[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6625754,"mediaKeyId","2756399-b80808da5007e8afbbc703827a3f7da3","parentId",2756399,"title","Resident and city contractor urge council action on James River Villas conditions, eviction prevention and contractor wages","audioSeconds",751,"startMs",2267000,"endMs",3018000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756399-b80808da5007e8afbbc703827a3f7da3&start=2267&end=3018","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756399-b80808da5007e8afbbc703827a3f7da3/thumbnail_2267000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6625754/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Resident-and-city-contractor-urge-council-action-on-James-River-Villas-conditions-eviction-prevention-and-contractor-wages","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625754-62a26f4aa6805dfe9d346e95558156ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1770773689&Signature=dtjVthvOU2jX5Aym9SSKQS4tLxFPPlPRpNEMMSxBq3of-AP5sWtZrF9zGcrJCs4iVMZ7LMX152WP5qBDbz5HhNUgd9MtjGyshOCT5z4Al98BHqXHIFIs6fowIQbB~j0d8LRmxUm2fmVd7SvARRv19DPv3BW-v0m8Cci02HATpHpHagDLmk2jaCV31LLrIWVtxhVVcyrHw~e~WEjkDkOhZKHvQ~XBJtvew4kz3Dgfw4BJ-DIcmjCdS2pChG~1c~fN5~x22dVRv353hsfYL9R-zrGZjebi3QXMk22R1Uoat9KXamsEqXWrBSw3idHRPblOJnYszH~OxCAOPCYSaE9hQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richmond City","date","2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","article","During the public comment period at the Richmond City Council meeting, residents and a city contractor asked the council to take action on unsafe housing conditions and to extend the city’s recent minimum-wage increase to contracted workers.

Jacqueline Anderson, a resident of James River Villas in Southside, described ‘‘deplorable conditions’’ including a persistent rat infestation, intermittent heat and difficulties getting maintenance to respond. Anderson said her voicemail at the rental office was frequently full, that management tried to evict her after she was hospitalized, and that intimidation discourages other tenants from speaking up. \"They will take our money every time the rent is due,\" Anderson said.

Council staff asked Anderson to come forward after the meeting and indicated staff would follow up; President Newbill invited staff to join Anderson at the lectern to collect contact information so the city could investigate.

Priscilla Peebles, a 67-year-old long‑time city contractor who cleans Richmond Department of Social Services facilities, told the council she and other contract workers were left out of the city’s recent wage increase to $20 per hour for city employees. \"I work hard ... but my pay simply isn't enough to survive,\" Peebles said. She described living paycheck to paycheck, having no paid sick leave and confronting medical bills, and asked the council to extend a living-wage policy to city contractors.

Councilmember Trammell and other members publicly thanked Peebles for her service and said they would follow up with administration to clarify whether contracting arrangements or vendor practices might be changed to extend pay increases or other protections for contract workers. Council staff offered to touch base with both speakers and to coordinate follow-up.

Why it matters

Complaints about building conditions and eviction practices raise public-health and housing-stability concerns in the city’s rental housing stock. Separately, the exclusion of contract workers from municipal wage increases leaves a group of essential workers — cleaners, maintenance and similar roles — without the same protections as city employees, a gap speakers said affects worker health and retention.

