAHF) which had $832,000 available in FY2026.

This year, seven applications totaling $1,469,795 were submitted and reviewed by the CAHF Committee.

“The CAHF Committee reviewed and scored applications using a standardized rubric that evaluates affordability, population served, project readiness, environmental sustainability, demonstrated need, organizational capacity, and alignment with City priorities,” reads the staff report included in the agenda for May 4, 2026

• The Albemarle Housing Improvement Program asked for $240,000 for a project titled Charlottesville Critical Repair and Rehab. A total of $166,800 was awarded.
  
  “The goal of the project is to provide home rehabilitations, critical repairs, accessibility modifications, and energy-efficiency upgrades to 12 homeowners which will preserve existing affordable housing and help homeowners remain safe in their homes,” reads the CAHF report.
  
• The Building Goodness Foundation requested $100,000 for a project titled C’Ville Builds: Healthy Homes. A total of $70,000 was awarded.
  
  “The goal of the project is to deliver high-quality, urgently-needed, and no-cost construction repair and renovation services for low-income homeowners in Charlottesville so that they can remain safely and comfortably housed,” reads the CAHF report.

• Community Services Housing requested $96,500 for a project to rehabilitate properties at Pine Street and Short 18th Street. They received $68,997.50.
  
  “The goal of the project is to preserve housing stability through HVAC, appliance, and other upgrades that improve comfort, increase energy efficiency, and enhance both short- and long-term affordability for extremely low-income residents living with disabilities,” reads the CAHF report.
  
• Habitat For Humanity of Greater Charlottesville requested $400,000 for a project called Habitat Core 2026. They received $286,026.88.
  
  “The goal of the project is to create eight for-sale affordable homes for households with incomes at or below 60% of the Area Median Income,” reads the CAHF report. “Homes will be either newly constructed or renovated in one or various infill locations in the city.”
  
• Piedmont Housing Alliance requested $323,285 for a project called Deepening Affordability at 1025 Park Street. They received $231,175.64.
  
  “The goal of the project is to deepen affordability at 1025 Park Street by converting three units from 60% to 40% AMI, ensuring long-term access to quality, energy-efficient housing for lower-income families in Charlottesville,” reads the CAHF report.

Two other projects did not receive funding.

Piedmont Housing Alliance asked for $160,000 for a project to sell four townhouses in the second phase of Kindlewood.

“This project was not recommended for funding, as it is already supported through a $3.15 million commitment in the City’s capital improvement program, which includes a commitment to create six homeownership opportunities,” reads the CAHF report

The Uhuru Foundation requested $150,000 to allow them to purchase a four unit duplex they currently rent for transitional housing.

“The request focused on acquiring an asset already used for program operations and the applicant indicated that they were not at risk of losing the property and had other funding avenues to pursue,” reads the CAHF report.

The City of Charlottesville has several other funds used for affordable housing projects including one with the name Housing Operations and Program Support as well as the federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs. I’ll have more on the latter in a future edition of the newsletter.

Larger amounts of money are available for entities that go through a Request for Information process each fall.

“We invite developers and housing providers to provide comprehensive insights into potential projects that align with our city’s robust, affordable housing and community development goals,” reads that website.

The CAHF funding was adopted as part of the consent agenda on second reading.

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