TOM FLEETWOOD: It's important to understand that affordable housing today is very different than it used to be.

ANGIE MILES: There's a new vision for public housing in America.

TOM FLEETWOOD: Formerly public housing authorities would build large complexes that tended to serve only families with extremely low incomes.

In the modern era of affordable housing, we firmly believe that mixed income, mixed use housing in communities of opportunity is the way to go, and the way to help our families be successful, and to contribute to our economy.

ANGIE MILES: Mixed use meaning (car engine humming) there is more than just housing in a redeveloped community, but also there are services like grocery stores, health clinics, childcare, et cetera.

STEVEN NESMITH:We're going to be looking at not just residential development, we're going to be looking at whether or not we can have job incubator in there, job training for our youth, whether or not you want a Boys and Girls Club, do you need a food center there, so we can have food.

JOHN SALES: Sixth Street I think is a really good example.

We have a partnership with UVA to have a clinic in that facility.

We're also talking to another organization about setting up a food bank or a food hall where folks can come and get fresh produce from that little market.

we're looking at bringing in the service providers to the site and having dedicated spaces.

as we do the redevelopment at other sites.

ANGIE MILES: And mixed income, meaning people with varying levels of income are living in the same community, some perhaps through the use of government subsidies, like vouchers to cover a portion of the rent or mortgage.

STEVE MORALES: And that's one of the biggest issues the biggest issues that we face is just having basic services, drug stores, grocery stores, services for the families is because there's not the income essentially in order to support all of, you know, that amount of commercial space.

ANGIE MILES: And so that's a benefit then of mixed income?

STEVE MORALES: Huge benefit of mixed income, not just supporting commercial space, but instead of everyone in poverty, it's more of a mix, more opportunities, and just that interaction between families I think it just broadens, really broadens the thought process overall.

TOM FLEETWOOD: There are examples all over Fairfax County communities of opportunity in mixed income, mixed-tenure type intergenerational housing that we are extraordinarily proud of.

The residences at North Hill, it was a 33-acre property on the Historic Route 1 Corridor owned by the Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and we redeveloped it through a public-private partnership to deliver 279 affordable rental units, including 63 affordable senior units, 175 for sale market rate, town homes, and a 12-acre Fairfax County Park.

That's the wave of the future.

That is how we deliver affordable housing here in Fairfax County.

SUNSHINE MATHON: I have myself heard people directly say, "If you're born poor in Charlottesville, you die poor in Charlottesville."

So if all we are doing is building housing affordability, while that is in and of itself a good thing to do, but if that's all we're doing, we're potentially just creating the condition where people are poor better.

We need to be investing in those economic opportunities for pathways to upward mobility, services to help people get a leg up.

ANGIE MILES: And this is the model for affordable housing, including what used to be known as public housing all over the state and all over the country.

The lack of federal funding at its lowest point in nearly a quarter century is forcing new approaches, including a move to more public-private partnerships.

SUNSHINE MATHON: And that historic underfunding has created a situation where the only solution for public housing authorities to really to redevelop or grow is in partnership with private organizations, and to use the capital that is available in the private market to redevelop public housing properties.

ANGIE MILES: Private partners such as Piedmont Housing Alliance say, "That as federal funding shortfalls alter the footprint of public housing, they are among the private entities who are fully committed to keeping housing affordable and livable for the many who need reliable safety nets, for the long term."

SUNSHINE MATHON: Private nonprofits have been a crucial part of building affordable housing stock for the last 30 or 40 years, and work sometimes hand in hand with local public housing authorities, sometimes separately.

In our case we try to do a balance there.

We're working on the redevelopment of Kindle Wood, formerly known as Friendship Courts.

We're just wrapping up phase one, and about to start phase two, and planning for phase three.

We are working on a project in Southwood, which is a region just outside the city in Albemarle County, building 121 apartments down there in a collaboration with our local Habitat chapter.

We are working on planning a number of projects in the city as well, in various stages of planning, including a project in the Fifeville neighborhood, at 501 Cherry, which is a location of a former, now defunct grocery store where we're going to try to bring back that grocery store, but also add affordable housing.

We're working with a church in North Downtown trying to build on their vacant lots that they have on site, trying to address a whole range of issues.

ANGIE MILES: Not everyone is convinced that these partnerships and visions for redevelopment will truly serve those who live far below the poverty line, and who've relied on public housing.

