HomeAid Northern Virginia and one of our newest Builder Captains, Merritt Construction Services, recently completed a $100,000 renovation and build-out project for the House of Mercy Thrift Store and Food Pantry in Manassas. The building currently serves up to 1,800 people a month, including veterans, the elderly, those experiencing homelessness as a result of job loss, and families and individuals experiencing chronic poverty.

The project focused primarily on the addition of an interior, climate-controlled space for collecting and sorting donations – a big improvement over the parking lot collection area where volunteers and donations alike were exposed to harsh weather conditions. Merritt and nine trade partners also expanded a breakroom and kitchen area for the comfort and convenience of volunteers; dramatically increased storage and shelving space for both the food pantry and donation center; created an indoor walkway through the thrift store so that volunteers don’t need to walk outside; repainted the entire interior; and upgraded lighting fixtures with more efficient LEDs.

In addition to the now highly efficient space, this project will also mean significantly more funding available for House of Mercy programs that serve those in the community, thanks to the donated materials and expertise.

Welcome to the HomeAid family, Merritt Construction, and thank you for leading this important project! Many thanks to the following trade partners:

HomeAid Northern Virginia, Builder Captains Van Metre Homes and Toll Brothers, and 23 trade partners completed a large, $127,108 buildout project at Sibert House, a dedicated eight-apartment property owned by PathForward that is now home to chronically homeless individuals and veterans with significant needs and barriers to housing. The buildout and exterior refresh included the addition of a common room where residents can gather; laundry facilities; and an office for the onsite life skills coach, where staff can offer programming on topics as varied as learning life skills, acquiring equitable healthcare, and applying for benefits like Medicare and Medicaid, SNAP and WIC. Outside, fresh white paint on the brick façade, a new walkway and a beautiful pergola previously built by TouchStone Custom Homes were the finishing touches for the project.

Out of an abundance of caution, HomeAid Northern will not host a ribbon cutting due to covid-19 concerns, but we will celebrate the renovation and partnership in the spring with this organization that has, since 2007, helped 400+ people get into an apartment of their own, with 96 percent remaining in housing five years after placement.

The goal of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (FHA) was to prevent future discrimination, actively undo the lasting effects of historic discrimination, and “affirmatively further fair housing (AFHH).” Yet, the first meaningful AFFH regulations were not published until 2015 – almost 50 years after the passage of the FHA. Impediments identified in the Analysis of Impediments reports for the City of Alexandria and Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun Counties include lack of affordability; persistent residential segregation; and regulatory constraints.

Source: Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance

Homeownership is one of the primary mechanisms of wealth generation in the U.S., but it is increasingly unattainable for low and moderate income households: A case study in the Bailey’s Crossroads Corridor showed that less than 20% of single family homes are affordable to households earning 100% of the area median income (AMI) for the DC metro region, and households earning 100% of AMI for the Bailey’s Crossroads Corridor would need upwards of four decades of savings to afford a single family home through a conventional mortgage and a 20% down payment. (According to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, the Washington region’s AMI is $117,200 for a family of four.)

Source: Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance