FOREWORD BY STU ARMSTRONG PIEDMONT HOUSING ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The purpose of this publication is to document the tremendous efforts of collaboration and innovation that came from the formation of a unique “triad partnership” between the public and private sector and, most importantly, the folks living in the 10th and Page Street neighborhood that yearned for constructive social and economic change. at an unexpected moment during a
community meeting in 1999 located at a church at the opposite end of town in the Belmont neighborhood, an elderly African-American gentleman raised his hand, rose slowly from his chair in the back of the room and asked a poignant question: “Mr. Armstrong, your work in the Starr Hill neighborhood, and now in Belmont on Hinton Avenue, is wonderful, but why aren’t you and the city doing something about my neighborhood?” That gentleman was John Gaines, a life-long resident of the 10th and Page Street area and president of his neighborhood association. I responded that I was not up to date on the issues in his neighborhood and asked him to meet with me after the meeting to follow up. After talking at length that night, I learned of the scale and enormity of the blight in this neglected neighborhood—at least ten times that of the two previous neighborhoods we had attempted to revitalize. I suggested he consider joining the Piedmont Housing Alliance board so he could influence the strategic focus on our future projects. continues on back flap
How a Charlottesville Neighborhood Began a Return to its Vibrant future
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Full Circle: How a Charlottesville Neighborhood Began a Return to its Vibrant future
INTRODUCTION: This is a story repeated across America. It was only a few decades ago that the 10th and Page Street Neighborhood in Charlottesville, Virginia, was a community of varied incomes and races graced with a neighborly friendliness. It was a place “where people got along well and there were few locks or even knobs on the doors of the houses,” as Ms. Thelma Hagen remembers. The neighborhood’s economic and social prosperity enriched the community at large and produced many notable City leaders. Sadly, with the implementation of “urban renewal,” including the bulldozing of nearby Vinegar Hill, a gradual disinvestment in 10th and Page Street led to a social and structural decline. By the 1980s and 1990s, crime rates reached historic highs as opportunity gave way to despair and a cycle of illicit drug use and commerce. The foundation of the community’s earlier accomplishments dissolved to the extent that the younger generation had little to hold onto— little
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social capital to invest. Professional white and African-American residents left, some moving across town, others out of the area to access education and work. Few moved back. The housing stock deteriorated. Homeownership declined and substandard rental housing flourished. Boarded-up and dilapidated housing became centers of criminal activity. Deadbolts were installed and windows shuttered. Then in 1999, as the new millennium approached, a coalition of neighborhood and City leaders together with Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) saw an opportunity to turn things around. A series of community meetings focused on how best to deal with the abandoned houses and provide affordable homes to spur reinvestment and increase homeownership. When implementation of the 10th and Page Street Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative ended in 2006, more than $6 million of funding from 14 sources of financing resulted in the production of 31 new and rehabilitated homes – about ten percent of the community’s housing stock. Even more importantly, these well-built, “green” homes shelter 31 first-time homeowners, with a majority representing minorities and low-to-moderate income households and the
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other units sold at market rates to attract a mix of incomes back to the neighborhood. The results have exceeded many expectations. Crime rates are down dramatically. More homeownership has helped stabilize the community and promoted a significant increase in spin-off housing stock reinvestment. Net asset growth among long-time residents is up, as is City revenue. At the same time, PHA seeks to highlight that not everyone originally agreed with the approach and not everyone embraced the change. Some residents feared that the appreciation of property values in the neighborhood and the increase in diversity would lead to gentrification. What follows is the uplifting story of the 10th and Page Street Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, and how a historic community has begun a return to its vibrant future.
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A history of Social and Economic
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Upheaval
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THROUGHOUT the first part of the twentieth century, the Vinegar Hill neighborhood, just a few blocks east of 10th and Page, had emerged as an important center of commerce for the African-American community in Charlottesville. The wrenching combination of segregation and the demolition of Vinegar Hill in the 1960s also undermined the 10th and Page neighborhood, leading to decades of social decline. Maps from that time clearly indicate a wide range of light industrial and commercial businesses in the area. Taylor’s Grocery operated on West Street, the Lewis store was on Paoli Street, and the Inge family that lived
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Historic Vinegar Hill neighborhood, viewed from the south before "urban renewal." The triangular area defined by Main Street on the South, Preston Avenue on the north and Fourth Street on the west constitutes the Vinegar Hill area, immediately to the west of the original downtown grid of Charlottesville. • The RED building is the County Office Building (former Lane High School). • The current intersection of Main Street and McIntire Road is adjacent to the GREEN statue.