Community organizer and housing advocate, Omari Al-Qaddafi points to the thousands of residents in Richmond alone, displaced through the demolition of aging public housing units, presumably through temporary planned relocation.

But for him, the math that works for mixed income success doesn't add up for protecting the vulnerable.

OMARI AL-QADDAFI: With the Creighton Court development, you know, the Housing Authority signed that agreement with the City that restricts the amount of extremely low income people to no more than 25% of the new redevelopment.

You know, when the entire Creighton Court, all 502 units had an average income of like 12,000 a year.

You know, so people with those types of incomes, you'd basically be limited to like about 180 of the units that are going to be in the new development.

TOM FLEETWOOD: Displacement is always a concern.

I can say that in our own developments at the top of our priority is ensuring that our existing residents are able to return to their homes post redevelopment.

In the case of one university, we had 46 units of former public housing on that site, and it was a requirement as part of the redevelopment that those 46 families had a right to return.

So we put a real premium on that for redevelopment on our own property, STEVE MORALES: We had a community called Tidewater Gardens.

It was 618 units.

And so using a combination of funding, we relocated the residents, we tracked the residents.

The City actually brought another contractor group that does the case management services, mobility services, and continues to work through residents, through what we still consider temporary relocation.

We then demolished the units, and now we are rebuilding.

The total number of affordable units and replacement units is less, but more importantly, all the units that would be built in a project would be open to our families that are using a housing choice voucher.

We want them to come back, so, you know, provide the services, provide the mobility counseling, the funds to move.

We even have lease breakages fees.

So if somebody's living somewhere else, but they want the opportunity to come back, and it's made available, we will pay that breakage fee.

Our intention is not to displace.

Our intention is to just transform the community, and make it a place, instead of a place where you have to live, make it a place where you want to live.

ANGIE MILES: Housing managers admit that volatility in rental and ownership pricing impacts protections they're able to provide for residents.

TOM FLEETWOOD: It is a major concern what happens to low and moderate income residents, in the case of redevelopment driven by the market.

We are seeing, you know, we are seeing significant threats to our existing market affordable rental housing by owners renovating and repositioning within the rental market.

Just the upward pressure on rents, that's the biggest threat.

JOHN SALES: We also have a new zoning and that has shaken up the market a little bit because we have some properties that have transitioned less than a year ago, and their prices have doubled compared to what they acquired the property for.

And so there's a lot of speculative listing and buys at the moment, and so the market is really shaky, but I'm hoping the market market will live out a lot.

ANGIE MILES: The primary goal, of course is to move individuals receiving assistance to self-sufficiency, if possible.

One avenue may be through home ownership in Richmond.

That may mean using an innovative program that bypasses credit scores, relying instead on rental history, and down payment assistance.

STEVEN NESMITH: Statistics show that the best tool for wealth creation in America is home ownership, and the equity that you can build in that, and how you then leverage that equity to send your kids to college, to send them to a trade school, to send 'em off to realize life in a better way.

ANGIE MILES: For now, the path to a better way is built on what can seem like shifting sands.

Decades old buildings are being demolished, sometimes on an uncertain timetable.

In the interim, housing authorities rely on shrinking subsidies, tax credits, and ingenuity to repair and update, sometimes slowly.

JOHN SALES: So we have about 87 units that are not in our plan to get full redevelopment.

So like last year we did windows, siding replacement, roof replacements, and this year we're doing HVAC.

And so for the first time ever, these public housing units will have AC, and won't have to use window units.

Which someone would say, "Wow, that should have happened a long time ago," but we are just making that a reality.

STEVE MORALES: If you have older properties, your main systems, the stuff that residents don't necessarily see, the stuff under the ground, the heating and AC systems, which are usually centralized, not individual, a lot of those things begin to fail over time.

And so that's where a lot of the money seems to end up going.

ANGIE MILES: Housing authorities are tasked with maintaining the old, while working to find new partners and new approaches to deliver affordable living that is workable and worth the wait.

ANGIE MILES: Shovels in the ground.

Richmond leaders are celebrating a fresh start for one of the city's public housing communities.

Creighton Court is the first of six Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties slated for demolition and total makeover, a project years in the making and expected to impact about 10,000 current and former RRHA residents.

