Roanoke to receive more than $2.5 million in federal funding for affordable housing

WASHINGTON – The city of Roanoke will receive more than $2.5 million in federal funding for affordable housing.

Virginia's U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, announced Wednesday that $9.7 million in federal funding will support access to safe and affordable housing in Norfolk, Roanoke and Loudoun County.

The funding will address homelessness and support housing for low- and moderate-income Virginians. 

The money comes from three grant programs and totals $2,503,400 for Roanoke.

The allocation from each grant is listed below:

Community Development Block Grant Program

• Norfolk gets $4,384,883
• Roanoke gets $1,734,157
• Loudoun County gets $1,324,740
• Provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

HOME Investment Partnerships Program

• Norfolk gets $1,191,349
• Roanoke gets $622,255
• Provides formula grants to states and localities to fund a wide range of activities including building, buying and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership as well as providing direct rental assistance to low-income people. HOME is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households.

Emergency Solutions Grants Program

• Norfolk gets $366,887
• Roanoke gets $146,988
• Provides funding to engage homeless individuals and families living on the street, improve the number and quality of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families, rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families and prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless.