Salute to Project:HOMES: A Quarter-Century of Improving Lives by Improving Homes

For 25 years, project:HOMES has touched the lives of nearly 13,000 low-income, disabled or elderly homeowners in Central Virginia. They've made it possible for many people to remain comfortably in their homes as they age, by providing more than 20,000 repairs and renovations. They install insulation, LED lighting and air conditioner window units, and they repair or replace plumbing, electrical systems, floors, roofs, porches, steps and railings. Volunteer crews do exterior painting and yard work, and install wheelchair ramps, grab bars and more to improve accessibility.

VHDA has a longstanding relationship with project:HOMES, and we're honored to support their important work with grants funded by our REACH Virginia program. Each year, VHDA contributes a large portion of our net revenues into REACH Virginia to support the work of nonprofits that share our housing mission. The grants to project:HOMES help them strengthen their infrastructure, extend their reach more effectively, and revitalize neighborhoods by preserving existing homes and building quality, affordable new homes.

VHDA's Capacity Building grant enabled project:HOMES to provide management training for staff to help them enhance their performance management system. It also made possible a study by VCU, analyzing demand for their services by age and income, pinpointing areas of greatest need and gauging the impact they were having in those communities. The grant also provided for a consultant to conduct a study and develop strategies to improve their fundraising.

Project:Homes also received an AmeriCorps Vista grant. They were able to obtain a highly skilled Vista worker for a year, at no cost to them, who is helping them enhance their use of social media, video, photos and stories for marketing and fundraising.

VHDA also provides low-interest financing to help project:HOMES complete large-scale projects. One example is The William Byrd, a 1925 hotel on the National Register of Historic Places. They first converted it to apartments in 1996, and then more recently into 104 homes for low-income seniors.

Lee Householder, CEO of project:HOMES, summed up the partnership with VHDA like this: "In many ways, VHDA recognizes the challenges we face in sustaining ourselves as a nonprofit, and they provide the resources and expertise to help us overcome them."

Congratulations to project:HOMES on their 25th anniversary!