CARPENTERS OF COMMUNITY
Housing-Related Nonprofit Agencies in Central Virginia

From the rehabilitation of existing houses in historic neighborhoods to the building of new homes with the manual labor of volunteers, local housing-related non-profit agencies are a priceless asset in the development and rejuvenation of communities throughout the Richmond area. Each non-profit offers its own distinctive array of programs, but the goal of these carpenters of community is one and the same: to provide more safe and affordable housing for the people of the metropolitan region.

The alphabetical listing that follows includes descriptions of many, though not all, of the active non-profit housing organizations in the Richmond area; it emphasizes those agencies whose chief objectives include providing homeownership opportunities.

Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN)
ACORN promotes the purchase and renovation of vacant and abandoned buildings in Richmond's oldest neighborhoods, seeking to preserve the city's past while enhancing and strengthening its communities. The organization's Web site is an excellent source for a wide range of information, including how to locate a property, how to finance a purchase and where to get down payment and closing cost assistance. The site also offers a list of contractors and consultants who specialize in renovation and rehabilitation.

ACORN's site is located at www.richmondneighborhoods.org. Contact the organization via e-mail at info@richmondneighborhoods.org or call 422-2148.

ElderHomes Corporation (EHC)
The philosophy behind ElderHomes is that quality of life is directly related to quality of shelter, and the agency offers unique programs specifically for the low-income elderly and disabled. EHC specializes in assistance to elderly individuals for home repair and weatherization services, and has developed first-time homeownership opportunities for those age 55 and older. EHC's senior apartment developments, located in the city of Richmond and Henrico and Chesterfield counties, provide a safe community for those who can no longer afford to live alone or who choose to live in a congregate situation.

For more information about the agency's programs, call 233-2827 or contact EHC via e-mail at services@ElderHomes.org.

Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc. (HOME)
HOME is a fair housing and counseling organization seeking to ensure equal access to housing for all persons. The organization offers programs designed to foster self-sufficiency and to assist people in finding and keeping housing that meets their needs. In addition to its outreach programs to disadvantaged groups (including the homeless and persons with HIV/AIDS), HOME sponsors homebuyer education classes and pre-purchase counseling. Down payment and closing cost assistance is available to low-income families purchasing their first homes; aid is in the form of a loan forgivable after five years, as long as the family continues occupancy. HOME's assistance programs also include grants and loans for the repair of homes in certain areas of Richmond, and aid to prevent eviction and foreclosure. The agency offers an expansive list of housing-related counseling services, covering such matters as mortgage default, predatory lending and home equity conversion. It also provides support and advocacy for victims of housing discrimination.

More information about HOME is available on-line at www.phonehome.org or by calling 354-0641.

Interfaith Housing Corporation (IHC)
Interfaith Housing Corporation originated in 1989 at a conference addressing how Richmond's religious community could meet the housing needs of low-income families in the area. Largely a volunteer organization at first, IHC directed its initial efforts at rehabilitating several residences owned by the elderly and/or handicapped. The agency's work has now broadened to include new home construction in Richmond and the surrounding counties. Its goal is to create healthy neighborhoods by eliminating blight and detracting criminal elements, and to sustain and strengthen community. Homeownership is an important part of this effort, and IHC programs provide new and rehabilitated homes for low-income families (earning 80 percent or less of the area median income) and moderate-income families (earning up to 115 percent of that median). IHC solicits both donations and volunteers to help in its renovation and construction projects, and during 2002, 65 houses and a childcare center were scheduled for completion.

For more information, contact 648-3926 or visit their Web site at www.interfaithhousing.com.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
With the support of donors, lenders and investors, this national organization works intimately with urban and rural community development corporations (CDCs) to invest financial and intellectual capital in neighborhoods. It provides grants, low-interest loans and equity investments to CDCs for the creation of safe, affordable housing; construction and rehabilitation of retail and commercial real estate; and the creation of childcare centers, charter schools, health clinics and other vital community facilities. Nationally, LISC's investment in the development of homeownership increased from $6.5 million in 1994 to $52.5 million in 2001. Locally, the LISC program in Richmond has plans to invest $9.5 million in area community development corporations during the next three years, which will lead to more than $100 million in real estate development in Greater Richmond neighborhoods.

