Powhatan County, VA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021

Project Category: Lifelong housing and accessibility

Description: The site of Powhatan's historic Pocahontas School sat unused for many years. Organizers with Habitat for Humanity saw the campus as an opportunity to provide needed affordable housing for local older adults. To envision possibilities for the space, Habitat hosted four community design. At the workshops community members worked with a local architectural firm to draw up plans to transform two school structures into apartment buildings offering one- and two-bedroom units. Once completed, the development will offer 21 new affordable housing units in total. Organizers say the charrette also helped attract 2.2 million in financing for the project. Going forward, Habitat plans to continue to explore ways to fill the area's growing need for affordable housing.

Richmond, VA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Public or private transit access

Description: To make waiting for the bus more comfortable and accessible for residents of the Northside neighborhood, Storefront for Community Design installed six benches. The organization partnered with Northside Strong, a coalition of community groups and local nonprofits, as well as environmental group Groundwork RVA. To determine the best locations for the benches, Northside Strong conducted a study and held public engagement sessions, which more than 200 residents attended. Project organizers then hosted multigenerational events where residents designed, painted and installed the benches. They offered stipends to 44 low-income community members for their time, labor and expertise throughout the project. Organizers with Storefront for Community Design say the community-wide collaboration shows the necessity of providing amenities, such as benches, for Richmond residents.