The Henrico County Board of Supervisors last night heard a draft proposal to create a partnership with a non-profit to help create affordable housing and deal with derelict properties in the Richmond area. Charles Fishburne reports.
Transcript:
Charles Fishburne: Under the proposal, the county would designate the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust as the county’s land bank.
Eric Leabough : The Trust is an existing non-profit providing land bank and community land trust services in the Richmond metro area.
Fishburne: Eric Leabough is the county’s Director of Community Revitalization.
Leabough : Land banks acquire, hold and convey real property on behalf of localities for the improvement of vacant, abandoned or tax-delinquent properties.
Fishburne: In June, the board approved 580 thousand dollars to purchase properties to rehabilitate and sell to low and middle income households. The new agreement would expand that to include other uses like public green space or commercial or mixed use development. Charles Fishburne, VPM News.
The trust has similar agreements with both Richmond and Chesterfield County. The board is expected to vote on the proposal November 26th.