But it's not exactly a new beginning as this is just another step in the fulfillment of promises made to housing development residents in an effort to eliminate pockets of poverty, improve safety, and modernize homes.

STACY FAYSON-DANIELS: I would like to see our families to have the amenities that we have in terms of, you know, wifi, washer, dryer, 21st century stoves.

DENISE WINFREE: It cooks good, but it takes a lot for me to have to keep cooking and cooking when I can use a bigger stove space.

ANGIE MILES: Two years since Mosby Court resident Denise Winfree invited us into her home and listed her wishes.

The housing authority has a new CEO in place.

Steven Nesmith grew up in public housing and considers himself credible proof of what's possible for those who want more than what they've experienced so far in public housing.

STEVEN NESMITH: The challenge is making sure that we can move from articulating a vision to implementation, to literally closing out on deals.

Can we show that we made a difference for the residents?

ANGIE MILES: Since the demolition of the old units commenced, starting with Creighton, and the promise of better, newer, mixed income, mixed use residences was made, Winfree remains hopeful and engaged.

DENISE WINFREE: This new crew that we have up here now at the rental office is a good... Me, personally, I feel like they're a good crew.

They're pulling together with one another to pull with us.

STEVEN NESMITH: I tell my team, we're very smart people.

But at the end of the day, it's not our vision for what those communities should look like.

It should come from the residents.

So in Mosby Court, we have a developer, and we've begun community conversations.

DENISE WINFREE: The first time the company came out, oh, I wasn't really comfortable with what they showed.

Who wants to live in an apartment building, a tall building, where you're going to have some people, families are going to have children, children stomping and running over top of your heads.

Then you're going to have some people on medication that have health issues.

Some are afraid of heights, some people don't have families there to help them.

STEVEN NESMITH: The residents tell us what they want to look, what they want it to look like, and for us to go out and come back to them with architectural drawings and say, "Here are some possibilities after having listened to you."

DENISE WINFREE: Second meeting I went to, I saw different plans.

Very much interested.

Very much interested.

They had layouts that we had a chance to pick from and they were right interesting, rather good.

ANGIE MILES: Public housing throughout Virginia and nationwide started as a dream of affordable, but temporary shelter.

Former communities, mostly inhabited by Black people, and usually labeled as ghettos or slums were demolished to create something brighter.

However, challenges associated with poverty persisted and the consequences of isolation, limited transportation, and scarcity-driven crime have remained.

SECURITY OFFICER: We've had the fights.

STEVEN NESMITH: We brought in our own security force, not a police force, a security force.

And before that security force put one boot on the ground, we had 'em go out and talk to the residents.

It's been a resident-led initiative before they put one boot on the ground.

ANGIE MILES: Another challenge is similar to one faced all over Virginia, sufficient affordable units to address extensive waiting lists and household incomes that are not a match for rising rents.

These were concerns for community organizer and housing advocate Omari Al-Qaddafi when the promises of reinvention were first made.

OMARI AL-QADDAFI: I would much rather see public housing renovated and not turned over to a private developer or a private landlord.

ANGIE MILES: The skepticism remains central for him now.

He says he watches with caution as RRHA seems to be moving forward with plans as promised, but continues to displace public housing residents through planned and supported temporary relocation as well as through evictions for nonpayment of rent.

OMARI AL-QADDAFI: I can't even say that I'm optimistic.

Over the past few administrations, our residents concerns haven't really been taken into account.

ANGIE MILES: RRHA is having to manage with less public funding and with an evolving federal mindset.

The Federal Housing and Urban Development Program and those supported by its dwindling dollars are invested in moving more low income residents to a voucher-based system, enabling them to live in housing authority properties if they choose, or in privately owned units partnering with housing authorities.

And you'll see a similar set of solutions in play in cities across the commonwealth.

STEVE MORALES: As we look at the funding that we get from HUD, we know as we move forward in the future, that we will need to make some changes, some transformations.

And so a big thing that we're looking to do right now actually is we're working towards a conversion of much of our senior housing from public housing to project-based Section 8 housing.

A lot of the housing authorities across the nation have moved in that direction.

JOHN SALES: The voucher is the only route to make that happen, unfortunately.

We would love the federal government to step up and close that subsidy gap or bring more money to the table for housing authorities to redevelop public housing and then bring 'em back.

