On December 13, Governor Ralph Northam visited New Clay House, a recently expanded permanent supportive housing community in Richmond to make an historic announcement. The Governor will submit a budget to the General Assembly that includes $113 million for affordable housing. “Access to safe, stable and affordable housing is critical to building strong communities, growing our economy, and improving educational and health outcomes,” said Governor Northam. The funding stretched across a range of initiatives: $6.6 million for eviction prevention, $8 million for permanent supportive housing and $8.9 for rental assistance for persons with intellectual disabilities. But the biggest news was $84 million in new funding for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. That includes $14 million for FY20 and then $30 million and $40 million for FY 21 and FY 22, respectively.
That’s a far cry from the $5.5 million that launched the HTF in FY13 and it moves Virginia into a leadership position among states who have created HTF’s. Of course, the General Assembly will need to approve the Governor’s request when they convene in Richmond in January. The Virginia Housing Alliance is asking every houser in the state to reach out to their Senators and Delegates in advance of the session and ask them to support this historic commitment to affordable housing in the Commonwealth. You can watch the video of the Governor’s announcement here.