By Shernita Bethea
Housing and Human Serivces Manager

The Virginia Association of Housing Counselors’ 2011 Annual Conference 'Building Partnerships for Better Housing” was held in Hampton Roads again this year, May 1st through May 5th at the Norfolk Waterside Sheraton.  The Virginia Association of Housing Counselors, Inc. (VAHC) was established to provide support and resources to housing counselors or those in related fields. The mission of the organization is to strengthen housing counseling as a profession and assure that all low and moderate income families and individuals are offered the opportunity to live in safe, decent and affordable housing.

Over the last seven years, the conference has been held in the Hampton Roads region.  We were happy that the conference continues to be held in our region. Shernita Bethea, Housing and Human Services Manager for the HRPDC ended her tenure as VAHC President this year after serving the organization for four years.  Shernita was honored for her exemplary work on behalf of the organization at a luncheon held during the conference.

The conference also included a Bus Tour of Housing Projects that was presented by Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority.  During the tour, participants visited several housing projects including Seaboard Square, Hamilton Place, Westbury, and South Bay, the region’s third SRO project. See photos below.

For information concerning VAHC, please visit their website at www.virginiahousingcounselors.org