TOM FLEETWOOD: We do not have public housing in Fairfax County anymore.

We converted all of our public housing to a Section 8 subsidy, which is a much more stable funding platform.

Gives a lot more opportunity to residents and gives a lot more opportunity to the housing authority in terms of being able to do new development on formerly public housing land.

ANGIE MILES: Residents who've made the move into new facilities away from their previous homes.

Like those here in Richmond's Armstrong Renaissance, have expressed satisfaction with many upgrades and the emphasis on safety, support, and amenities.

But what about those displaced by demolition who've not found a suitable replacement?

Those who may want to move back to their old neighborhood when it's rebuilt, but without enough available units for them?

Or those who may be relying on rent remaining reasonable over time in a privately owned apartment.

DENISE WINFREE: Over in Creighton, some people went on and got their own place 'cause they don't want to live in public housing anymore.

Some people, from what I understand, are waiting for the new place to come up over there.

I'm hoping that over here would be the same, give us vouchers, from what they told us, that everybody would be eligible to come back to the new place.

That was what was said a few months back.

Now, you know, things change all the time, so I don't know what it's going to be.

ANGIE MILES: Many cities across Virginia are dealing with a shortage of available, affordable rental homes, and renters who can't keep up with the increasing costs do sometimes face eviction.

Charvalla West is the interim CEO of the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, which runs the Peninsula Eviction Reduction Program.

Thank you so much for joining us, Charvalla.

CHARVALLA WEST: Thank you for having me.

ANGIE MILES: So I'd like to actually start by talking a little bit about public housing, because, it has really been evolving.

We are seeing across the state, and across the nation, housing authorities moving away from what was thought of as traditional public housing, and moving towards partnerships, mixed income, mixed-use developments, with services, more on site for renters and for families.

healthcare services, childcare services, sometimes food, grocery stores, that sort of thing.

How does that impact your work at the United Way, and your efforts to help people find pathways out of poverty?

CHARVALLA WEST: I think it's a heavy lift for any community that's considering the work of revitalizing public housing.

I think it's necessary to ensure that everyone has a safe home, in a safe neighborhood that they can afford.

I think there are a lot of benefits to having more integrated communities where there's not a concentration of poverty.

I think we've seen the consequences of that.

But, it is complicated, and it is hard for the families who have to find other means, other places to call home, in the in-between time.

We've been very fortunate to participate with our local housing authorities and their partners, as folks are finding their way through this process over the last few years.

And we are hopeful, but it's really going to take all of us supporting these families along the way, to make sure that they do find the stability we all intend for them to have in the end.

ANGIE MILES: So, no matter how grand a vision is, there's likely to be some bumpiness along the way, right, to get to that vision, and you've just touched on what one of the issues is here.

As these developments are revitalized, remodeled, sometimes demolished, in order to build something new, those residents have to go somewhere, and there are a number of programs in place to help them to relocate temporarily, but that doesn't seem to be perfect.

Right, some of them don't come back to public housing, or don't choose to, some of them may want to, but, maybe there are not enough units.

Again, how does that intersect with what you're doing at the United Way?

CHARVALLA WEST: So I think it's important to recognize that sometimes when this happens, we're taking people out of their neighborhood, sometimes their generational neighborhood, where they have lived and their families have lived for a very long time, and there's an adjustment that has to happen.

It also changes what is available to a family, where maybe I could walk to the grocery store before or to the corner store, that may not be an option.

Maybe changes in schools, for children who are going to and from different neighborhoods.

And then once the housing is rebuilt, to have a more diverse income community, means that there are less units there for people who had lived there before.

So, there is some choice in that, of course, as people decide to stay or come back.

And so wherever they are, we need to make sure that they have access to the resources that can stabilize them during the transition, and most importantly, once that project is complete, are all of the folks who live there before going to be okay?

ANGIE MILES: Yeah.

Of course, everyone is hoping for the best outcomes, but we also have to prepare for or mitigate against some of the worst outcomes, and that is one of the things that you do.

We understand that, typically, or consistently rather, on the list of top evicting cities in America, in the top 10, five of those tend to be Virginia cities.

So five Virginia cities out of 10 nationwide are in the top tier of cities that evict people.

You, uniquely, have a program to help mitigate evictions, talk about that program.

