Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville purchased the Southwood Mobile Home Park in October 2007 and has spent many years working with residents on a plan to design a new community without displacing existing residents.
Nine years later on October 5, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution enshrining a “collaborative redevelopment process” for the Southwood Community.
“Habitat, having already invested more than $2 million on deferred and emergency maintenance – including road improvements, sewer system upgrades and emergency electrical repair – recognizes that extensive additional infrastructure improvements will be needed which may be in excess of its capability to fund without assistance,” reads that resolution.
A lot has happened in the intervening ten years such as a rezoning process conducted in two phases, a groundbreaking in 2020, and the securing of federal money to help replace a failing sewer system in parts of the mobile home community that will be redeveloped in future years.
On Thursday, the Fifth and Avon Community Advisory Committee will get an update on how the redevelopment is going so far. The topic is one suggested in January when members were asked for things they wanted to learn. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in Room B of the County Office Building at 1600 5th Street. (meeting info)
Southwood is within what the Community Development Department considers Albemarle’s Neighborhood 5. As of April 1 of this year, 335 of 450 units approved in the first phase have been built. Another 1,000 units are permitted in the second phase and have not yet been constructed. Some are in the site development plan process now.
According to a spreadsheet that makes up part of the county’s Development Dashboard, the units in the second phase will be a mix of types and there will be 60,000 square feet of non-residential space.
You can also learn more about the project at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville’s dedicated website for Southwood.
Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things. Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the June 18, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
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