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on Anderson Street owned a store on the corner of West Main and 4th Street NW. On the site of Dawson Cabinets was a cat-gut stitch manufacturing business, which supplied the University hospital. In addition, many small detached homes and at least three churches occupied the sites between Main Street and Preston Avenue. The process of “urban renewal� in the 1960s directly paralleled the policy of city leaders to avoid integration, called "Massive Resistance." As a result, the entire Vinegar Hill neighborhood was demolished. The elimination of the principal AfricanAmerican commercial and residential areas, in close proximity to the city's white high school, cannot be seen in isolation.
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"The elimination of the principal area of commerce for the African-American population of Charlottesville cannot be seen in isolation."
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With the clearing of this neighborhood, a way of life disappeared that was uncommonly rich in heritage, traditions and lore within Charlottesville. It also has had a profound and long lasting effect on the identity and economic health of the AfricanAmerican community. The historically significant 10th & Page neighborhood, wedged between the University of Virginia grounds and West Main Street, itself deteriorated both structurally and socially over the decades. As a result, the neighborhood's crime rate rose precipitously. Boardedup homes and a slumlord-dominated rental market deterred virtually any financial capital investment. Conversion to student rentals was viewed as another threat to the
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"Center of bootleg activity and vice it was, but Vinegar Hill was much more vibrant and alive in its former guise than it is today."
Vinegar Hill just after "urban renewal," viewed from the east. • The RED building is the County Office Building (former Lane High School). • The current intersection of Main Street and McIntire Road is adjacent to the GREEN statue.
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community’s identity. According to the 2001 Comprehensive Plan of the City, homeownership in the 10th and Page neighborhood stood at just 33%, compared with a state-wide average closer to 70%. This led to a decision to build or rehabilitate 31 homes, about 10% of the 10th & Page neighborhood. Community leaders advocated for singlefamily detached homes that fit in with existing housing styles. Through an innovative partnership model created by PHA along with some initial financial support from the city, PHA implemented an extremely complex but ultimately successful negotiation process with the owners of the existing dilapidated and/or abandoned houses. Because most of the structures had
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"The political forces within the city saw a derelict slum that had developed on the hillside immediately adjoining the downtown district. This view was not shared by the residents or business owners." —Kenneth A. Schwartz
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not been maintained, and the cost of rehabilitation far exceeded the cost of building new, most of the homes were completely replaced.
With support from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the Virginia Housing Development Authority and many other local, regional and state partners, PHA was able to move the initiative forward.
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The neighborhood, the city of Charlottesville and PHA kicked off the Initiative by addressing residents’ concerns in the Neighborhood Comprehensive Plan. Through planning meetings with the community the TOP TEN GOALS for the project were formulated: 1. PRESERVE neighborhood stability by improving housing conditions and striking a balance between owners and renters. 2. IMPROVE deteriorating housing conditions and address consequent crime that undermined quality of life and morale in the neighborhood. 3. ACKNOWLEDGE that some residents no longer feel safe in the neighborhood, particularly at night. 4. EMBRACE community involvement and empowerment as critical to improving the neighborhood. 5. INCREASE safety and security – abandoned and dilapidated houses had become centers of criminal activity and the neighborhood had one of the highest crime rates in the city. 6. ADDRESS the homeowner-to-renter imbalance. More homeownership brings economic and social stability, spurs investment, beautifies the landscape, and raises property values and asset wealth. 7. TACKLE the need to fix housing – deteriorating housing conditions had contributed to crime and discouraged investment in the neighborhood. 8. PROMOTE a mix of incomes in the neighborhood by seeking socioeconomic integration. 9. BUILD durable, energy efficient, and environmentally sustainable homes. 10. PROTECT buyers from typically high operational and maintenance costs of homeownership.
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John J. Gaines III
——————————— open letter
I reside on Ninth Street NW. My home is located in what the media frequently refers to as the 10th and Page neighborhood. After living in the country for a number of years, I moved back to the homeplace in 1982. At that time, the diversity of the neighborhood had changed from my boyhood days. Now there was a heavy concentration of African-Americans living in the area.
During the late eighties and early nineties
“drug trafficking” became a problem in the 10th and Page area. Other concerns such as the increased number of rental units became an issue. The area had the highest rate of rental units in the city. Vacant and boarded up dwellings became safe havens for drug dealers. Some of the older homeowners died and their children sold their property to investors. Therefore, this occurrence has contributed to
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some of the gentrification that may be occurring in the area.
I became president of my neighborhood
association in the late nineties. Piedmont Housing Alliance and the city took an active role in addressing the home ownership issue. They collaborated with the neighborhood association to improve the quality of life in the area. Community policing increased, drug trafficking declined, boarded-up housing has been rehabilitated or torn down, and many new houses have been built in the area.
Unresolved issues continue to face citizens
living in the 10th and Page Street area. These issues include quality educational experiences, traffic, job training, affordable housing, health care, living wages and many others.
The good news is that our new neighbors
will help us solve these problems.
