Sen. Mark Warner announced $500,000 for efforts in affordable housing

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) announced $500,000 in additional funding to help build more affordable housing.

On Monday, March 3, Henrico County leaders and Warner joined officials from SupportWorks Housing to announce that $500,000 in additional funding will be provided to help build a new affordable housing development to assist individuals who have experienced long-term homelessness.

The funding will go to Greenview Apartments, a 60-unit community planned for Richmond on Rady Street, off the Mechanicsville Turnpike. There will be various on-site services to support residents and help them keep their homes, according to the release.

“Permanent supportive housing is an important strategy for addressing chronic homelessness for vulnerable individuals in our community,” said Roscoe D. Cooper III, Board of Supervisors Chair of the Fairfield District. “This is not just safe and affordable housing. It provides much-needed services, improves the quality of life for these individuals and enables them to rebuild their lives."

(Photo: Henrico County)

(Photo: Henrico County)

(Photo: Henrico County)

Previously, Henrico and Chesterfield counties, along with the city of Richmond, collaborated to offer $9 million of their allocations of federal HOME-ARP funds to support the project.

The new funding announcement was made at Cool Lanes Commons, which is a supportive-housing community that was opened by SupportWorks Housing in 2024. Officials shared that 97% oof residents located at Cool Lane Commons have not returned to homelessness.

“We are proud of what Cool Lane Commons has done for this community and the people it serves, and we look forward to Greenview Apartments doing the same,” Cooper said.

Warner has applauded Henrico, Chesterfield and Richmond for their collaboration and work on funding affordable housing projects and acknowledged the SupportWorks Housing model, per the release.

“We need to copy this program and take it around the country — 97% of residents do not return to homeless, that is remarkable,” Warner said.

Warner said that in Washington, D.C., housing is “one of the last bipartisan issues.”

“There is recognition at the federal level that we have to do more,” he said. “You all are doing your part to make [the issue of affordable housing] better. This is a real partnership between jurisdictions.”

Warmer also noted that there is congressional work being done on a housing bill called the Housing for the 21st Century Act.

For more information, visit Henrico County's website here.