CHARVALLA WEST: So two of those top 10 cities are right on the Virginia Peninsula, Newport News and Hampton.

The Virginia Peninsula is nine cities and counties, and it's very diverse, from more urban areas like Newport News and Hampton, to more suburban areas like the Greater Williamsburg area, and even some rural parts, in Gloucester and Matthews.

And what we have found over the last four years of administering the first ever Peninsula Eviction Reduction pilot, is that the landscape for housing has changed, and so how we respond to housing instability and eviction has to change with it.

One of the things that we've been able to do through this pilot, is really address the system in which all of us are navigating housing stability.

There are programs, and have been programs, particularly through the pandemic, that provided financial assistance, and temporary relief.

And what we saw, once those programs ended, is that evictions increased to the same levels they were pre-pandemic, if not higher.

At the same time, the cost of rental housing has increased, in some areas, more than 40%, of what it was just two years ago.

And so how we as a community respond to that, has to look differently than it did pre-pandemic.

So what we've done at United Way is we administer this pilot on behalf of the entire community, and we engage partners from the sheriff's department, who have to execute evictions, our local judges and attorneys, landlords, tenants, the nonprofit and human services community.

All of us are working together to look at what we can do differently to help stabilize folks who are struggling to pay their rent.

One of the ways we do that at United Way is we provide an advocacy and referral service called the Community Assistance Network.

It provides access to more than 150 partners across our community who are working to keep people housed, make sure they have basic needs, and provide some other stabilization supports.

So whether you live in Newport News and work in Hampton or work in Williamsburg and live in Newport News, you have one phone number that you can call to access all that's available to you, all that you're eligible for.

And because most of the families who are renting, facing eviction are also working, we do the legwork on behalf of those families.

So instead of "Here's a list of phone numbers to call," our team of advocates actually makes the calls for you, we connect with those partners, we provide the information they need so that you only have to tell that story one time.

And then we take all of the resources in our community that are available, we put them together to help stabilize that family.

In addition to that, we provide an eviction court navigation service that puts a human in the courtroom.

So when you're missing time from work to come to a courtroom and you're afraid and don't quite understand all the legal jargon, there's a human there who can say "This is what this means for you and your family.

Here are your rights, here are your options, and here's how the community can help you."

We've been able to do that, not just with tenants, but some of the landlords as well.

We've also been able to improve how we look at housing instability.

And not just measuring the number of filings or unlawful detainers, but also looking at the number of people who are actually losing their housing.

And then from there, measuring the effectiveness of our interventions to keep people housed once they are facing that unlawful detainer.

ANGIE MILES: And unlawful detainer, you want to clarify, is not the equivalent of an eviction, it's the first step.

CHARVALLA WEST: That's correct, so many tenants receive the notice that I have to go to court because I'm behind on my rent, and feel there's no recourse.

But that's only the first step, showing up to court can make a huge difference.

Talking to the landlord can make a huge difference.

And many residents and tenants don't realize that they can do that, or maybe they're afraid to, and that's where the eviction court navigation services, and the advocacy services that we provide, really can make a huge difference.

ANGIE MILES: And it's good to hear that you have people from all sides of the issue joining forces in partnership.

It's hard to believe that anyone delights in eviction, that anyone prefers that.

People would rather be paid, if they're landlords, people would rather not have to serve notices if they're in law enforcement.

People would rather have stable housing if they're having difficulty.

And it's good that you're addressing all of those different areas.

Who is the most likely person to receive an unlawful detainer notice, and be put on that path to eviction, or maybe evicted?

CHARVALLA WEST: So, I do want to respond first to your statement.

If we think about eviction as a traumatic event, being behind on your rent or not receiving rent as stress, the amount of toxic stress and trauma that's impacting so many people that you just mentioned in our community, really is making a difference in how we show up every day.

And so it's really important that we recognize that we are talking about people's lives, we're talking about children who are trying to go to school and get off the school bus at a place that they call home.

And so to answer your question, the two highest indicators for eviction are race and the presence of children.

In any community across the country, you will find that the most likely to be evicted are single mothers of color with children.

So when we talk about educational outcomes, when we talk about health outcomes, when we talk about community safety, we have to start by talking about stabilizing housing for people who need us.

ANGIE MILES: And certainly, it would be women of color who are single parents as much as anyone, needing security and stability in housing.