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A Rich and Vibrant
History ALTHOUGH TODAY it is primarily African-American, the 10th and Page Street Neighborhood for many years was a racially diverse neighborhood characterized by a mix of ethnic backgrounds, occupations, and incomes. Encompassing just 83.86 acres, the neighborhood is one of the most compact in
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the city. Ms. Thelma Hagen remembers how her family bought the house at 820 Anderson Street, where she still lives, from the Dudley family in 1935. Her father, the late Thomas Terrell, was the first chef at the University of Virginia hospital. Over the years, many 10th and Page residents have worked at the University, and also at the Monticello and Albemarle hotels. Page Street was a popular housing choice for railroad employees, due to its proximity to both the C&O and Southern
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routes. Railroad workers, both AfricanAmerican and white, also lived in the nearby Starr Hill neighborhood. People looked after each other’s children as they played in the yards, streets and open fields of the neighborhood. And there was plenty to do and see: in those days, the 700 block of Anderson Street was a lake where people stabled their horses for the day. Paoli Street was a field, a popular site for traveling minstrel shows, with dancing and comedy acts. The circus used to locate where the Monticello Dairy building now stands. Schenk’s branch traversed the neighborhood, and it was a favorite place for children to play. There was a jail in the center of the neighborhood, and the inmates would call out to the children as they headed to Jefferson School through the railroad underpass on Commerce Street. Connections between 10th and Page, Starr Hill and Vinegar Hill were more direct in those days, with lots of traffic going back and forth between the black business district and the residential areas.
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Some of the older houses in 10th and Page were built as early as the late 1800s, but the majority of the current housing inventory was constructed in the 1920s. Residents of the neighborhood played a notable role in Charlottesville history, and beyond its borders as well. Benjamin Tonsler was a successful African-American contractor who built a house that still stands at 206 10th street, and he also owned a restaurant in Vinegar Hill, the center of African-American commercial activity that was
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later demolished in the name of “urban renewal.� Tonsler Park, located on Cherry Avenue, honors his legacy by bearing his name today. West Street in the neighborhood was named for John West, a former slave, who lived in the 300 block. He was a barber by trade, but over time made a substantial return from the real estate he had acquired. The late William Monroe grew up in the neighborhood and graduated from Hampton Institute, where he was the captain of the tennis team. Chuck Chisholm also grew up in 10th and Page, and later became a professional boxer. Roosevelt Brown, well known for being the first African-American professional football player from Charlottesville to be named to the
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National Football League Hall of Fame, lived on 5th Street NW, close to what is now called the Starr Hill neighborhood. The neighborhood was home to several prominent preachers: Reverend E.G. Hall, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, lives in 10th and Page today. Other notable citizens who reside or were raised in the neighborhood include Dr. Benegal Paige (dentist), Garwin DeBerry (for many years the head football coach at Charlottesville High School), Ms. Lelia Brown (retired educator), and the late Booker T. Reaves (first African-American assistant superintendent in the Charlottesville school system).
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10th and Page: becoming the future 29
The Coleman Family
——————————— Page Street
“The great location is an asset” As with many people in Charlottesville, the Colemans’ move here in 1997 was UVA-related. At first they rented a large apartment downtown because they wanted to be centrally located. Bursting out of the space after the second child was born, they moved to a house on Market Street. Says Jason: “When it dawned on us we were not just passing through, but were raising a family in Charlottesville, the obvious thing to do next was buy a house.” They started looking around and quickly found out that the real estate market was in the middle of an unprecedented boom in 2003. Enter Piedmont Housing Alliance: PHA had just started a redevelopment project in the 10th and Page neighborhood. They were building sustainable and energy-efficient single-family houses for low- and middle-income families from diverse backgrounds. Interest-free down-payment assistance and low interest rates for first-time homeowners made it very attractive to be able to own a house "Organizations without becoming house-poor. Margot: “The like PHA are houses were very pleasant, with lots of windows really making and spacious floor plans. Also, the energy cost a difference in was incredibly low as opposed to the old house people's lives." we were living in. That was a big consideration.” The great location of 10th and Page, between UVA and downtown, offered the lifestyle the Colemans wanted, minimizing the use of a car. In February 2005, the family moved into their new house and never regretted it. The neighborhood has been very welcoming of the newcomers; people are friendly and
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engage with each other despite different backgrounds. The increase of homeownership has also had a stabilizing effect on the neighborhood, which is dominated by rental housing. “I hope the city will continue to make the development of affordable and mixed housing a priority in Charlottesville. Organizations like Piedmont Housing Alliance are really making a difference in people’s lives. Owning one’s house is an investment in future generations,” concludes Margot.
