RRHA officials present and answer questions regarding future of Gilpin Court

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Tenants expressed their concerns over a redevelopment project during a Richmond city council meeting on Tuesday.

On June 17, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) presented and answered questions regarding the future of Gilpin Court. RRHA said the transfer would provide more flexibility to secure different types of for-profit funding that RRHA can't get. Without that money, the housing agency said it’s highly unlikely the property can be developed the way tenants requested.

City council members, including Ellen Robertson, Stephanie Lynch and Nicole Jones, inquired more about the organization's strategy for relocating tenants, securing funds to do that and one-to-one replacement.

Nesmith said redevelopment will be done in 10 phases and will be seeking tenant protection vouchers for all 781 Gilpin Court units.

Nesmith also said a tenant bill of rights will be made to allow any current resident to return to Gilpin once redevelopment is finished.

Gilpin Court resident Dreame Boyd said she still has questions regarding how the redevelopment process will be handled, but applauded the council for holding the CEO accountable.

Boyd said her goal is to be a part of the RRHA board and the decisions being made.

“I want to be a part of the entire development from start to finish and a part of the implementation phase that it states that we're going to be a part of,” Boyd said. “I am not against RRHA. I want to work with everyone.”

Resident Arthur Burton has owned a non-profit in Gilpin Court called Kin Folk Community Inc. for seven years. The non-profit focuses on uplifting low-income Black neighborhoods and eliminating food deserts.

Burton says redevelopment is exactly what the area needs, if residents and businesses in Gilpin aren’t being pushed out.

“I'm hoping that the leadership of RRHA will understand that this is not a us against them,” Burton said. “I believe the problem is way too big, too massive a problem for more than just one organization or one agency to solve.”

Nesmith said he'll be holding three future community engagement meetings for tenants who couldn't attend the committee meeting.