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City housing office details rehabilitation, manufactured-home and eviction-diversion programs funded by ARPA and other sources
Summary
The Department of Housing and Community Development described owner-occupied rehabilitation programs, manufactured-home repairs, NOAH multifamily rehabs, an eviction diversion rental assistance program and a right-to-counsel initiative. Officials said programs have reached every council district and leveraged significant outside funds.
City housing staff told the committee that several locally administered rehabilitation and preservation programs are active and that they are pursuing additional partnerships and funding to reduce displacement.
Department overview and outcomes
Michelle Brown Peters, deputy director for the Department of Housing and Community Development, summarized owner-occupied rehabilitation and rental-preservation work the department manages with nonprofit partners:
- Owner-occupied rehab (federal funds): Up to $15,000 per home; 40 households assisted in fiscal year 2025 with total program investment cited as $1.5 million.
- Healthy Homes (ARPA-funded moderate rehab, managed internally): Up to $30,000 per home; 89 houses completed and approximately $2.78 million invested.
- Substantial rehab (Project HOME partner): Up to $60,000 per home; 12 completed and 21 in pipeline with about $2.2 million invested.
- Preservation of rental (NOAH) properties using ARPA funds: Program cited $3,050,000 invested to preserve 279 units (264 at 0–50% AMI and 15 at 51–60% AMI); department said ARPA funds leveraged more than $40 million in total development.
- Manufactured Home Park Initiative: Phase 1 and 2 used local non-departmental funding; repairs average about $13,200 per unit. Phase 3 was scheduled to begin July 1 with $800,000 for roughly 50 units.
Eviction diversion and right to counsel
Staff described the eviction diversion program administered by Southside Community Development Corporation with direct rental arrears assistance and the right-to-counsel program managed by South Central Virginia Legal Aid Society:
- Southside CDC: $1,000,000 allocated in the budget; 75% directed to direct rental arrears assistance; 750 inquiries and 82 households assisted as of March; $207,254 paid in direct assistance to date; staff said remaining allocated funds expected to be expended by June.
- Right to Counsel: $500,000 allocated for legal representation with a target of assisting 300 households; additional FY26 funding anticipated in the budget.
Staff also said they are exploring local rental-assistance subsidy models used elsewhere and outreach to philanthropic and corporate partners to scale preservation work.
Why it matters: These rehabilitation and eviction-prevention programs aim to keep low-income homeowners and renters in place, preserving affordability and limiting displacement in a tight rental market.
Ending: Housing staff said program documentation and maps showing district-level impacts are available and asked council to consider continued local funding and partnerships to sustain preservation efforts.