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Mary Banks
——————————— 10H Street
“The neighborhood has become quiet” With a big smile, Mary opens the door of the home she has shared with her granddaughter Ashley since 2004. After sitting down in the charming and immaculate living room, with its view of the dining room and open kitchen, it becomes clear why. The house has been renovated and feels open, bright, and easy to move around in. An important detail, since Mary uses a walker and needs easy ground-floor access to all the rooms. Born in Charlottesville, Mary grew up on 5th Street across from the former Jefferson School, behind the city jail. She recalls how after church the prisoners could be heard singing gospels. Mary raised their two children in a house on 10H Street that she and her husband rented for nearly forty years—and which is right next to her current house. Mary worked at the UVA Hospital for thirty-eight years before her retirement sixteen years ago. Asked to compare the street then and now, Mary says, “The neighborhood has become pretty quiet. People do look out for each other—it makes me feel safe.” "People do look In the not so distant past, 10th and Page had the out for each reputation of being a dangerous neighborhood, other—it makes full of boarded-up houses and streets ruled by drug dealers. Since the revitalization effort me feel safe." eliminated the dilapidated houses—filling in the lots with over thirty new and rehabbed structures—the crime rate has plummeted by 80 percent. Still, Mary would like to see more police officers walking the neighborhood. “They used to ride horses
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around here.” Another thing she would like to see is a grocery store in closer proximity: “There are a lot of seniors who don’t drive that have a need for shopping closer to home.”
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Tom Connaughton and Leslie Scally
——————————— Page Street
“I wish I'd known about this neighborhood a long time ago” Sitting on the back deck of Tom and Leslie’s house, one marvels at the long and private yard—quite a luxury in the city. They moved in recently, anticipating the birth of their first child. “I wish we had known about this neighborhood a long time ago,” remarks Tom. “This is the friendliest place we’ve ever lived,” says Leslie. They are right at home already because Leslie, who teaches at Venable Elementary around the corner, knows a lot of the children in the neighborhood. Tom, also a teacher, works at a local middle school. Tom and Leslie bought one of the few PHA houses that were offered to people above the “affordability” limit, without any down-payment assistance. They were attracted to the central location and the “green” aspects of the house. According to Leslie, their utility bill never "I feel totally exceeds $100, not even in the hottest summer months. “The wall insulation, the windows, and at ease here." the siding are all designed to maximize energy efficiency,” adds Tom. “And the Hardiplank siding looks much nicer than vinyl.” They are not bothered by the former notoriety of 10th and Page; they feel that sporadic incidents are random, not personal. “I feel totally at ease here. It’s not less safe than anywhere else in Charlottesville,” stresses Tom. And to illustrate the point he mentions that their neighbor keeps an eye on their house in their absence, and brings in the trash can without being asked.
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The Adish Family
——————————— Page Street
“Charlottesville is the best city in the U.S.A.” The Adish family arrived in America in 2002 with the help of the International Rescue Committee. They came from Pakistan, having fled the Taliban regime in their native Afghanistan. After this harrowing and frightening experience, they ended up with three of their children— Honishka, Sahar, and Ali—in Charlottesville. Mr. Adish was a geologist in Afghanistan, Mrs. Adish a chemistry teacher. Honishka now has a degree from UVA, Sahar is a premed student at UVA, and Ali just graduated from Charlottesville High School. The family was able in late 2004 to purchase one of the PHA houses. Instead of a kitchen on the ground floor, they put the kitchen in the basement, where the "I was scared it parents live. The ground floor living room is a was dangerous, communal space, while the children’s rooms are upstairs. This arrangement provides some but it's just independence for all family members. like any other Ali was a little apprehensive about moving neighborhood to the 10th and Page neighborhood: “I was in town." scared it was dangerous, but it’s just like any other neighborhood in town.” His siblings are able to walk to UVA from their house. Ali likes to ride his bike; he even started a mountain-bike riding club at his school. They are friendly with the neighbors and feel welcomed into the community, as well as truly settled in Charlottesville. The Adishes’ ordeal with the Taliban has left an indelible mark on the children and parents alike.
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Sahar, who was only nine years old when her family left Kabul, has produced two short documentary films that chronicle her family’s experience and underscore her deep appreciation of education. Produced in 2003, the first film, entitled Eye of Hope, focuses on the differences between Afghan and American culture. In her next film, Sahar Before the Sun, the young filmmaker delves more deeply into her experience of growing under the Taliban’s rule and being home-schooled by her mother. In making this film, Sahar used equipment and resources provided by Light House, a Charlottesville-based nonprofit independent media education center. Sahar Before the Sun has received a Peabody Award. Reflecting on her career and the heavy price she paid for resisting the Taliban, Mrs. Adish has no regrets. “I’m proud that during the war, I taught my students a sense of love for humanity and made them hopeful for the future. I hope that peace casts a shadow everywhere.”