Council staff committed to contact the tenants and contractor to gather information and report back to council.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond City - Richmond City Council Formal Meeting on 2025-03-24 6:00 PM - Mar 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A James River Villas resident described rodent infestations, lack of heat and aggressive eviction practices; a longtime city contractor cleaner spoke of low pay and lack of access to the citywide minimum wage increase for contractors. Councilmembers and staff pledged to follow up.","taxTitle","Richmond City (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",5755,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625760,"Residents urge council to include $3 million for Richmond \"People's Budget\" in FY26",1414,2088000,3502000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756399-b80808da5007e8afbbc703827a3f7da3&start=2088&end=3502","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756399-b80808da5007e8afbbc703827a3f7da3/thumbnail_2088000.jpg","/articles/6625760/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Residents-urge-council-to-include-3-million-for-Richmond-Peoples-Budget-in-FY26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625760-29ee109ceaf6ef4e7726cd68df11cd20/orig.mp4?Expires=1770773689&Signature=lrCJELEr5DCUKLXNfcbetsw2cUgTWu2T3m~B7Cd1VH3-hASjSZF39IBcwEzpAg-66kTWckbvCMDeuve6NTuZiLi2~bH8mDW25SgsRLH9dfja3mnfx6gl1dUsNGquCxTDPv1eo22B0AysgJhtKTyiWOVkgCB~DOQ-hyIBj~a90ndK8JkUKLhEkONdSwvjqSNpa6f00039WnFqink4FeR1LX5xSEFD6AONWqmX5IOzj8~9AAiLEcJ2-k1M-H50us28TnB7Zr8RF6QRUw5Az51XAmdSSD7Cz7ViwPiAW2ICKY4feRLMcrQvpe3SgBNZdQUJhjMglknRbDEAg396Np34XA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents and People's Budget delegates urged the Richmond City Council during public comment to include $3,000,000 for the Richmond People's Budget in the mayor's FY26 proposal, saying the participatory budgeting process gives residents a direct voice on how capital funds are spent.

Amori Speed, a community organizer with New Virginia Majority, testified that emergency financial assistance and a robust Family Crisis Fund should be a higher priority and urged the council to make those funds available to residents regardless of immigration status or eviction history. \"Financial assistance isn't some entitled, undeserving handout. It's prevention from eviction and homelessness,\" Speed said.

Tess DeClue, chair of the Issues and Resolutions Committee for the Richmond City Democratic Committee, said her group supports allocating 1% of the capital improvement budget to participatory budgeting with a gradual increase to 3% in 2026, and asked the council to confirm whether the $3,000,000 allocation would be included in the budget proposal coming next week.

Yohannsee (Yvelina) Mechava and other residents emphasized that the People's Budget channels resident ideas directly into neighborhood projects; Maisie Osteen and several delegates described the process of district town halls, project vetting and the Social Vulnerability Index used for allocation. \"Over nearly 2,000 ideas were submitted for The People's Budget,\" said Yohannsee Whitaker of the Legal Aid Justice Center. Whitaker told the council that participatory budgeting would amount to roughly 0.65% of the capital improvement budget and about 0.1% of the total city budget, figures she used to underline the program's modest budget impact relative to its community benefit.

Council response and next steps

Council members noted there would be updates to the council and the administration said staff (including Lady Anna Delgado and others) would provide further information on how the People’s Budget process will be incorporated into the upcoming budget calendar. Councilmember Allison Gibson later listed the Third District voting locations and dates for the People's Budget during her announcements: voting runs April 1–15 with specified in-person times and locations in the Third District and online at rvapb.org.

Speakers urged the council to keep the $3,000,000 allocation intact and to move from promise to implementation after several years of commitment to participatory budgeting.","Multiple residents and delegates at the public comment period urged the Richmond City Council to include $3 million for the Richmond People's Budget (participatory budgeting) in the upcoming city budget, saying the program increases civic engagement and targets resources to historically neglected neighborhoods.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625765,"Richmond council adopts consent agenda including multiple affordable-housing performance grants after debate on terms and oversight",2682,3746000,6428000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756399-b80808da5007e8afbbc703827a3f7da3&start=3746&end=6428","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756399-b80808da5007e8afbbc703827a3f7da3/thumbnail_3746000.jpg","/articles/6625765/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Richmond-council-adopts-consent-agenda-including-multiple-affordable-housing-performance-grants-after-debate-on-terms-and-oversight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625765-6503fcaf0c0143d6ed34a94e947304aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770773689&Signature=iBIXVFXPjfZNqs4jBTjhlUly~dyGkrrQTR32yhw~aDUjPl2UKsmcT4Yl7ux3rvsMV-xHjWE4Qk8BDcggMw2bffcHlnByE44R6hKT0jCOsc8TKOJSv9TtEYiXTQVyyTbUeygi-ORMDhj2u4giLF-TpZqHe-CaYvX~jZiuVG7Gu~8PjyujQ0JIoCaAD4pQN-fpZkil99zpURI6j~BBn6AQ~V5UrXEDo2kk12xDV3OZVeY9VPBhmgtE~Tds7BCOcyhJaiQUmc1wopGasfaxIF-MI37icRrpp7B~AUFveTtLeitSWii-gFj5PXqvwaU~TGe7uIcIlDEgcKvFQYK1dxx9jQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond City Council on Monday adopted a consent agenda that included multiple ordinances authorizing affordable-housing performance grants and related measures, after several council members questioned the length of affordability commitments, unit-size mix and long-term oversight.

