Virginia Member Information

2025 UPCOMING Caucus Meetings

  • Wednesday, February 12
  • 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.

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:
Overview of VHA’s 2025 State Legislative Agenda ~ December 9th, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Join us for our first training event in VHA’s Advocacy Training Series. Prepare for the upcoming General Assembly with an overview of VHA’s policy priorities and an interactive Q&A session.  
Advocacy 101: Training for Housing Advocates in Virginia ~ December 11th, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Join us on for our virtual Advocacy 101 Training. This session will equip VHA members with essential skills to be effective housing advocates in Virginia.  
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.

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.

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.  

Hosting a Housing-Related Event? Need Grant Assistance?

Round three of Virginia Housing’s Sponsorship Grant is open until Dec. 31, 2024. The following grants are available for events happening between March 1 – June 30, 2025.

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

Community Impact Innovation Grant Program will begin accepting applications on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.

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. 

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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