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John J. Gaines III
——————————— 9th Street
“Education is key to mobility” John Gaines was born and raised in Charlottesville on 9th Street, and enjoyed a career spanning more than forty years in the public school system as a teacher, a principal, and an administrator. Not that he has been inactive since – he sits on numerous community boards (among them, the Piedmont Housing Alliance Board) and, until recently, served as the President of the 10th and Page Neighborhood Association. In 1982 he returned to 9th Street. Mr. Gaines has been a catalyst behind the 10th and Page revitalization initiative. It was he who alerted Stu Armstrong, the Executive Director of PHA, to "There has the boarded-up houses and For Sale signs in been a positive the neighborhood. Currently, with all the new and renovated houses occupied, Mr. Gaines is change. cautiously optimistic: “There has been a positive Factually, crime change. Factually, crime rates have dropped, rates have and properties owned by black families have dropped, and increased in value.” “Affordable housing means different things properties owned by black for different people. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.” families have The road to homeownership, according to increased in Gaines, is education. Education leads to better value." and higher paying jobs, and earning power creates mobility. “Now we have children raising children,” a social development that keeps people in a cycle of poverty. The solution lies in an attitude change that includes higher expectations by the parents, the
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John Gaines is one of the community leaders advocating to restore the Jefferson School, a prominent Charlottesville school from the 1920's until desegregation, as an African -American heritage and cultural center.
community and the school system. “Research has shown that time spent on tasks increases school performance,� says Gaines. There should be a comprehensive effort by parents and schools to set the bar high for all children and truly leave no child behind. As for his wish list in the next decade? Mr. Gaines thinks one-way streets would be a postive change, but more importantly he would like to see Westhaven, a public housing complex in the 10th and Page area, turned into a mixed-income community without pricing the current residents out of the market.
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Designing a sustainable community
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THE NEXT issue centered on the quality of the new houses. It had become very clear during community meetings what kind of houses residents wanted: single family dwellings with
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porches and easy connection to life on the street. Community participants did not want any more multi-family dwellings, attached units, or commercial developments.
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Was it also possible to build durable, energyefficient, ‘green’ houses without building costs becoming prohibitive?
A comprehensive approach was required, one that would build on the strengths of the community and also be at the cutting edge in design and performance. The notion of a sustainable design strategy takes into account historical preservation, community development, and environmental “green” building. These three concepts are not considered separate realities, but instead treated as crucial to the quality of life in a community. Every neighborhood is unique in its own way, and should be respected as such.
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During the planning phase of this Initiative, three critical standards were set to inform and guide the project as it went through each stage: 1. HISTORICAL and cultural understanding was a major focus of the design process, mapping occupancy patterns and changing demographics. 2. BASED on this information, the designers were then able to develop a conceptual framework aimed at the goal of responsible stewardship and protection of the neighborhood’s rich identity. 3. THE OUTCOME is focused on shaping the neighborhood’s future with integrated, sustainable and high quality affordable housing options.
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Considering these factors, the effort to save this neighborhood by investing in new sustainable housing aimed to do the following: •
REMOVE dilapidated and crime-ridden structures
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INCREASE the proportion of homeowners in the community
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PRODUCE affordable and energy-efficient homes that would be durable and gentle on the environment
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REINTRODUCE a mix of incomes in support of economic integration
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BEAUTIFY public spaces and attract new investment into the neighborhood
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PHA designed the project involving community members, City leaders and staff, Architecture School faculty and students at the University of Virginia, and local builders. This innovative public/private initiative created new homes and new homeowners, with about two-thirds of buyers being low- to moderate-income and one-third being middle-class. The square footage of homes built ranged from 1,250 to 2,000 square feet, allowing for variation and different price points. PHA made a commitment to promote efficient use of space
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in its homes, and therefore the average size of a PHA home at 10th and Page is 1,375 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2½ baths. In this way open space is optimized through the use of efficient spatial design. Each house was required to fit the character of the neighborhood streetscape, incorporating historical and aesthetic appeal
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along with durability. The energy-efficient building technology and appliances add the additional benefit of very low energy bills, which will help home owners save literally thousands of dollars over time and make the dwellings more affordable to own.
