Bristol Redevelopment & Housing Authority

Bristol Redevelopment & Housing Authority
 276-642-2001     web@brha.com

BRHA receives $800,000 in Federal Grant!

BRISTOL, Va. — The Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority is slated to receive more than $803,000 in federal funding to support affordable housing, according to a written statement.

Virginia U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats, jointly announced the funding as part of more than $43.2 million in support to housing agencies statewide. The funds are awarded annually to public housing authorities nationwide. Bristol is one of 26 to receive the funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s public housing capital fund.

The proposed fiscal 2019 federal budget eliminates funding for the public housing capital fund. In March, Warner and Kaine voted in favor of the omnibus bill, which provides more than $2.75 billion to the capital fund program.

Public housing capital needs nationwide have risen by an average of $3.4 billion annually, according to Lisa Porter, executive director and CEO of BRHA.

“With this recent omnibus bill, we have been surprised to see a substantial increase in capital funding for the first time in a long time,” Porter wrote in an email. “It is estimated to be a 40 percent increase. We intend to use part of the funding for expenses associated with the demolition of Bonham Circle phase II and for the planning of our next redevelopment venture.”

BRHA provides housing for about 600 families and individuals at numerous sites across the city. The organization recently opened its Village at Oakview, a mixed use apartment complex on Oakview Avenue.

The bonus is a reflection of the local authority’s efficiency, she said.

“We receive a score each year for our overall performance in the public housing assessment program,” Porter wrote. “We are graded in four areas: physical inspection, capital fund performance, management and finance. We have been a high performer for the past two years and that gives us a little extra with the capital funding.”

Courtesy:   http://www.heraldcourier.com

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