Posted by Jill Norcross on December 21, 2009 at 18:28:11:
Alexandria Announces First Neighborhood Stabilization
Program
Barbara Maxwell
Examiner.com
December 14, 2009
The city of Alexandria, Rebuilding Together Alexandria, and the Alexandria Housing Development
Corporation (AHDC), announced today that they will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on
Wednesday, December 16, to celebrate completion of the city’s first Neighborhood Stabilization
Program (NSP) project. The event will be held at 3810 Edison St., at 2:00 p.m.
The NSP, funded by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, provides
funding to localities and nonprofits to acquire foreclosed homes and to rehabilitate the units for
resale to low- and moderate-income, first-time homebuyers. The city and its partner organizations
received a grant of $936,955 to implement the project, which is located in the Hume Springs
neighborhood.
“The Neighborhood Stabilization Program is about bringing community organizations together to
improve housing conditions and to make these communities more vibrant places to live. The
continued collaboration of Alexandria, AHDC and Rebuilding
Together will foster neighborhood revitalization and help City residents and workers achieve
affordable and sustainable home ownership.” said Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille.
The Alexandria Housing Development Corporation, a non-profit developer and owner of affordable
housing in the City, is acquiring eligible properties through the NSP partnership. AHDC produces
and preserve affordable rental and for-sale housing for low- and moderate-income households.
AHDC recently completed The Station at Potomac Yard, an innovative mixed-use project which
delivered 64 new units of affordable and workforce rental housing.
Rebuilding Together Alexandria (RTA) has led the home rehabilitation component of the NSP. For
the Edison Street home, RTA mobilized nearly 50 volunteers who have replaced kitchen cabinets
and countertops, installed energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, replaced flooring, added new
lighting, weatherized and installed insulation and a vapor barrier, cleaned up the yard, and painted
the inside of the home. The family moving into the home will benefit from reduced electrical and
gas bills through the energy-saving items installed throughout the house.
The city of Alexandria Office of Housing helps identify eligible homeowners interested in
purchasing their first home through the NSP. The City offers free homebuyer training and can
provide down payment and closing cost assistance through two programs: the Homeownership
Assistance Program (HAP) and the Moderate Income Homeownership Program (MIHP).