By Shernita Bethea
Housing & Human Services Administrator

The South Hampton Roads Taskforce on Ending Homelessness will hold its fourth regional conference on March 8, 2012.  This one-day event will be held at the Webb Cener on the campus of Old Dominion University. 

The goal of the conference is to provide a forum for local and regional leaders, service providers and industry stakeholders to share best practice information and promote strategic planning as it relates to addressing homelessness. The conference will feature presentations and workshops by local and national industry experts.  Topics included; Re-entry for Ex-Offenders, Accessing Services for Homeless Veterans, Rapid Rehousing in Virginia, Employment Strategies for the Homeless, Faith Partnership Networking and Resources. 

Established in 2005, the Task Force is an active working task force that implements the regional activities approved by the Mayors of the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. It also consists of staff participants from a variety of offices in each locality as well other nonprofit organizations including the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, The Planning Council and United Way of South Hampton Roads. Together, through the Task Force, these localities and organizations address homelessness on a regional basis as an addition to being able to strengthen their own locality programs and efforts.

To download the complete conference brochure or to register for this event, click here

By Shernita Bethea
Housing and Humans Services Administrator

On November 17, 2011, Governor Bob McDonnell announced a new initiative to support communities in increasing Rapid Re-housing training and capacity in an effort to reduce rates of homelessness for children and their families.  The Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness (VCEH), the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness (the Alliance), in partnership with the Freddie Mac Foundation, have joined together in a public-private partnership to support communities in increasing availability of affordable housing for children and their families experiencing homelessness.  This initiative is aimed to assist the Commonwealth’s goal of reducing homelessness by 15 percent for children and their families in urban, suburban, and rural communities across Virginia.   Seven regional opening events have been scheduled throughout Virginia to introduce this new initiative.  Two events for the Hampton Roads region are planned for December 6, 2011.

Norfolk
December 6
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Mary D Pretlow Anchor Branch Library, Room 1
111 W Ocean View Ave, Norfolk, VA 23503

Newport News
December 6
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Pearl Bailey Library
2510 Wickham Ave., Newport News, VA 23607

These events are sponsored by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness, and the Freddie Mac Foundation. The events are free and open to all but registration is required.  Click here for more information or to register for the event.

By Shernita Bethea, Housing and Human Services Administrator

Four winners for the Hampton Roads Housing Consortium's Fifth Annual Members' Housing Awards were announced September 21, 2011, by the organization's Chairman, Wendy A. Hunter. These awards recognize individuals and organizations that have contributed to improving housing conditions for the region.

• HRHC Lifetime Achievement Award

  George Birdsong

  Retired Board Chairman and Director of Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority        

• HRHC Housing Warrior

  Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg       

• HRHC Housing Partner
  Housing Development Corporation of Hampton Roads        

• HRHC Across the Region Service Award
  Housing Virginia

The Awards Breakfast will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2011 from 9:00 am to 11:30 am at the Norfolk Airport Hilton Hotel to honor the winners. "The recipients of this year's awards truly exemplify the best that this region has to offer in advocating for safe and affordable housing. It is our honor to spotlight their work at the Fifth Annual Members' Awards Ceremony. The members of HRHC are phenomenal in that they provide exceptional services and resources to meet the housing needs of the residents of Hampton Roads," said Chairman Wendy Hunter. The keynote speaker of this event will be Orlando Artze, President of the Virginia Housing Coalition. Currently, this event is being co-sponsored by the following organizations:

Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA)
Tidewater Home Funding
RBC Centura
Wells Fargo
Housing Virginia

The Hampton Roads Housing Consortium (HRHC) is a voluntary association of governmental, private, and non-profit organizations committed to improving housing opportunities for low and moderate-income households in Hampton Roads. Participants include City and County governments, Redevelopment and Housing Authorities, non-profit housing and emergency shelter providers, mortgage lenders, Realtor© and builders associations, and a variety of other groups interested in affordable housing issues. Member groups represent most of the sixteen jurisdictions within the Hampton Roads region.

The HRPDC provides technical and staff support to the HRHC.

Shernita Bethea
Housing and Human Services Administrator

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced its 2011-2012 Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST Program's training cycle and the relaunch of its website. The Fair Housing FIRST project, which suspended operation on October 1, 2010, is a national initiative funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designed to promote compliance with the Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements.  The FIRST Program provides training and technical guidance to help architects and builders comply with the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act requires certain features of accessible design in all residential buildings with four or more units built after March 13, 1991, including, for example, an accessible route, wider doors, and kitchens and bathrooms that are usable for a wheelchair user. The program offers comprehensive and detailed instruction programs, useful online web resources, and a toll-free information line for technical guidance and support.  The toll free number for Design and Construction Resource Center is (888) 341-7781 (V/TTY) or you may visit the newly updated website at www.fairhousingfirst.org

According to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal and Opportunity and its Fair Housing Assistance Program, partners receive over 10,000 housing discrimination complaints annually. Approximately 48 percent of the complaints are based on disability. Consumers who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or 800-927-9275 for TTY users.  Additional information is available at www.hud.gov/fairhousing

By Shernita Bethea
Housing and Human Services Manager

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with NeighborWorks® America recently announced the launch of the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP), to help homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure.  Under EHLP guidelines eligible homeowners can qualify for an interest free loan which pays a portion of their monthly mortgage for up to two years, or up to $50,000, whichever comes first.

The Emergency Homeowners Loan Program will offer a zero interest, forgivable bridge loan to homeowners who have experienced a substantial loss of income (a reduction of at least 15%) due to unemployment or underemployment caused by adverse economic conditions or medical condition. Approved homeowners are eligible to receive one-time EHLP assistance to pay certain arrearages to bring them current, as well as ongoing monthly assistance to help them to make their monthly first lien mortgage payments (including payments of principal, interest, taxes, and insurances). Assistance is limited to a maximum duration of 24 months, or up to a maximum loan amount of $50,000 in mortgage payment assistance, whichever occurs first. The EHLP loan is secured by a junior lien against the approved homeowner's principal residence and is forgivable over a 5-year principal reduction period.

Virginia was one of twenty-seven states to receive an allocation. The program is being administered through housing counseling agencies funded through the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP).  The following four local agencies are providing counseling in the Hampton Roads region for this program.

Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia, Inc.
5361-A Virginia Beach Blvd
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Phone: 757-484-0703
Web: www.cceva.org

Center for Child and Family Services
2021 Cunningham Drive #400
Hampton, VA 23666
Phone: 757-826-2227
Web: www.kidsandfamilies.com

Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc.
2021 Cunningham Drive #400
Portsmouth, VA 23707
Phone: 757-627-0864
Web: www.ulhr.org

York County Division of Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization
224 Ballard Street
Yorktown, VA 23690
Phone: 757-890-3885
Web: www.yorkcounty.gov
 
Participating counseling agencies will be accepting the pre-applicant screening forms through Friday July 22nd.  For full program guidelines or to locate other counseling agencies, individuals may visit www.FindEHLP.org.