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Hope Community Center:
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THE COVENANT Church of God runs the Hope Community Center, located in the heart of the 10th and Page Neighborhood. The church purchased the one-story, 3,600square foot building in 1998 with the mission of outreach and inner-city community development through its Hope Foundation. Pastor Harold L. Bare, Sr. of Covenant Church has been a tireless advocate of the Center. “The Hope Center is designated for social and economic lift. That’s why we’re there in a very challenged community, where a lot of people are struggling and being taken advantage of. We believe we are Christians driven with a passion to try and touch our world, yes,” Pastor Bare admits, “but if you put your preaching ahead of your caring, they’re not going to listen to the preaching.” The building has since served the community as a place for neighborhood meetings, bible studies, and police department meetings, as well as being home to the Gospel Light Church, the Bethlehem Apostolic Church, and the Grace Light Mennonite Church. Many volunteers from these congregations are active within the Community Center. With the help of partnerships like Piedmont Housing Alliance, a second sustainable building was added
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“An Urgency to Try and Touch the World” 53
adjacent to the original building. In October, 2006, the new Hope Community Center was officially reopened. A police sub-station occupies a corner of the main building. During the opening ceremony a fence that kept the 10th and Page neighborhood separated from the Venable area was ceremoniously cut to “open up� the neighborhood and let students walk to school with dignity. The Center offers classes for teenage mothers, financial counseling, job fairs, computer training, GED classes, police and safety academies, a gymnasium for recreation, ESL courses, and after-school programs for students in need.
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“We are in constant contact with schools to try make sure that students don’t fall through the cracks,” says Lori-Ann Strait, Center Director. UVA students are volunteering on a daily basis in the after-school program with very positive results. The Jefferson-Madison Regional Library’s Bookmobile comes to Hope Community Center every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. In addition to all this activity, the facilities can be rented for various functions. Daniel Howell recently joined the Center as part of an effort to reach out to teenage boys. A former football player at the University of Wisconsin, he cuts an imposing figure. “I was also a high school football coach, so I have some experience with boys. A lot of them have attitude,” he laughs. He wants to connect with younger boys and touch their lives. “One of the problems is that these kids are bored. That’s how they get in trouble and end up in jail,” states Howell. “They need to get into sports as well as discover their academic talents.” He knows about missed opportunities through personal experience. “I could have been draft material for the NFL, but partied too much and lost my chance.” This is precisely the lesson that motivates him to connect to boys and try to teach them to aim high and stay focused on what's important.
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strength and energy efficiency
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built in 57
ALL PHA BUILDINGS use “California” corner construction which allows for more insulation to be placed at the corners of the structure and which utilizes less lumber in the structure of the house corners. “LADDER” FRAMING is used at the junction of every interior and exterior wall, which also allows for a greater insulating area and uses short pieces of “waste” lumber to create stable nailing surfaces for interior wall components. 2” X 6” WINDOW and door headers are used instead of 2” x 10” throughout each home, which significantly reduces costs and increases the amount of insulation between the living space and the exterior sheathing. THE 2” X 6” EXTERIOR WALLS are framed at 24” spacing to reduce lumber use and increase the amount of insulation coming into contact with the exterior sheathing by an average of 56 square feet per house. 16” OPEN-WEB TRUSSES are used between the first and second floors to allow for the use of a rigid central HVAC trunk-line, and to reduce the need for a conventional joist system. BLOWN-IN MOIST-PACK CELLULOSE insulation was used to create a consistent R-19 exterior wall rating. The R-19 insulation replaced 56 square feet of R-1 to R-2 studs, and the wider spaced framing significantly reduced the number of locations where heat could be transferred from the
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living space to outside. Sill-plates and all envelopes were thoroughly caulked to prevent air leakage through the envelope. Each house has a ridge vent installed to ensure proper attic ventilation. LOW-E WINDOWS with a U-factor no greater than 0.40 and a solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) no greater than 0.40 are specified for each home. Insulated steel exterior doors with insulated glass lights with R-values greater than R-5 are installed on both front and rear entrances. THE HVAC SYSTEMS use minimum 12-SEER units with variable speed blowers that yield approximately 13.6-SEER, and provide greater comfort to the occupants. ALL DUCTWORK CONNECTIONS are sealed with mastic or mastic tape with the goal of reducing system leakage to less than 5%. No ductwork runs in unconditioned space. ATTIC FLOORS ARE INSULATED with R-49 blown cellulose. Arriva HE-100 Heat Recovery Ventilators/ fresh air exchangers are installed in each home. Crawlspaces are ventless, conditioned spaces with insulated walls and no insulation between first floor joints. 6-mil plastic sheeting covers the crawlspace floor. ALL THE PHA 10th and Page Street homes use James Hardie fibrated cement-board siding materials of various profiles and designs. The houses feature Hardiplank, Hardipanel, and Hardishingle as siding, and MiraTec treated exterior
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composite trim for corner-boards, soffits, fascia and window picture-framing. ROOFING WAS INITIALLY light colored, 26 gauge, pre-finished enameled, locking standing seam metal. However, soon after starting the project, global metal prices forced PHA to abandon the use of metal because it was driving the price point of the homes beyond the affordable range. As a result PHA retreated reluctantly to either 30 or 40 year architectural shingle as the typical roofing material. THE FLOORS are either locally harvested and milled Virginia solid hardwood flooring or sustainable, commercially available and durable bamboo. ECONOMICAL, HIGH-EFFICIENCY Energy Star appliances are installed in all the homes, ensuring that monthly energy costs remain as low as possible. PHA PUT THEIR PROJECT UP FOR BID with several developers, and finally settled on competitive bids from builders who exhibited a willingness to pair durability with sustainability: Church Hill Development, LLC; Rothwell Development Corporation; and Hauser Construction Company.
