HUD Lines

E-Briefs from the Richmond Office of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

HOMELESS-LESS?
TRUST Family Homes in Roanoke will  “help homeless men, women and families return to independence."  Transitions Family Services in Newport News will offer counseling and legal support to victims of domestic violence. Richmond’s Daily Planet will “beef up efforts to support the homeless in finding long-term answers to their needs”  Just three examples of how some 75 local governments and nonprofits in Virginia will use $20.9 million in HUD funds competitively awarded in December to meet, said HUD Deputy Secretary Roy Bernardi, “ a tremendous need to find housing and services for the most vulnerable among us,"  In Virginia, HUD awarded $18.2 million to Continuums of Care for “permanent and transitional housing” and $2.7 million in Emergency Shelter Grants to local governments for shelters and associated social services.

PAST FORWARD
Want to celebrate the history and culture of your community?  Join HUD Richmond, the Department of Housing & Community Development, the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior for a free, one-hour teletutorial from 11 a.m. to Noon, E.S.T.,, Wednesday, January 23rd for on the what’s and how’s of the Preserve America grant program.  Register with leland.jones@hud.gov or call 804/822-4804.

CONGRATS!
CONGRATS! Tis the season for announcing local REALTOR of the Year in Virginia Traci Shoburg of the REMAX Team in Winchester was named REALTOR of the Year by the Blue Ridge Association, Lynn Grimsley of REMAX Peninsula by the Virginia Peninsula Association, Rives Bailey of Montague Miller by the Charlottesville Area Association, Margaret Ireland of Weichert REALTORS by the Northern Virginia Association and Bill White of Joyner Fine Properties by the Richmond Association.

BEFORE YOU KNOW IT
Norfolk It’s still months away, but the Virginia Community Action Partnership is gearing up for Tax Day 2008, awarding some $233,000 in General Assembly funds to 24 coalitions across the State to urge eligible families to apply for Earned Income Tax Credits.  To help, visit www.vaeitc.org.

BRIEF BRIEFS
Bankers interested in the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Community Investment Program should contact ramona.chapman@dhcd.virginia.gov to attend a January 17th DHCD workshop in Richmond. . .Virginia Guardsman Michael Lucas and family move into new home in Rice built by “hundreds of volunteers” for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition airing in February or March. . Submit your nominations for the 2008  Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Awards at www.vaservice.org. . .Michael Newsome of Clark Whitehill Enterprises in Virginia Beach named Builder of the Year by Home Builders Association of Virginia. . .After six years of “a lot of donated time, expertise, money and materials,” Daily News Record says Our Community Place center in Harrisonburg “nearly ready to open”. . .Elaine Meil succeeds Paul Berge who retires after 28 years as director of Accomack-Northampton PDC. . .Petersburg Urban Ministries, TAP, Inc. in Roanoke and International Relief & Development in Arlington win Department of Labor YouthBuild grants. . .Governor Kaine awards 140 grants to “enable localities and state agencies” address “wide range of public safety needs”. . .Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing cuts ribbons for 25-unit Hillcrest Heights Townhouses and 24-unit Park Street Square with Low Income Housing Tax Credits that, director Glenda Edwards tells Roanoke Times keep rents affordable while “attracting investment”. . . Federal Reserve Bank now accepting proposals for presentation at April 2009 conference in Washington on Innovative Financial Services for the Underserved. . .Harrisonburg City Council and housing authority contribute $45,000 to 8-church HARTS coalition to open winter shelter for homeless. . .Public Housing Association of Residents in Charlottesville re-starts internship program for residents, director Holly Edwards tells Daily Progress, to help “realize their leadership potential” by finding “ways to improve the public housing community”. . .Northern Virginia Regional Commission celebrates 60th anniversary. . .Virginia Association of REALTORS holds legislative conference February 12th to 15th in Richmond. . .Karen Shepard named executive director of Monticello Area Community Action. . .HUD Richmond okays $6.1 million, 56-unit Dunlop House in Colonial Heights. . . VHDA offers homeownership voucher training January 9th and 10th in Richmond. . .VCU School of Government gives Community Enhancement Award to Nelda Pearson, Radford University professor and founder of Beans & Rice. . .Learn “how to” apply for Virginia Enterprise Zone grants at DHCD workshops January 9th in Richmond and January 11th in Roanoke. . .Community Housing Partners wins Home Depot Foundation award for Roanoke-Lee project in Blacksburg.

SPEAKING OF WHICH. .
Join VHDAfor a two-day, AIA-accredited Creative Housing for the 21st Century workshop January 22nd and 23rd on Green Building, Universal Design and Fair Housing. Register by 17th at www.vhda.com or www.accessva.org or call Gail Braham at 804/343-5512 for more.

HABI-TASTIC
Retta Leigh Keuk if Richmond donated 7 parcels and Randy and Meade Welch of Varina donated 16 parcels, the largest donation in the 21-year history of Richmond Metropolitan Habitat, director Leisha LaRiviera told The Times-Dispatch.  Construction will begin next Spring.

COMING HOME
With mortgage markets in turmoil, many homebuyers “came home to FHA” in 2007. As the year ended, the dollar value of FHA-insured mortgages passed $275 million in the Harrisonburg area, $300 million in the Danville area, $500 million in the Winchester area, $900 million in the Lynchburg area and $3.4 billion in the Fredericksburg area. FHA insured its 7,000th mortgage in the Staunton-Waynesboro area, 10,000th mortgage in the Charlottesville area, 170,000th mortgage in the Richmond area and 250,000th mortgage in Hampton Roads.

DON’T FORGET
To better accommodate everyone’s schedule, Virginia Association of Housing & Community Development Officials has schedule 2008 Winter Conference for February 24th to 26th in Richmond. For more, contact Brenda_willis@crhava.org

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