Council members concerned about the structure of the performance grants urged staff to provide more information about how long units would remain affordable and how the city would monitor outcomes.

Councilmember Allison Gibson said the 30-year commitment cited in the ordinances ‘‘does seem like a very long time’’ and asked whether the term could vary by project and how the city would ensure the grants matched resident need for larger family units. ‘‘I want to make sure that whatever those residents are saving is at least matching what we are not receiving in the additional tax,’’ Gibson said.

Eric Malone, the city’s director of housing and community development, told the council the typical structure is a 15-year requirement with an additional 15-year period the city may extend at its discretion, and that the 30-year timeframe aligns with common affordable-housing financing models. ‘‘The incremental tax rebate starts only after the developer builds,’’ Malone said. He added the rebate is calculated on the incremental assessed value increase and noted a $10,000-per-unit maintenance requirement after the initial 15-year period.

Councilmember Ellen Robertson urged support for the tool as a way to produce more affordable units quickly, noting the program has helped produce about 2,700 affordable units over roughly the past two and a half years. Robertson said the city’s grant money is intended to leverage substantially larger sums of private financing and to provide gap funding.

Other council members pressed for more detail about unit sizes and income targeting. Gibson and others said they want clearer reporting on bedroom counts and AMI (area median income) levels for projects so the council can evaluate whether new units meet family-sized household needs, not just studio and one-bedroom demand.

Councilmember Stephanie Lynch raised questions about an ordinance (listed as item 33 on the agenda) that would commit $1,000,000 of city funds as local match to a $2,000,000 grant for a downtown planning study tied to the Richmond 300 master plan. Gail Johnson, director of general services, said the $3,000,000 package would hire consultants to assess highest-and-best uses, including planning for a new courthouse and a permanent transfer station, and to develop financial options. Sabrina Joyhawk, interim chief administrative officer, said the grant imposes no obligation to proceed with development after the planning work is complete.

Votes and next steps

The council adopted the consent agenda by roll-call vote. The package included multiple ordinances numbered in the transcript as: 2024-026, 2025-027, 2025-028, 2025-029, 2025-030, 2025-031, 2025-033, 2025-034, 2025-035, 2025-036, 2025-037, 2025-038, 2025-039, 2025-040, 2025-041, 2025-042, 2025-043 and resolutions 2025-R-012 and 2025-R-013. The council recorded unanimous approval of the consent agenda (aye votes from Mr. Breton, Ms. Gibson, Ms. Jones, Ms. Robertson, Ms. Lynch, Ms. Trammell, Ms. Abubakar, Vice President Jordan and President Newbill). Several items were continued to the April 28 council meeting as noted earlier on the agenda.

Administration committed to provide additional reports and documentation to the council, including project-level details and a summary of bedroom-size mix and AMI targeting for projects receiving performance grants. Councilmembers said they will continue oversight as projects move from agreement to construction.

The council also debated a separate resolution expressing concurrence with a Henrico County economic development authority inducement for revenue bonds to benefit Bon Secours Mercy Health; staff described the item as part of a larger bond issuance and indicated they were not aware of any planned service reductions at Richmond Community Hospital.","The Richmond City Council adopted its consent agenda, including several ordinances that authorize affordable-housing performance grants and related items, after members pressed administration staff on the length of affordability commitments, unit-size mix and oversight. Council voted unanimously to adopt the package.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident and city contractor urge council action on James River Villas conditions, eviction prevention and contractor wages

Residents urge council to include $3 million for Richmond "People's Budget" in FY26

Richmond council adopts consent agenda including multiple affordable-housing performance grants after debate on terms and oversight