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Results
PIEDMONT HOUSING ALLIANCE'S
work on the 10th & Page Street Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative has not only dramatically changed one of Charlottesville’s poorest, most neglected, and crime-ridden areas, but has also forever changed PHA. PHA began the process of redefining what “affordable” really meant to a low 10TH & PAGE: PART 1 CRIME STATISTICS [SOURCE: Charlottesville Police Department]
2003
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2004
56
2005
38
2006
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2007
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to moderate-income buyer. Conventional wisdom at the time defined affordable housing as a house that could be purchased for a low price, and available housing development funds were based on the number of units that could be generated for the funds available. The final product usually turned out as a faceless box, made out of the cheapest material possible, with no energyefficient or durable qualities. And with no wealthcreation potential for the first-time homeowners. PHA set out to change that paradigm, and at 10th and Page the rethinking has been realized and become common practice not only within PHA but
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across the region and throughout the state. The results have been staggering. PHA built the first Energy Star certified homes in the City of Charlottesville. PHA also became the first affordable-housing development organization in the Commonwealth of Virginia to obtain EarthCraft Program certification from the South Face Energy Institute in Atlanta. The United States Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Program recently honored PHA with an award for developing energyefficient affordable housing. In addition, the Charlottesville Planning Commission voted the 10th and Page Street Community “Neighborhood of the Year.” Finally, and most prestigiously, PHA received the Honorable Mention national award from the Home Depot Foundation in 2006 for Affordable Housing Built Responsibly. The rippling effects of PHA’s cutting edge development concepts have changed the way other non-profit and private housing developers statewide are thinking about how to build their houses. Some of the largest developers in the region now incorporate energyefficient, sustainable design into their products. According to Stu Armstrong, PHA’s Executive Director, “the non-profit sector can only hope to build a fraction of the number of homes that need to be generated to accommodate the need for
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quality and affordable housing in the region. The private development market is where the greatest impacts can be achieved.” PHA is looking forward to continuing their leadership role in building “green” and both affordable and market-rate housing in Virginia. The awards listed above pale in comparison to the most important impact the 10th & Page Street project has had for many new homeowners— assisting families to create wealth, security and stability. Unfortunately, a large underserved and diverse population in America has never been able to share in the biggest investment most families make: owning a home and being able to capitalize on it over time. PHA is proud to have done just that, giving people a chance to own a house and be part of a community to proudly call home. 10TH & PAGE FACTS •
total number of homes constructed and/or rehabilitated: 31
•
total neighborhood re- investment: $6 million
•
proportion of buyers that were very low to moderate income: 71%
•
annual income of all new homeowners: $15,000-$100,000+
•
average annual income of low to moderate income buyers: $28,925
•
average AMI percentage of low to moderate income buyers: 52%
•
percent of new homeowners that were racial minorities: 56%
•
average home- price for low to moderate income buyers: $162,000
•
average mortgage of low to moderate income buyers: $125,000
•
number of funding sources utilized by PHA: 14
•
average subsidy to low to moderate income buyers: $37,000
•
average home size: 1,377 square feet, 3-BR, 2 ½ BA
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•
professions of homebuyers include hotel housekeeping workers,
dishwashers, bookstore workers, retirees, firefighters, teachers, plumbers, a school principal, secretaries, service workers, maintenance technicians •
market- rate homebuyers include teachers, doctors, professors,
stockbrokers, former neighborhood residents
PARTNERS: The 10th and Page Street Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative received support from the following partners: The 10th and Page Street Neighborhood Association, The City of Charlottesville, Virginia National Bank, Bank of America, Albemarle First Bank, Wachovia Bank, N.A., Fannie Mae, Virginia Housing and Development Authority, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, The Perry Foundation, The Charlottesville Housing Foundation, The Donovan Foundation, Charlottesville Community Design Center, The Enterprise Foundation, Midway Housing Development, University of Virginia School of Architecture, Thomas Jefferson Planning District, Riverbend Management, Home Depot Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Charlottesville Housing and Redevelopment Authority, International Refugee Committee, Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors, Rothwell Development Company, R.M.Hauser Construction, Churchill Development Company, Gloeckner Engineering/ Surveying, Inc., Pape and Company, Inc., Albemarle Heating and Air, StoneKing/VonStorch Architects, VMDO Architects, and an Anonymous Donor, among others.
SPECIAL THANKS:
We would like to especially thank Katie Swenson, Rose Fellow of the Enterprise Foundation, for the leadership and guidance she provided in bringing quality design and sustainability to the project. Her enduring commitment to these principles has had a profound impact on PHA as an agency and its future development initiatives.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: PHA would like to express its appreciation to the following people for their hard work in making this community initiative a success: PHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ginny Barefoot Nisha Botchwey Paul Brant Grace Cooke Ron Enders Francis H. Fife Helen D. Flamini John J. Gaines Satyendra Singh Huja Karen V. Lilleleht George E. Loper David M. Oakland Darla Rose J. Lloyd Snook, III, Esquire Gordon J. Walker Ron White PAST PHA BOARD MEMBERS DURING PROJECT:
Annabelle Hopkins Herman Key Gate Pratt
PHA STAFF Stu Armstrong Mark Watson Katie Swenson Peter Loach Maggie MacInnis Karen Reifenberger Shelley Murphy Kevin Wood Surya Lipscombe
Ruth Barnett Logan Blanco Mary Carter Denise Harper Rosa Hudson Leslie Jones Jo Olson Donna Thacker Ella Jo Thompson Loretta White Annamarie Bonano Janice Hughes John Semmelhack Alan Wong Matt Wright Chris Bradley Susan Weeks Patricia Melanie Marianne McKernan Aisha Quarles Ron Lessard Griff Gatewood Liz Hoogheem Hana Eska Rebecca Stern Peter Dummett
ADVISORY COMMITTEE Francis H. Fife John Gaines Satyendra Huja Mary Nightengale David Saunier Joy Johnson Susan Shoulders
Emily Heule Josephine Morrison Dave Norris David Oakland Daniel Rosensweig Holly Hatcher
ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS, DESIGNERS, CONTRACTORS, REALTORS Mod-U-Kraft Homes Liz Hoogheem, Design Corps Alan Wong McKee-Carson Steve Garrett, Commonwealth Land Survey, Inc. Digs, Inc. Vess Excavating Contractors R.S. Woodson Excavating Gooch Engineering & Testing A.G. Dillard, Inc. Sissy’s Cleaning Service Cabell Insurance Bankers Insurance Robert Ramsey Roger Voisinet Loschelder Landscaping &
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Maintenance Carter Paving Wainwright Tile & Stone Andrew Willgruber
EDITORIAL publication director:
Stu Armstrong
managing editor:
Peter Loach
CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCILORS Dave Norris Julian Taliaferro David Brown Holly Edwards Satyendra Huja PAST CITY COUNCIL:
Blake Caravati Rob Schilling Kevin Lynch Maurice Cox Virginia Daugherty Kendra Hamilton
CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE STAFF Gary O’Connell Jim Tolbert Ron Higgins Missy Creasy Amy Kilroy Ginnie Benson Mary Joy Scalia Barbara Venerus Read Brodhead Tony Edwards Jim Herndon Pam Murray Khadija Marty Quinn David Coniff Jennifer Whitaker Tom Elliott
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editorial director: Margot Morshuis Coleman creative director & design:
Bill Womack, Helios, Inc.
printed in usa by: Carter Printing
PHOTOGRAPHY John Dolan courtesy IRC 27, 35 Jay Kuhlmann 27, 31, 52 Scott Smith covers, 1-2, 20-22, 24-25, 27, 33, 3841, 44-47, 54-55 Bill Womack 29, 37, 50-51, 48-49 special thanks:
Margaret M. O'Bryant albemarle
charlottesville historical society archives
6-19
RECYCLED PAPER © COPYRIGHT 2009, PHA
Without the willingness of Mr. Gaines to stand up and challenge me, the PHA board and city leaders, this project might never have gotten started. Thus began the daunting task of assembling twenty-seven different properties from thirteen different owners, requiring two years of delicate negotiations. Due to the patience of the PHA Board of Directors, the City Council and key municipal staff, it became possible to live up to Mr. Gaines’ challenge. My hope as you read the following pages is that you get a sense of the complexities this project faced, not just in the sense of bricks-andmortar, but in the realm of social and economic justice and community healing that has occurred since its completion. We all recognize it’s not possible to please every constituent or every stakeholder all of the time. Nevertheless, this publication attempts to document the ways we've been successful in our attempt to facilitate constructive change for the greater good of a vital neighborhood. It should also be noted that beyond the social and economic benefits for people living in this neighborhood and the "world-class city" it's located in, PHA's organizational capacity was positively affected, strengthened and forever changed! I found it to be one of the most fulfilling initiatives I’ve ever participated in on both a professional and personal level.
—Stu Armstrong PH A E X E CU T I V E D I R E C TO R
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” —Jane Jacobs