Rappahannock Community Housing Partnership

The Rappahannock Community Housing Partnership is an initiative to identify, address, and remedy the housing needs of Rappahannock County. Facilitated by FHC, partnered with the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors, and fueled by an inter-agency cooperative effort, RCHP maintains a truly community-oriented vision. As cited in the Rappahannock Comprehensive Plan and noted by area social service workers, realtors, and employers, there is a growing community awareness of a lack of affordable housing options suitable for all county residents. It is the goal of RCHP to clarify and meet county housing needs in a sustainable and community-integrated manner.

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Survey of Housing Status & Need – Executive Summary
Rappahannock County, VA
Rappahannock Community Housing Partnership/Fauquier Housing Corporation
A study of the housing circumstances of the Public Employee Workforce &
Low to Moderate Income Senior Citizens of Rappahannock County, VA
Executive Summary Download (PDF format)

Click here to view the summary as a web page:

In the summer of 2007, Rappahannock Community Housing Partnership, a branch of Fauquier Housing Corporation, distributed a Survey of Housing Status & Need to the employees of Rappahannock County Public Schools (RCPS) and Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO). In the winter of 2007-08 an adapted version of the same survey was distributed to a sample of low to moderate income senior citizens of Rappahannock County. Together, RCPS and RCSO survey participants represent a large majority of the public employee workforce and therefore a significant sector of those residents needing access to housing in Rappahannock County. The senior citizens, as a group with fixed incomes, specific housing design needs, and an increasing population, represent a sector of our community necessitous of affordable and accessible housing resources. Assessing the housing needs and status of these two significant demographic sectors is an important first step in ensuring that “affordable housing be available to all socio-economic levels,” as set forth in the vision statement of the Rappahannock County Comprehensive Plan.
The following Executive Summary outlines the key findings of the Survey of Housing Status & Need distributed to the afore-mentioned focus groups. The first section presents key findings of the Public Employee Workforce Housing, providing data from the individual Public School and Sheriff’s Office Housing Survey data, in addition to Combined Workforce figures. The second section of this summary highlights key findings of the Low to Moderate Income Senior Citizen Housing Survey. Complete documents of all three housing surveys can be accessed by visiting www.rapphousing.org or call the Fauquier Housing Corporation Office – 540-341-2805.

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Documents:

NEW ! - PDF of Accessory Dwelling Unit Presentation - (1 MB) - document

Preliminary Housing Needs Assessment Report Feb. 2007 Available: web or document

Draft Document: Rappahannock County Survey of Housing Status & Need:

Available: web or document

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RCHP Community News
September 21st, 2007 – Volunteer Fire Department Association Meeting - Sperryville Fire Hall
RCHP arranged with Emergency Services director, Richie Burke, and VFD Association president, Paul Komar to distribute the Housing Survey among the eight VFD’s in Rappahannock County. We were given the opportunity to introduce and distribute the survey (via the individual Company presidents) during the monthly VFD Association meeting on September 21st. The survey deadline is October 31st, and collection of surveys will be coordinated by Richie Burke. We are grateful for his help in facilitating a relationship with the VFD’s, who’s members are geographically spread out.

September 27th, 2007 – Elder Care Coalition Meeting – Rappahannock County Library
Elder Care Coalition (ECC) is a network of area non-profit and civic groups, senior transportation and health care providers who get together on a monthly basis to address local issues effecting seniors, educate one another on new services and resources available to seniors, and share resources.RCHP was invited to the September 27th meeting, both to be introduced to their initiatives, and as a guest speaker.

Lea Vittitow attended and gave a brief presentation consisting of an introduction to RCHP (including background info on FHC and RBH), and a summary of our current housing study project.
Other attending members of the ECC showed appreciation and interest of the plan to address local seniors in the housing survey. A few offered ideas of ways to access a wider variety of resident seniors, such as churches, Lions Club, men’s groups, the Rappahannock Senior Center, and those senior clients of the Department of Social Services.

Good contacts were made and RCHP will continue to stay abreast of the Elder Care Coalition’s work, including an emergency house repair/weatherizing program some of the members ( from the Rappahannock Community Care Coalition)are attempting to establish.

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directions:

Contact chris@fauquierhousing.org for further information.

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