Cool Lane Commons: A Collaborative Community Win 

Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) has completed the ambitious Cool Lane Commons project, which converted the former Seven Hills Health Care Center into supportive housing for people earning less than 50% of the average median income and experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness. Attended by dozens of community partners, including PlanRVA staff, the June 11 ribbon cutting was a true celebration of the mission-driven collaboration sustained over 13 years and through the pandemic among local government, community organizations, the adjacent Faith Community Baptist Church, and nonprofits—27 organizations —which enabled VSH to complete the Cool Lane Commons project.    

Cool Lane Commons provides 86 units with rent capped at 30 percent of a resident’s household income and a voucher system in place to ensure long-term affordability. It will prioritize housing people who have experienced chronic homelessness of twelve months or more, cumulatively or continuously. Thirteen units are fully accessible for residents with disabilities, and all units meet Virginia Housing’s universal design standards, serving the needs of all residents, regardless of their ability, mobility, or age. The building offers computer and phone rooms, laundry facilities, a fitness room, and a community gathering space. VSH administrative offices and a neighborhood resource center are housed in the building. The design prioritized sustainability.  It uses a photovoltaic solar array to reduce the building’s energy load and earned an EarthCraft Gold Certification for resource and energy efficiency.  

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Roscoe Cooper of the Henrico Board of Supervisors (and PlanRVA Commissioner) praised the effort as a “collective, collaborative win for our community.” Owned by the City of Richmond, the building’s location in Henrico required a creative partnership to meet zoning and permit requirements. The building had stood vacant since 2008, in bad shape due to flooding. Both localities contributed Community Development Block Grant funding from The US Department of Housing and Urban Development. PlanRVA, in partnership with Partnership for Affordable Housing, contributed $466,000 to this project, one of nine projects funded through a $3 million grant from Virginia Housing’s Affordable Housing Production Program. Necessary approvals were granted in 2019, and although the pandemic interrupted the process, the groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2022, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this June.  

VSH executive director Allison Bogdanović emphasized that homelessness is a solvable problem. Community members may have any number of reasons for being unable to afford secure housing, and partnerships like this one have begun to fill that gap. Founded in 1988, VSH has an impressive success rate, with 98% of residents remaining housed. Once they have secure homes, 70% maintain or increase their cash income by an average of $465 monthly. The next VSH project, expected in 2028, will provide 82 more units on Rady Street in Northside. The collaboration and dedication shown in this partnership—and the resulting well-designed, attractive, supportive housing—offer a model for building solutions. VSH continues to work towards its mission: making homelessness history in our region.