For more information about the work of Richmond LISC, log-on to www.richmondlisc.org.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Richmond (NHSR)
NHSR was established more than 20 years ago as a community partnership to address the decrease in affordable, quality housing and the increase of urban blight in Richmond's more economically challenged neighborhoods. NHSR offers Neighborhood Ownership Works (NOW) Loans, which feature competitive, low rates and 2 percent down payment requirements for the purchase of new or renovated properties in North Richmond neighborhoods, specifically in the Barton Heights neighborhood. Grants and loans are also available from NHSR for down payment and closing costs incurred in the purchase of homes in any low- to moderate-income neighborhood in the City of Richmond, with repayments as low as $50 per month. The organization's goal is to help these neighborhoods become stable and self-sustaining, maintaining long-term residents while attracting new households. NHSR also provides homebuyer and insurance education and neighborhood outreach.

For more information, log-on to www.nhsrichmond.org, or call 329-2500.

Richmond Better Housing Coalition
A private, non-profit organization, Richmond's Better Housing Coalition was formed in 1988 by Richmond-area civic leaders to increase local affordable housing. BHC has developed high-quality rental property communities as well as apartment communities for low- to moderate-income senior adults. One of its core objectives is to create homeownership opportunities in the metropolitan area's urban neighborhoods for first-time buyers with low to moderate incomes. BHC has partnered with other public and private organizations to build new homes that blend with the architectural styles of the area's historic communities and that also meet energy efficiency ratings. The organization assists buyers with the mortgage application process and in obtaining below-market rates. Often a qualified purchaser can become a BHC homeowner for an investment of $1,000 or less.

For more information, contact BHC's administrative offices at 644-0546, or visit their Web site at www.betterhousingcoalition.org.

Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit construction company, mortgage company and family services agency combined. Founded in 1976 in Georgia, it has grown into an international organization striving to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness. Established in 1986, the Richmond chapter currently builds more than 20 houses a year. To qualify for homeownership, applicants must have need for shelter and be living in substandard housing; be willing to participate in Habitat by performing 350 "sweat-equity" hours for the organization; be able to pay a monthly mortgage averaging $270 and pay basic home maintenance costs (current annual income qualifications are 30-60 percent of the area median, for a family of three); be a resident of the Richmond area for one year or longer; be financially responsible and be of good character. Applicants are ranked according to need. Habitat partners with hundreds of volunteers and other contributors to build and buy decent, affordable houses for those who do not qualify for other local housing programs and have had no choice but to continue living in substandard shelter.

To volunteer or to make a donation, contact Richmond Habitat at 358-5899.

Southside Community Development and Housing Corporation (SCDHC)
Established in 1989, SCDHC is a non-profit community development corporation whose mission is to improve the quality of life for disenfranchised individuals and families living in substandard housing in the Old South District of Richmond. Through its Home Ownership Program, the corporation offers new and rehabilitated homes in the Swansboro, Manchester and Bainbridge/Blackwell neighborhoods for purchase by first-time homebuyers or those who have not owned a home for at least three years. Buyers must have a minimum annual income of $22,000 and must have been employed for at least two years to qualify for financing. A minimum down payment is required. SCDHC also offers seminars on home buying that include information on budgeting, credit counseling and the responsibilities of ownership.

Information on SCDHC's programs may be found at www.scdhc.com, or call the corporation's headquarters at 231-4449.

Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH)
Incorporated in 1988, VSH is a community development organization that provides services and permanent housing to individuals and families transitioning from homelessness to independence. VSH has developed and operates single-room occupancy housing for previously homeless single adults, and provides a comprehensive program for those residents, emphasizing literacy, education, employment and recovery from substance abuse. The agency also works to provide housing and support services for the disabled and individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Its homeownership program, HomeBuy5, pairs community sponsors with homeless families (or those living in substandard housing) to prepare participants for the responsibilities of homeownership within five years. It is the only program of its kind in the area.

For more information, call 788-6825, or visit VSH's Web site at www.virginiasupportivehousing.org.

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