Virginia Member Information

2025 UPCOMING Caucus Meetings

  • Wednesday, February 12 – BRHA – Envision Center, Bristol
  • Wednesday, June 4
  • Wednesday, November 12
  • (past caucus information found at the bottom of the page)
ADVOCACY MATERIALS

From your Fahe Advocacy Team

The election is over and the landscape for the next administration is slowly coming into focus. As of the 14th, the AP called that Republicans have retained their narrow majority in the House of Representatives, resulting in a unified government. This means new faces in both elected and appointed positions and new policy and funding priorities. 

Over the next 3 months as appointments are made, legislation is introduced, and the budget process begins, we’ll be reaching out to help you navigate these shifts. You can expect: 

  • Support in crafting messaging that speaks to these new audiences.  
  • Information on which programs may be poised for cuts or increases – and how you can influence these decisions.
  • Opportunities to meet with the new staff in the Administration and Congress. 

To be well-positioned to have these important conversations at the Federal, State and Local levels, it’s important to have good relationships with these folks.  Remember one of Advocacy’s golden rules:  Don’t let your first contact with an elected office be when you’re facing a problem or asking for something. 

To help streamline this effort, each Caucus has sent letters of congratulations on your behalf to all of the Federal and State election winners in our footprint.  In addition, Jim has sent letters of congratulations from the entire network to all the Federal representatives in our footprint. We are on track to send WELL over 100 letters! Which is fantastic!

But, we know that local decisions are where the rubber meets the road. So we have a small request:

To help ensure we engage at the local level too (where your relationships are VITAL) we’ve drafted a basic letter of congratulations that you can modify for local leaders (new or returning!). 

You can use the template as formatted, make modifications (remove logos etc.), or copy and paste to your own letterhead.  What matters is that you take a few minutes to personalize and send a note (email or snail mail!) to your local leaders. And, if possible, please tell your Fahe Advocacy Staff Member who you’ve reached out to! You can just shoot us a list, or cc us on emails. Whatever is easiest. 

If you’re not sure where to find good addresses (email or snail) for local winners, please let us know.

And, if you’re feeling ambitious and you’d like to send something to your State and Federal Representatives, we can provide you with that template as well as the best addresses for those candidates/incumbents. Just reach out to your state point of contact, or Kylie Milliken (kmilliken@fahe.org).

As always, we’re here to talk if you have questions or concerns. Otherwise, we look forward to hearing who you’re connecting with and supporting you in this transition over the months to come.

2025 State Policy Priorities

2025 BIPOC Leadership Institute (BLI)

The 2025 BIPOC Leadership Institute (BLI) application period opens January 6, with a virtual information session on January 7. This initiative continues to empower housing professionals of color with the skills and knowledge to lead boldly in our field. Spread the word and join us in cultivating the next generation of housing leaders.

Virginia Housing Alliance Advocacy Day – February 5, 2024

This February, VHA members are coming together to advocate for expanding affordable housing and ending homelessness across the Commonwealth. Advocacy Day 2025 will take place on February 5th at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. As a VHA member, you’ll have the opportunity to connect directly with state legislators and advocate as a united voice for expanding affordable housing and ending homelessness across the Commonwealth. Click the button below to become a member now. Wondering if your VHA membership is still active? Now is the perfect time to check and make sure you’re ready for Advocacy Day 2025. If you’re unsure about your membership status, reach out to Kia McKee at kmckee@vahousingalliance.org for assistance.  

Advocacy Training Series:

In the lead-up to Advocacy Day, we’re hosting a virtual training series to provide members with essential skills and resources to make their voices heard at the Virginia General Assembly. Become a member today to get access to these and other training opportunities See below for more details.  

Dates for Advocacy Day Training:
Prepare for Housing Advocacy Day: What to Expect ~ January 31st, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
For our last training session, we will go over final details, tips, and procedures for Housing Advocacy Day. Don’t miss this important session!   We hope to see you there!

VHA Bill Tracker

Want to stay up-to-date and get involved?  CLICK HERE to receive Action Alerts regarding affordable housing, homelessness prevention, equal housing, and more.

Check Your Organization’s Profile in Our Grant Management System

Virginia Housing’s Grant Management System has recently undergone an update. Please make sure to log into your organization’s profile and verify the information there is correct. You can do so by visiting VHDAgrants.com.  

Community Impact Innovation Grant Program is OPEN! – deadline Wed. February 19th

Innovation Grant Opens on January 6   Virginia Housing’s Community Impact Innovation Grant Program will begin accepting applications on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. We look forward to supporting the new ideas our partners bring to the table around additional housing and related services.   To learn more about this the Innovation Grant Program and its requirements, please visit VHDAGrants.com. You can also re-visit the article our article about 2024 grant winners. 

