WPPDC Provides Funding for Development of 115 Units of Affordable Housing, Dramatically Surpassing Original Goal
The West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC), utilizing a Virginia Housing grant, has provided funding for the development of 115 affordable residential units throughout the West Piedmont Planning District. This number dramatically surpasses the goal of 20 units set by the agency, which must be developed by June 30, 2024. Residential housing is to consist of both owner-occupied and renter-occupied units. Affordable housing, in the context of this grant, consists of income of individuals or families no higher than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). In many of the developments, funding provided by the WPPDC is being leveraged with funding from other agencies and sources such as the City of Martinsville, the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region, Hope VI grants, the Danville Redevelopment & Housing Authority, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and others.
In 2021, the WPPDC was one of 21 Planning District Commissions (PDCs) across the Commonwealth to receive a share of a $40 million grant award distributed across the PDCs by Virginia Housing for the purpose of developing affordable housing; the WPPDC was awarded $2 million as part of this three-year initiative. For its part in developing 115 units of affordable housing, the WPPDC has only used $1.6 million. The $400,000 not used this year will be allocated to the next two years of the program and will fund the activities associated with the program including housing development consultant(s), staff activities, public comment activities, and legal review. Currently, $220,000 of the $1.6 million has not been awarded. The $1.6 million provided by the WPPDC is leveraging over $22,111,472 in public and private investment to developing affordable housing throughout the region. The table below summarizes the WPPDC’s share of funding for the development of affordable housing throughout the region.
