Pay enough attention to government processes for a while and you’ll learn that anything involving the federal government is going to require additional steps.
Charlottesville is a recipient of funds every year from the Community Development Block Grant program operated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. City Council approves requests for funding that are prioritized by the CDBG Task Force.
In FY2026 both the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program and the Local Energy Alliance Program were awarded funds that both require additional scrutiny.
“Projects will incorporate a range of repair, rehab, and energy retrofit tasks, based on each home’s unique needs, to be carried out by AHIP crews, subcontractors, partners, and, potentially, by volunteers, as well,” reads the public notice for an opportunity to comment on AHIP’s Tier 1 environmental review.
“The goal of LEAP’s Solar Readiness/Healthy, Safe, and Energy-Efficient Homes Program is to improve housing stability and affordability for low-income homeowners in the City of Charlottesville by reducing energy burdens, improving indoor environmental quality, and removing critical barriers to energy efficiency upgrades,” reads the public notice for LEAP.
Interested parties have until September 28 to comment. How to do so?
“Members of the community can learn more by contacting: Anthony Warn, Grants Analyst, at warna@charlottesville.gov and/or Taylor Harvey-Ryan, Grant Programs Manager, at harveyryant@charlottesville.gov.”
This particular process is new to Charlottesville and allows the environmental review for ongoing projects to span multiple program years.
“Given that AHIP and LEAP can conduct more than one rehab activity in a given program year, using the Tiered Review format can potentially save us a great deal of time and energy while maintaining the city’s compliance with our statutory requirements as recipients of HUD funding,” Warn wrote in response to a follow-up question.
AHIP is marking its 50th anniversary this year and is holding a gala on October 2, 2026.
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Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the September 17, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution.
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