The Crossings at Fourth and Preston

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The Crossings at Fourth and Preston is a 60-unit single resident occupancy facility operated by Virginia Supportive Housing in downtown Charlottesville.

Half of the units are dedicated to the chronically homeless and the rest are for low-income residents.[1] Construction got underway in April 2011[2] was completed in March 2012.[3]

Initial planning

In 2009, Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH), a Richmond-based non-profit organization, began exploring the possibility of building a multi-unit SRO facility for homeless individuals in Charlottesville. The units were planned to each be 360 square foot studio apartments with a full kitchen and a full bath. VSH sought a location that was central to public transportation and jobs.[4]

Financing and public investment

Crossings Rendering Sept 2010-small.jpg

The city of Charlottesville purchased land from Region 10 on behalf of VSH at a cost of $1.55 million.[1] The city will contribute to annual operations as well by committing 21 federal housing vouchers to future tenants of the facility, at an estimated cost of $170,000 a year.[1] The source of this money is federal HOME funding. If those funds decline, the city will need to spend money directly from the Charlottesville Housing Fund.[1] City Council agreed on December 6, 2010 to enter into a ten-year agreement guaranteeing the funds.

However, the city may have to sell the land to VSH because the VSH can't obtain a $900,000 loan because the city's lease is not long enough. Virginia law puts a cap of 40 years on the term of a lease between a municipality and a private entity, and the Virginia Housing Development Authority requires at least a 60-year lease.[5]

Nine vacancies

Albemarle County had agreed to use nine of its federal housing vouchers to proceed with the project. However, nine potential residents are unable to move in as of May 30, 2012 because the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the county to formally change its housing plan before the vouchers can be committed to the project.[6] The county amended its administrative plan with HUD on June 6, 2012 and As of June 6, 2012 whether it will accept the plan.[7]

Timeline

  • July 20, 2009: Council approves zoning change allowing for SRO facilities to be built in city
  • January 4, 2010: Council approves special use permit allowing construction[8]
  • March 1, 2010: City Council agrees to purchase land for project at a cost of $1.55 million
  • March 3, 2010: Albemarle County Board of Supervisors dedicates use of 9 federal Housing Choice vouchers to project
  • June 11, 2010: VSH announces the project was awarded low-income housing tax credits[9]
  • December 6, 2010: Council approves annual funding by committing 21 of its Section 8 vouchers to the project[10]
  • April 2011: Construction underway[2]
  • March 2012: Construction completed[3]
  • June 6, 2012: Albemarle County amends its HUD administrative plan to reflect it will use public vouchers to help fund the project[7]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Web. Council sets aside money for transitional housing, Rachana Dixit, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, December 7, 2010, retrieved December 7, 2010.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Web. SRO time: The Crossings begins its rise downtown, Hawes Spencer, The Hook, Better Publications LLC
  3. 3.0 3.1 Web. Ground broken on low-income housing Crossings, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, April 28, 2011, retrieved May 3, 2011.
  4. Tubbs, Sean J. "Charlottesville Planning Commission studies "permanent housing for the homeless"." Weblog post. Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. Charlottesville Tomorrow, 30 Apr. 2009. Web. 9 July 2009. <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/04/single_room.html>
  5. Web. City may have to sell land for homeless project, Rachana Dixit, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, January 9, 2011, retrieved January 9, 2011.
  6. Web. Voucher confusion keeping 9 homeless county residents from a roof over their heads, Aaron Richardson, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, retrieved May 30, 2012.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Web. HUD funding holdup continues to keep nine out of Crossings, Jayson Whitehead, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, June 12, 2012, retrieved June 12, 2012. Print. June 12, 2012 .
  8. Web. Council approves homeless-aid permit, Staff report, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, Jan 5 2010, retrieved 13 Jan 2010.
  9. Lynn, Bridgett. "New Homeless Facility Receives Tax Credits; SRO Construction Slated to Begin This Fall." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 15 June 2010. Web. 28 June 2010<http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2010/06/sro_construction.html>.
  10. Web. Funding to CHRA for SRO Vouchers, Jim Tolbert, retrieved December 6, 2010.

External links

Official site