Skip to main content

Housing

Virginia Housing PDC Housing Development Grant

Housing is a complex issue requiring respect for neighborhood character and community preferences balanced against the need for a diverse array of affordable homes and apartments to meet the needs of a growing population and expanding economy.  New home construction, adaptive reuse of existing structures, single-family vs. multifamily homes, and mixed-use development are all functions of local zoning ordinances and local decisions.  However, in our region, many people live in one community and work in another, creating an interconnected web of housing needs, opportunities, and challenges connected to our region’s economic growth.

The Commission is committed to assisting our localities navigate this web through comprehensive housing market studies, ongoing technical assistance and economic impact analysis, connection to state and federal resources, and other support.

Comprehensive Housing Studies

In 2021 the Commission completed a series of comprehensive market analyses for our whole service area and four focused studies on individual localities within that service area. Please follow the links below to download the studies.

  • Comprehensive Regional Housing Study
  • Franklin County Housing Study
  • Roanoke County Housing Study
  • City of Salem Housing Study
  • City of Roanoke Housing Study

Virginia Housing PDC Housing Development Grant

In 2021, Virginia Housing awarded the Regional Commission $2 million to support the construction of new affordable housing units for those making 80% or less of Area Median Income (AMI).  The Commission has partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Restoration Housing, the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and Landmark Development to develop 77 units in Roanoke and Covington.  Many of the projects are underway, and all are expected to be completed by the winter of 2025.

Southeast Crescent Regional Commission

The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) is a new Federal regional commission focused on economic development and antipoverty programs across the southeast crescent of the U.S. from Virginia to Florida.  In our region, Franklin County, Roanoke County, the City of Roanoke, the City of Salem, and the Town of Vinton all fall into the new SCRC.  The Commission has received planning funds through the SCRC’s Local Development District (LDD) partner program, and are focusing those funds on identifying and removing barriers to getting more housing built in these communities.  Activities planned under the SCRC include:

  • Formation of a Developer’s Roundtable to better understand barriers faced by the private sector, with a focus on convening regional partners around infrastructure and process barriers to construction.
  • Regional educational efforts promoting a “Yes In My Backyard” attitude to new and diverse housing, focusing on the economic and social benefits both traditional and innovative housing types bring to neighborhoods.
  • The development of a regional Revolving Loan Fund focused on bringing down the capital costs needed to get projects going.
  • Analysis of current development codes in the region to assess the ability of small developers to build in the community in a reasonable and expeditious way.

If you are interested in getting involved in any of these efforts, please contact Bryan Hill, Regional Planner III and manager of our housing program.