Virginia Housing Trust Fund Grants offers grants across the state

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Virginia recently gave out grants from the Virginia Housing Trust Fund to multiple organizations around the Commonwealth. These grants will help create more affordable housing and reduce homelessness.

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that more than $12 million are going to 68 projects around Virginia.

Three nonprofit organizations in the Valley- Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter, Mercy House and Valley Community Services Board- have received these grants.

“We are a family shelter for families who are experiencing homelessness. We also are a homelessness services organization that helps not only families but individuals get back into housing,” Shannon Porter, with Mercy House said.

Porter said that the money from the Virginia Housing Trust will go towards their Rapid Repair Program.

“We pay things like security deposits, first months rent, and sometimes short-term subsidy to get people stabilized in their new housing,” said Porter.

Katie Furneisen, with Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter said they plan to use the money in a similar way.

“We just received [the grant] for the very first time, so we are pretty excited. This is new for us to receive a Virginia Housing Trust Fund Grant,” she said.

Furneisen said that they will use the grant for their rapid Rehousing Program, which provides financial assistance to people who are classified as homeless into permanent housing.

“So we try to have a good presence in the community. Our service area is Shenandoah County, Page County, and Warren County and with the funding that we receive through HUD we participate with the Western Virginia Continuum of Care,” said Furneisen.