Our Innovation Grant Program supports breakthroughs in both housing affordability and housing services for residents in Virginia, with a focus on serving low- and moderate-income households. The goal is to encourage partners to develop new technical and process-based solutions that, while uncommon now, could be easily replicated over the long term. Ideal applicants include local governments, nonprofit organizations and quasi-governmental entities. There are three specific types of grants within the overall program: Innovation Planning, Innovation Program and Innovation Construction.

  • Innovation Planning Grants serve as a precursor to the other two, offering up to $50,000 for recipients to explore ideas for innovations that are not yet ready for execution. This grant is similar to other Virginia Housing grants in that its application is open, and it is awarded on a noncompetitive basis, meaning that all applicants who meet the eligibility thresholds will receive a grant offer. Applications for Innovation Planning Grants are noncompetitive and will be accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Innovation Program Grants offer up to $200,000 for organizations to incorporate new approaches in services and financing, from property management, maintenance and community engagement to funding models, financial products and investment strategies. Applications for Innovation Program Grants are competitive and must be submitted by Feb. 19.
  • Innovation Construction Grants offer up to $500,000 to supplement the costs of building methods that show potential to reduce construction time and costs; examples might include developing more affordable or sustainable materials or pioneering construction techniques that save resources while maintaining or improving quality. This grant can also be used to make forward-thinking improvements to projects that Virginia Housing is already financing. Applications for Innovation Construction Grants are competitive and must be submitted by Feb. 19.

This year’s Innovation Program Grant awardees will build on the success of the 2024 grant winners, whose projects you can learn more about here.

The Innovation Program Grant application, as well as details on criteria and eligibility, can be found at VHDAGrants.com. You can also email Grants@VirginiaHousing.com with any questions.

Hosting a Housing-Related Event? Need Grant Assistance?

Round 1of Virginia Housing’s FY26 Sponsorship Grant is open until April 30, 2025. The following grants are available for events happening between July 1 – June 30, 2026.

  • Nonprofit Organizations and Local Governments: up to $5,000
  • For more information about our Sponsorship Grant, reply to this email or visit this link.

DISASTER RESOURCES

Federal funding is available for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance for “Virginia Post-tropical Cyclone Helene EM-3621-VA” . People with damage to their homes or personal property who live in the designated counties are encouraged to apply for assistance, which may include upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies. Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay.

There are three ways to apply for FEMA assistance:

Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Hurricane Helene.

Voluntary organizations are also providing personnel and resources to the hardest hit areas. The American Red Cross has more than 850 trained disaster workers providing comfort and operating shelters. They are also helping find loved ones through their helpline 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).  If someone is missing a child related to this disaster or any other incident, they need to call 9-1-1 and then 1-800-THE-LOST to receive assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

People can receive free services like cutting fallen trees, tarping roofs and mold mitigation with the help of Crisis Cleanup by calling 844-965-1386. The hotline is open through October 11 and can connect people with volunteers from local relief organizations, community groups and the faith-based community who may be able to assist.

VIRGINIA AFFORDABLE HOUSING TITLE SERVICES

Virginia Affordable Housing Title Services is a ground-breaking partnership between Stewart Title and the Virginia Housing Alliance that provides title services throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Every transaction benefits the Virginia Housing Alliance and its mission to promote quality housing that all Virginians can afford. Up to 50% of the profits from the operation of the agency go back to VHA.

With innovative technology, helpful underwriters, competitive rates, reliable service, fast turnaround, and proven results, Virginia Affordable Housing Title Services would like to be your title company. To learn more, contact them at: (804) 218 – 5488, or email their underwriters at:

Governor Youngkin Announces over $52 Million in Affordable and Special Needs Housing Loans (ASNH)

According to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), 49 projects across the state will receive this money to develop and preserve 3,248 units for low-income and extremely low-income households. This includes 337 permanent supportive housing units. The full list of awarded projects is published on the DHCD website. Funding for ASNH loans comes from five main sources: the federal HOME investment Partnerships Program, the federal National Housing Trust Fund, Housing Innovations in Energy Efficiency, the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, and state Permanent Supportive Housing funds. Congratulations to all the awardees! 

From VAHCDO:

FHLB – Atlanta

Previous Caucus Meeting Information:

Kaboom grant for playground equipment – rolling deadline, fundraising match required – check it out HERE Frequently Asked questions/answers HERE

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