VIRGINIA HOUSING ALLIANCE
205 N ROBINSON STREET, RICHMOND, VA 23220 www.vahousingalliance.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE VIRGINIA HOUSING ALLIANCE (VHA) IS A RESULT OF A MERGER BETWEEN THE VIRGINIA COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS (VCEH) AND THE VIRGINIA HOUSING COALITION INFORMATION SERVICES (VHCIS), TWO STATEWIDE ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. VHA WAS LAUNCHED ON JANUARY 1, 2016, WITH A MISSION OF EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND ENDING HOMELESSNESS THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION AND COLLABORATION. VHA IS OVERSEEN BY A 18-MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT IT SHARES IN COMMON WITH VIRGINIA HOUSING COALITION (VHC). VHC IS A SISTER STATEWIDE EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. THROUGH THE SHARED DIRECTION OF ONE COMMON BOARD THE MISSION TO PROMOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND END HOMELESSNESS IN VIRGINIA REMAINS A PRIORITY OF BOTH VHA AND VHC.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY: VHA HAS AN ACTIVE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE THAT WORKS YEAR ROUND TO FORM THE POLICY FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND MOVE VHA'S ISSUES FORWARD COVERING BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS POLICY. VHA DEVELOPED AN ONLINE ACTION CENTER TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR PENDING LEGISLATION REGARDING HOUSING ISSUES AT HTTPS://WWW.VAHOUSINGACTION.COM/ EVERY YEAR, VHA AND ITS PARTNERS HOLD A HOUSING DAY AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN RICHMOND, VA. AROUND 125 ADVOCATES GATHER FOR A MORNING TRAINING FOLLOWED BY MEETINGS WITH THEIR STATE LEGISLATORS TO DISCUSS ITEMS ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND DISCUSS HOUSING AND HOMELESS SERVICE NEEDS IN THEIR DISTRICTS. IN ADDITION TO OUR STATE HOUSING DAY AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, VHA CONDUCTS AN ANNUAL FEDERAL HOUSING DAY WHERE WE ORGANIZE A GROUP OF AROUND 50 ADVOCATES FROM AROUND THE STATE ON A TRIP UP TO WASHINGTON DC TO TALK WITH THE VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ABOUT OUR MAJOR FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES. SIMILAR TO STATE HOUSING DAY, WE DEVELOP A HOST OF MATERIALS TO SHARE WITH STAFFERS. EACH FALL, VHA CONDUCTS LISTENING SESSIONS AROUND THE STATE TO CONNECT WITH OUR GRASSROOTS SUPPORTERS, UPDATING OUR NETWORK ON OUR WORK, AND LEARNING WHAT THE HOUSING TRENDS AND ISSUES ARE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WE USE OUR NETWORK'S INPUT TO INFORM OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA EACH YEAR. VHA MAINTAINS A WEBSITE DEDICATED TO ONE OF OUR MAIN ISSUES, ADVOCATING FOR THE VIRGINIA HOUSING TRUST FUND WHICH FILLS FUNDING GAPS IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AND PROGRAMS. VHA'S HOUSING CREDIT CAMPAIGN - THE HOUSING CREDIT OR LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT (LIHTC), IS CURRENTLY THE MAJOR ENGINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NEW AND REHABBED AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING UNITS IN THE STATE AND NATIONWIDE. EVEN THOUGH THE PROGRAM HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD, HELPING PRESERVE MORE THAN 2.6 MILLION AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOMES NATIONWIDE IN ITS HISTORY WHILE MAINTAINING A LESS THAN 1% FORECLOSURE RATE, THE PROGRAM STILL FACES THREATS IN CONGRESS. THE HOUSING CREDIT IS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF PRIVATE CAPITAL TO ADDRESS THE WIDENING GAP BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS AND THE LOW-INCOME RENTERS IN NEED OF HOUSING. THE VHA TAKES A LEADING ROLE IN DEFENDING AND PRESERVING THE FEDERAL HOUSING CREDIT IN THE STATE AS WELL AS PROVIDING CRITICAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING THROUGH ITS ANNUAL HOUSING CREDIT CONFERENCE.

EDUCATION: THE PURPOSE OF THE VIRGINIA HOUSING EDUCATION AND LEARNING PARTNERSHIP (VA-HELP) IS TO PROVIDE A ONE-STOP RESOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND A RANGE OF OTHER ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN THE NONPROFIT HOUSING INDUSTRY IN VIRGINIA. DURING 2019, VHA CONDUCTED THE FOLLOWING TRAININGS: MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING, LANDLORD TENANT LAW TRAININGS, PSH LEARNING COLLABORATIVE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, FAIR HOUSING AND ACCESSIBILITY, LIHTC, AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE EMERGING LEADERS.

RESOURCES AND PROGRAM SUPPORT: VHA PRODUCED AND/OR MAKES AVAILABLE VIA THEIR WEBSITE NUMEROUS REPORTS TO BE USED AS A RESOURCE BY ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES CONCERNED WITH HOUSING. VHA RELEASED ITS 2017 OUT OF REACH REPORT FOR VIRGINIA JOINTLY WITH THE NATIONAL LOW INCOME HOUSING COALITION (NLIHC). NLIHC'S ANNUAL REPORT PROVIDES THE HOUSING WAGE AND OTHER HOUSING AFFORDABILITY DATA FOR EVERY STATE, METROPOLITAN AREA, COMBINED NON- METROPOLITAN AREA, AND COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY. THE HOUSING WAGE IS THE HOURLY WAGE A FAMILY MUST EARN, WORKING 40 HOURS A WEEK, 52 WEEKS A YEAR, TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE RENT AND UTILITIES FOR A SAFE AND MODEST HOME IN THE PRIVATE HOUSING MARKET. THE VVHA HAS PRODUCED THIS REPORT IN SUPPORT OF HOME MATTERS, A NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO MAKE HOME A REALITY FOR EVERYONE BY ELEVATING THE IMPORTANCE OF HOME'S IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S HEALTH, EDUCATION, PERSONAL SUCCESS, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THE ECONOMY. PARTICIPATING IN HOME MATTERS IS A COAST-TO-COAST COALITION COMPRISED OF MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, LEADERS OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED ABOUT INCREASING THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF HOME IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE 2013 VIRGINIA HOUSING TRUST FUND (VHTF) ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY DEMONSTRATES HOW INVESTMENTS MADE BY THE VHTF, NOT ONLY BENEFIT LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO CONTRIBUTE SUBSTANTIALLY TO VIRGINIA'S ECONOMY. VHA PRODUCED THE SIXTH EDITION OF THE HOUSING CREDIT RESOURCE DIRECTORY. THE DIRECTORY IS NOT AN EXCLUSIVE LIST OF SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR THE LIHTC INDUSTRY. IT IS GATHERED FROM DIRECT INPUT BY PROVIDERS AND FROM OTHER RELIABLE RESOURCES. VHA ALSO MAKES AVAILABLE VIA THEIR WEBSITE VARIOUS MATERIALS FROM THE 2019 HOUSING CREDIT CONFERENCE AND THE 2019 HOUSING VIRGINIA'S MOST VULNERABLE CONFERENCE, AS WELL AS PRIOR YEAR CONFERENCES.

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