University President Jim Ryan announced Tuesday that the University will support the construction of 1,000 to 1,500 affordable housing units on land owned by the University and U.Va. Foundation throughout Charlottesville, Albemarle County and parts of Central Virginia within the next decade.
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission concluded in its Comprehensive Regional Housing Study and Needs Assessment that 12,000 renters in the Central Virginia region spend about 30 percent of their income on housing and are cost-burdened by the price of housing.
The University’s support for affordable housing is part of the University’s “Great and Good” 10-year strategic plan, which includes a Good Neighbor Program aimed at addressing “key challenges, including housing, living wages, local educational opportunities and access to health care.”
The goal of this program is to improve the community surrounding the University through four working groups that focus on the University’s relationship with the community — affordable housing, quality education for children under the age of five, employment opportunities for minority groups and partnerships with the local economy.
“Strengthening the relationship between U.Va. and the surrounding community continues to be one of my top priorities as president,” Ryan said. “We’ve made progress in the last year and a half, but there is still a lot of work to do.”
Read More
From the archives: Nov. 11 – Nov. 17
By Maisy Callahan and Grace Franklin | 17 hours agoAs our first basketball season without Tony Bennett begins, let's look back to the very first basketball season we started with Bennett as head coach.
How will U.Va. select the next dean of students?
By Zackary Holt | 22 hours agoReporting directly to the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer, the Dean oversees budgeting, planning and staff recruitment while advocating for student well-being, according to the Executive Search Group’s specifications.
Honor Committee considers member probation policy for absenteeism
By Lexie Stadler | 4 days agoThe proposal raised questions about its alignment with the Committee’s Constitution, specifically regarding representative voting rights..
