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Virginia Housing’s Community Impact Grants help James City County plan for affordable housing

Virginia Housing’s Community Impact Grant program is helping one of the fastest growing counties in the Commonwealth prepare for its future affordable housing needs.

The northernmost locality in Hampton Roads, located halfway between Virginia Beach and Richmond, James City County is an attractive community for new residents. So attractive that according to census data, the area’s population is expected to increase 46% by 2040 – meaning the need for new and affordable housing will continue to rise.

To help plan for future housing needs, James City County applied for and received two grants from Virginia Housing’s Community Impact Grant Program. The program provides resources to support a variety of critical planning and project development activities, from market assessment, planning and design to community engagement and land use evaluation.

The county used the first grant to create a task force comprised of community leaders and citizens from varied backgrounds. Together, they developed 15 strategy recommendations for increasing and preserving affordable housing.

The second grant gave the county the ability to collect valuable feedback from its residents through a new survey application called MetroQuest. County officials will use the data to help update its Comprehensive Plan – a long-range planning tool that helps steer future growth and development.

“Applying for these grants from Virginia Housing was worth the time and effort because they help us meet the needs of our citizens and ensure their voices are heard when it comes to growth in our region,” said Vaughn Poller, James City County’s neighborhood development administrator.

Have an affordable housing or community revitalization project? Contact Chris Thompson (Chris.Thompson@VirginiaHousing.com) to see how Virginia Housing can help.

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