Your program is uniquely serving the Peninsula.

And you mentioned Hampton and Newport News, who are on the list of the top 10 cities for evictions pretty consistently.

Also, we should mention Richmond, Norfolk, and Chesapeake are also on that list.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of Virginia, if not all of the country, but if all of Virginia had access to resources such as what you are providing?

Is that starting to happen, perhaps?

CHARVALLA WEST: So, we're hopeful, and I think it's important to recognize that this is, we're in our fourth year of the pilot.

And not only can we talk about the number of people we've been able to help, which is phenomenal, we've been able to serve over 8,000 people in less than four years through this pilot.

But we can see the outcomes of the work that we're doing as a community.

We can see that in communities that work together, we can stabilize housing even when there is an unlawful detainer filing.

And while we are grateful for the support from the Department of Housing and Community Development to start and support this work, we've been able to leverage that with resources that were already in existence in our community.

And so with that, we've shared with the Virginia Housing Commission, and United Ways of Virginia, that through resource connection, through advocacy and referral, every community has a local United Way that can mobilize these resources in your respective community to make a huge difference.

ANGIE MILES: Okay, because this conversation could go on forever (chuckles), how can people find out more about what you offer, and how they might actually start a similar program where they are?

CHARVALLA WEST: So the Department of Housing and Community Development lists information around eviction reduction, as well as other resources, on the Virginia Peninsula, United Way is a phone call away.

(chuckles) Or, of, course you can go to our website, uwvp.org.

ANGIE MILES: Okay, thank you so much for this enlightening conversation and for the good work that you're doing to help people, so, we appreciate it, sure.

CHARVALLA WEST: Thank you, it's been truly a pleasure.

ANGIE MILES: Alright.

CHARVALLA WEST: Thank you.

ANGIE MILES: Charvalla West, thank you for joining us.

ANGIE MILES: Shovels in the ground.

Richmond leaders are celebrating a fresh start for one of the city's public housing communities.

Creighton Court is the first of six Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties slated for demolition and total makeover, a project years in the making and expected to impact about 10,000 current and former RRHA residents.

But it's not exactly a new beginning as this is just another step in the fulfillment of promises made to housing development residents in an effort to eliminate pockets of poverty, improve safety, and modernize homes.

STACY FAYSON-DANIELS: I would like to see our families to have the amenities that we have in terms of, you know, wifi, washer, dryer, 21st century stoves.

DENISE WINFREE: It cooks good, but it takes a lot for me to have to keep cooking and cooking when I can use a bigger stove space.

ANGIE MILES: Two years since Mosby Court resident Denise Winfree invited us into her home and listed her wishes.

The housing authority has a new CEO in place.

Steven Nesmith grew up in public housing and considers himself credible proof of what's possible for those who want more than what they've experienced so far in public housing.

STEVEN NESMITH: The challenge is making sure that we can move from articulating a vision to implementation, to literally closing out on deals.

Can we show that we made a difference for the residents?

ANGIE MILES: Since the demolition of the old units commenced, starting with Creighton, and the promise of better, newer, mixed income, mixed use residences was made.

Winfree remains hopeful and engaged.

DENISE WINFREE: This new crew that we have up here now at the rental office is a good... Me, personally, I feel like they're a good crew.

They're pulling together with one another to pull with us.

STEVEN NESMITH: I tell my team, we're very smart people.

But at the end of the day, it's not our vision for what those communities should look like.

It should come from the residents.

So in Mosby Court, we have a developer, and we've begun community conversations.

DENISE WINFREE: The first time the company came out, oh, I wasn't really comfortable with what they showed.

Who wants to live in an apartment building, a tall building, where you're going to have some people, families are going to have children, children stomping and running over top of your heads.

Then you're going to have some people on medication that have health issues.

Some are afraid of heights, some people don't have families there to help them.

STEVEN NESMITH: The residents tell us what they want to look, what they want to look like, and for us to go out and come back to them with architectural drawings and say, "Here are some possibilities after having listened to you."

DENISE WINFREE: Second meeting I went to, I saw different plans.

Very much interested.

Very much interested.

They had layouts that we had a chance to pick from and they were right.

interesting, rather good.

ANGIE MILES: Public housing throughout Virginia and nationwide started as a dream of affordable, but temporary shelter.

