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Board approves creation of regional housing authority to advance Sheltering Arms redevelopment; Encompass was awarded $7.5 million in tax credits
Summary
The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to create a regional housing authority, a designation Encompass Community Supports says is necessary for the organization to use awarded low-income housing tax credits on the Sheltering Arms redevelopment.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a resolution to create a regional housing authority, a step Encompass Community Supports says is needed for the nonprofit to use low-income housing tax credits and state grant funds on the planned redevelopment of the former Sheltering Arms homeless shelter property.
County staff explained the resolution was requested by Encompass and that a multi-locality authority is the applicable entity for the tax-credit application they are pursuing. Encompass representatives told the board the organization received an award of approximately $7.5 million in low-income housing tax credits and roughly $3 million in Virginia Housing grant funding for the proposed redevelopment; Encompass representatives said the tax-credit financing requires that a public housing authority designation be in place to proceed.
Jim McGrath, identified in remarks as a recent executive director associated with Encompass, told the board the organization has acted historically as a housing authority for certain programs with Virginia Housing but had not been formally recognized as a regional housing authority. He said formal designation is required to close out the tax-credit financing for the Sheltering Arms site and that Madison County is the likely neighboring locality that would join the authority if Orange County adopts the resolution.
Board discussion included expressions of support for the project. One supervisor announced they would abstain from the vote because they serve on Encompass's board; that member stated support for the proposal but recused themselves from the final vote. The roll call recorded four ayes and one abstention; the resolution passed.
Board members asked that staff coordinate the next procedural steps with Encompass and, if appropriate, present the item to the neighboring jurisdiction for parallel action so the regional authority can be established.
Ending: Encompass said it will continue contractor interviews and other pre-construction activities while the county and a neighboring jurisdiction complete the legal steps to form the regional housing authority.
