HENRY CO., Va. – A new regional housing initiative is transforming Southwest Virginia communities through a partnership aimed at expanding affordable housing options for low to moderate-income families.
The West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC) has partnered with Virginia Housing and local organizations to launch the Regional Housing Development Program, with multiple projects already underway.
In Martinsville-Henry County, a 13-house development showcases the initiative’s immediate impact. The Fuller Center for Housing and the Harvest Foundation are utilizing Virginia Housing grants to create new homeownership opportunities.
“One of those things that you look at in terms of building a community is the ability to build generational wealth and having a home work as an asset for you,” says DeWitt House, VP of Community Investment at the Harvest Foundation.
The partnership has enabled the Fuller Center to double its impact this year, providing two homes with zero percent interest mortgages to families in need.
The initiative arrives as Martinsville’s housing market faces significant pressure, with Zillow’s home value index jumping from $80,000 pre-pandemic to over $131,000 in August 2024.
“Affordable housing creates and stimulates economic development and eliminates blight,” explains Sean Campbell, Deputy Director of the West Piedmont Planning District Commission.
The program includes new construction and adaptive reuse of former factory buildings. Additional projects include a single-family home in Danville through Habitat for Humanity and the Seeland Valley Apartments project, which will create 52 rental units for low-income residents.
“It shows that we support one another, we support our community, and we all want to work together and want to better the lives of those in Martinsville-Henry County,” says Beth Stinnett, Executive Director of the Fuller Center for Housing.
The initiative aligns with findings from a comprehensive housing study released by WPPDC in spring 2024, conducted with Virginia Tech and Housing Forward Virginia.