Virginia Housing Grants Provide Modular Home in Powhatan
On a sunny February day in Powhatan, VA, Nikki and Aiden Chrimes watched emotionally as the two pieces of their modular home were craned onto their foundation. The roof was lifted to the structure soon after and volunteer landscaping crews from Habitat for Humanity began digging holes for magnolia trees donated by Hudgins Landscaping.
This story and many like it are made possible by partnerships and funding by Virginia Housing. In 2021, Virginia Housing dedicated $40M in the form of a one-time Planning District Commission grant to 21 localities across the state with the purpose of stimulating local housing stock. Nikki and Aiden’s home in Powhatan is just one of the projects coming to completion in 2023 due to PDC grant funding.
Powhatan Habitat for Humanity sited an innovative structure in their grant application process, which included a modular home that has been manufactured offsite and transported to the plot of land, where it was lifted by crane and placed on a pre-poured foundation. Virginia Housing distributed $50,000 in PDC grants to help with construction costs, and the homeowner completed both 200 hours of time working on other Habitat builds and the Virginia Housing homebuyer education class in order to qualify for the new home.
"This home means that my son and I finally have a safe place to land with no more worries about moving, raised rent, or instability. We can decorate and make this place our own," said Nikki Chrimes.