Former communities, mostly inhabited by Black people, and usually labeled as ghettos or slums were demolished to create something brighter.

However, challenges associated with poverty persisted and the consequences of isolation, limited transportation, and scarcity-driven crime have remained.

SECURITY OFFICER: We've had the fights.

STEVEN NESBITH: We brought in our own security force, not a police force, a security force.

And before that security force put one boot on the ground, we had 'em go out and talk to the residents.

It's been a resident-led initiative before they put one boot on the ground.

ANGIE MILES: Another challenge is similar to one faced all over Virginia, sufficient affordable units to address extensive waiting lists and household incomes that are not a match for rising rents.

These were concerns for community organizer and housing advocate Omari Al-Qaddafi when the promises of reinvention were first made.

OMARI AL-QADDAFI: I would much rather see public housing renovated and not turned over to a private developer or a private landlord.

ANGIE MILES: The skepticism remains central for him now.

He says he watches with caution as RRHA seems to be moving forward with plans as promised, but continues to displace public housing residents through planned and supported temporary relocation as well as through evictions for nonpayment of rent.

OMARI AL-QADDAFI: I can't even say that I'm optimistic.

Over the past few administrations, our residents concerns haven't really been taken into account.

ANGIE MILES: RRHA is having to manage with less public funding and with an evolving federal mindset.

The Federal Housing and Urban Development Program and those supported by its dwindling dollars are invested in moving more low income residents to a voucher-based system, enabling them to live in housing authority properties if they choose, or in privately owned units partnering with housing authorities.

And you'll see a similar set of solutions in play in cities across the commonwealth.

STEVE MORALES: As we look at the funding that we get from HUD, is that we know as we move forward in the future, that we will need to make some changes, some transformations.

And so a big thing that we're looking to do right now actually is we're working towards a conversion of much of our senior housing from public housing to project-based Section 8 housing.

A lot of the housing authorities across the nation have moved in that direction.

JOHN SALES: The voucher is the only route to make that happen, unfortunately.

We would love the federal government to step up and close that subsidy gap or bring more money to the table for housing authorities to redevelop public housing and then bring 'em back.

TOM FLEETWOOD: We do not have public housing in Fairfax County anymore.

We converted all of our public housing to a Section 8 subsidy, which is a much more stable funding platform.

Gives a lot more opportunity to residents and gives a lot more opportunity to the housing authority in terms of being able to do new development on formerly public housing land.

ANGIE MILES: Residents who've made the move into new facilities away from their previous homes.

Like those here in Richmond's Armstrong Renaissance, have expressed satisfaction with many upgrades and the emphasis on safety, support, and amenities.

But what about those displaced by demolition who've not found a suitable replacement?

Those who may want to move back to their old neighborhood when it's rebuilt, but without enough available units for them?

Or those who may be relying on rent remaining reasonable over time in a privately owned apartment.

DENISE WINFREE: Over in Creighton, some people went on and got their own place 'cause they don't want to live in public housing anymore.

Some people, from what I understand, are waiting for the new place to come up over there.

I'm hoping that over here would be the same.

Give us vouchers from what they told us, that everybody would be eligible to come back to the new place.

That was what was said a few months back.

Now, you know, things change all the time, so I don't know what it's going to be.

ANGIE MILES: Making our cities better, healthier, safer, that is the goal of urban renewal.

When it comes to revitalizing Virginia's urban centers, is what's best for some best for all?

What are the lingering harms from the history of mass-scale makeovers?

What is happening to people least able to afford shiny new cities?

And where is the help that so many need?

The ups, downs, and developments of redeveloping, next on VPM News Focal Point.

ANGIE MILES: Welcome to VPM News Focal Point.

I'm Angie Miles.

Everything is in a constant state of change.

It's scientific.

But the social impact of planned change can be challenging.

When it comes to improving our cities, it's hard to please everyone.

Updating the urban landscape can prompt delight, disillusionment, and destruction.

What are the lessons from history, and where are the opportunities to do the most good?

Charlottesville has been dealing with opposition over a recently approved zoning change.

Our Multimedia Reporter Keyris Manzanares explains the debate, including why some residents have concerns over population density, infrastructure capacity, and preservation of the city's charm.

