Virginia Housing has allocated more than $1.4 million in funding for six organizations through the Innovation Grant Program.
The program offers three distinct types of grants: Innovation Planning Grants of up to $50,000 for exploring innovative ideas that are not yet ready for implementation; Innovation Program Grants of up to $200,000 for integrating new approaches to programs, services and financing; and Innovation Construction Grants of up to $500,000 to support new methods to reduce costs and construction time.
The latest grant recipients include the West Piedmont Planning District Commission ($500,000) for developing 10 units of small-scale affordable housing in the city of Martinsville using duplex manufactured homes; Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville ($200,000) to support a pilot resident-led property management model at a mobile home community; and Homeward ($200,000) for expanding Homeless, the regional homeless triage and assessment program, into a cross-sector referral hub.
Also receiving grant funds is Locus ($200,000), which is partnering with the Virginia Housing Alliance on the Housing Preservation Dashboard, an interactive tool that will use a vetted At-Risk Score incorporating compliance timelines, ownership profiles, and local market pressures; Richmond Community ToolBank ($200,000) for ToolBOX, a skill and capacity program that utilizes hands-on interactive training and education to empower current and aspirational homeowners; and the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech ($187,000) for the advancement of Virginia’s 3D4VA initiative for creating a scalable, certifiable housing production system by standardizing additive construction processes, expanding low-carbon material deployment, and enabling statewide workforce and builder adoption.
“Thriving communities begin with safe, affordable places to call home, and Virginia Housing supports creative, forward-thinking solutions that strengthen neighborhoods and expand opportunity,” said Virginia Housing CEO Tammy Neale. “The Innovation Grant Program supports partners and emerging technologies that increase the affordable housing supply, improve efficiency and reinforce the Commonwealth’s leadership in housing innovation.”
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