On December 10, 2021, the City of Richmond Department of Housing and Community Development will issue a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for its first tranche of funding for affordable housing and related services under the American Rescue Plan Act. The first tranche totals $10 million.  

Interested nonprofits and other entities must submit their applications by January 10, 2022, no later than 4:30 p.m. Eligible entities include nonprofit organizations and for-profit developers undertaking affordable housing activities and related services, including those for the homeless.

The city is hosting a mandatory virtual workshop on December 9, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to share information on the program guidelines and answer any questions. Interested applicants must attend this workshop.

To receive the meeting link, interested participants must register by contacting Gale Jones at Gale.Jones@richmondgov.com or (804) 646-7744. Registration closes at 4:00 p.m. on December 8.

Background Information: The Richmond City Council approved the spending plan for the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funding from the U.S. Treasury Department on October 25. That plan, which can be viewed in detail here, includes $20 million in total for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

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Click here for application materials

Applications for the city’s General Fund non-departmental grants, which go to local organizations to fund community-oriented programming, are now available on the city website.

Eligible organizations may apply for the city to fund specific programming in three key priority areas: children, youth and education; housing, human services and health; and the arts and culture. This application continues to be the form for all quasi-governmental organizations to apply for city funding.

This is a one-year funding opportunity for non-profits and public sector organizations working on a grassroots level to promote equity in the City of Richmond.

A virtual informational workshop will be held on December 6 at 3 p.m. to assist applicants with completing their materials. The virtual meeting link and call-in details are available here: https://www.rva.gov/budget-and-strategic-planning/forms-and-links.

All proposal materials are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, December 17, 2021. Late submissions will not be accepted. Applicants should read guidelines carefully, as some materials have changed since last year’s application process.

Application materials should be submitted via email at BudgetNDRequests@richmondgov.com. If the applicant is not able to submit materials via email, an in-person drop box will be accessible on the first floor of City Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. December 13-17.

Applicants with questions should contact the Office of the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services at 804-646-3096.

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The Fairfield Court Community will house the city’s newest addition to the RVA Bikeshare network – a station designed to serve residents of the historically undeserved neighborhood. The new station is a part of the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility’s (OETM) pilot program to expand Richmond’s existing bikeshare system in an impactful way.

In addition to increasing access with the new station, the pilot addresses cost. The program will be completely free to Fairfield community residents. They will be able to apply for an access pass that will allow them to use the Fairfield Court station and the entire RVA Bikeshare network.

OETM and RRHA are excited to see the positive effects this program will have in the Fairfield Court community. If this program is proven successful, the city plans to continue to partner with RRHA to introduce the bikeshare to other housing communities. 

History of the Effort:

After analysis of the existing RVA Bikeshare network, OETM found that the system conspicuously avoided some of the lowest income areas of in Richmond. Even more striking is that these areas have among the lowest rates of car ownership in the city. It was quickly determined that these areas may have the most to gain from the city’s continued investment in bicycle infrastructure.

The City felt that partnering with the Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority (RRHA) offered a unique opportunity to better serve these areas. OETM worked hand in hand with RRHA to design the program and to pick Fairfield Court as the pilot site.

Neighborhood Feedback:

In order to ensure there was community buy-in, OETM conducted surveys that demonstrated significant enthusiasm. The survey found that 68% of respondents primarily travel by either public transportation (36%), biking (12%), walking (14%) or ridesharing (6%). Only 28% primarily use personal vehicles. The survey also showed that 75% of trips were between zero and 30 minutes, and 53% of commutes from home to work were between zero and 10 miles. In short, public feedback demonstrated that the community has both the appetite and the need for multi-modal transportation.

“Building Communities. Changing Lives.” is the vision of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority.  RRHA is Virginia’s largest public housing authority serving over 10,000 residents and managing nearly 4,000 units through the public housing program. RRHA provides subsidized housing assistance to more than 3,000 families and is a catalyst for quality affordable housing and community revitalization. For more information about RRHA programs and objectives, visit rrha.com, Facebook, ,  Twitter, Linkedin, or Instagram.

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RICHMOND, Va. – New parking decals for residents of the Carver Restricted Parking District are now on sale. Residents can get more information, verify residency in their Parking District and download an application for mailing on the City’s website: https://www.rva.gov/public-works/parking-enterprise. Both mail-in and in-person renewal options are available for qualifying residents. The current parking permit expires December 31, 2021.

Residents must display the permit on their cars to park for more than the designed time restriction. A resident is either the residing owner of record or renter of property located within the Restricted Parking District. A City of Richmond Residential Parking Permit Application must be completed and approved prior to decal issuance. The Department of Public Works verifies residency for both homeowners residing at the property and lease agreements for renters.

A resident of the district is defined as an owner of record or renter of property in the district and members of their immediate family who reside with the owner or renter at the address in the District:

(1) Who are licensed drivers, and

(2) Whose domicile is the address for which they are seeking to obtain the parking permit

Decals and applications are also available at City Hall, Room 102, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia. The office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please call 804-646-5700 if you have any questions.

For more information on Public Works, please visit us online at https://www.rva.gov/public-works or email us at AskPublicWorks@rva.gov

We’re Social! For updates on DPW-related projects, activities and events visit us on Twitter @DPW_RichmondVA

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 178 currently accredited public works agencies in the United States. DPW’s portfolio comprises a wide array of services to include leaf collection; street, sidewalk and alley maintenance; trash collection; recycling; grass cutting;  graffiti removal; parking enforcement; urban forestry; street signs; traffic signals and pavement markings and civil engineering. In addition, DPW maintains upkeep on most city buildings; issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way; manages the RVA Bike Share program and maintains the fleet of city vehicles. DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond.  For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1.

City of Richmond government offices, including City Hall, will be closed Wednesday, November 24, 2021, through Friday, November 26, 2021, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. City offices will reopen at regular business hours on Monday, November 29.

This closure includes all Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ administrative offices and city community centers. All city libraries will be closed Wednesday 24 through Friday 26, resuming normal hours on Saturday 27.

Richmond Animal Care and Control is currently only available by appointment Sunday through Friday and open to the public Saturday from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

All DPW offices will be closed Wednesday, November 24 through Friday, November 26. Trash will be collected as scheduled on Wednesday, November 24. There will be no trash collection on Thursday, November 25. Trash scheduled for pick up on Thursday will be picked up on Friday, November 26.

The East Richmond Road Convenience Center (ERRCC), located at 3800 East Richmond Road, will be open on Wednesday, November 24. The ERRCC will be closed Thursday, November 25 through Saturday, November 27 and will reopen on Monday, November 29.

Additionally, the Hopkins Road Transfer Station, located at 3520 North Hopkins Road, will be closed on Thursday, November 25 but will reopen on Friday, November 26.

For more information on city services and schedules, please visit RVA.gov

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