ANGIE MILES: The City of Charlottesville responded to the lawsuit in March by filing a motion to dismiss, saying, quote, "The plaintiffs already have that which they now seek to deny to others: good, affordable housing in a desirable locality."

A hearing has been set for June 27 at 1:00 p.m. ANGIE MILES: Understanding that change can be difficult for many reasons, we asked people of Virginia to talk about how important it is to consider the past when planning for a city's future.

ANGIE MILES: In Roanoke, many people are still haunted by what happened to their homes, churches, and businesses in the '50s, '60s, and '70s.

City leaders oversaw the destruction of these properties in the name of urban renewal.

News Producer Adrienne McGibbon spoke with Roanoke community members who see echoes of the past in the newly proposed development plan.

ANGIE MILES: Over the past year, Roanoke city leaders have been drafting a formal apology to present to those uprooted by urban renewal.

Regarding Evans Spring, the city is waiting for developers to submit proposals that meet the requirements set for the area.

Community groups are still working to stop the development.

ANGIE MILES: Public housing in America is undergoing a major metamorphosis.

Most would call it a crisis.

Unlike public safety net programs like Medicaid and Food Stamps, funding for housing assistance does not automatically adjust to inflation or need.

Congress must continually approve demand-responsive spending increases, and Congress has not done that.

As housing costs and homelessness have risen significantly, only about one in four households that qualify for housing support actually receive any.

Two years ago, Focal Point gave an overview of plans to redevelop public housing in Richmond.

We have an update and a check on public housing across the state.

What we found is leaders pressed to find creative ways forward.

ANGIE MILES: Mixed-income housing, the use of vouchers, mixed-use development that brings services closer to residents are all mainstays of the new outlook.

Also, homeownership programs are prominent in most places, and Richmond boasts that its program is game-changing, relying on factors other than the traditional credit score.

Cities must also address where public housing residents will go during demolition phases and where they will ultimately land, as well as updating and repairing existing public housing units for as long as they remain standing.

We have part two on the state of public housing on our website.

ANGIE MILES: Nestled in the hills of southwest Virginia, the small town of Martinsville is undergoing a revitalization.

One of the key businesspeople driving the town's development was a local high school football star who did well in Texas real estate and decided to bring his business skills back home to Virginia.

Senior Producer Roberta Oster caught up with him outside his office.

ANGIE MILES: Striving, struggling, succeeding.

These are the stories of those working to improve Virginia cities.

And in every case, many thousands of urban dwellers' lives are in the balance.

To hear the full interview with Charvalla West of the United Way, part two of our public housing story, and more on this topic, visit our website, vpm.org/focalpoint.

You can share your story ideas there as well.

We thank you for joining us, and we'll see you next time.

TAMEKA ATWOOD: I think it's really important.

and I think like here also we really take that profile There's a lot of different place around here that we've restored, but we want to make sure that we can still tell the history of it, and they keep pieces of like the history in it.

ARIANA MORRIS: I think it's really important to preserve and recognize the past.

It's like that saying of, “If you dont know history, it really does repeat itself.

” So I think being aware of that, honoring that, but also modernizing things.

Again, to make sure we're maximizing the popularity of things and making it a place that people want to visit.

ELLIOT RANDOLPH: The old residents, generally are the ones who end up getting kicked out of where they've lived for their whole lives.

They're also kind of demonized in a lot of ways and, you know, viewed as... there are issues but, you know, they're lumped together as like criminals and whatever, like, you know, people messing up the city.

And then a lot of the people who come in to the city are not respectful of the people who were already there.

TAMEKA ATWOOD: I think it's really important.

and I think like here also we really take that profile There's a lot of different place around here that we've restored, but we want to make sure that we can still tell the history of it, and they keep pieces of like the history in it.

ARIANA MORRIS: I think it's really important to preserve and recognize the past.

It's like that saying of, “If you dont know history, it really does repeat itself.

” So I think being aware of that, honoring that, but also modernizing things.

Again, to make sure we're maximizing the popularity of things and making it a place that people want to visit.

ELLIOT RANDOLPH: The old residents, generally are the ones who end up getting kicked out of where they've lived for their whole lives.

They're also kind of demonized in a lot of ways and, you know, viewed as... there are issues but, you know, they're lumped together as like criminals and whatever, like, you know, people messing up the city.

And then a lot of the people who come in to the city are not respectful of the people who were already there.