A Farm Credit employee reads to students at Sheffey Elementary School.
A Farm Credit employee reads to students at Sheffey Elementary School.
Open Door, officials break ground for 32-unit affordable housing complex in Wytheville
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine stands on the future home of the Monroe North complex as he listened to speakers at a Wednesday morning ceremony.
Officials, including U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, break ground for the affordable housing project.
Open Door Community's executive director, Jordan Stidham, showed the project's plan to U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine joined state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of a 32-unit affordable housing complex in Wytheville Wednesday. For one of the local leaders, the project’s design was deeply personal, stemming from a childhood spent in subsidized housing.
The Monroe North affordable housing development project was initiated by the non-profit Open Door Community.
Jordan Stidham, Open Door’s executive director, told the gathering that he grew up living in subsidized housing, often trailer parks. As a kid, he said he was ashamed of where he lived and didn’t want his friends to come visit. He would go to their houses.
Working on housing projects today, Stidham said, “It should blend into the community…. You should be proud of this is in your neighborhood.”
Of Monroe North, he declared that his 10-year-old self would be proud to call it home.
For this project, which is at 810 West Monroe St., Stidham noted that agencies from across the Commonwealth have come together to make the project happen. Locally, Open Door is partnering with Mount Rogers Community Services.
He also cited the support of the Town of Wytheville.
Luke Tate with Virginia Housing described Open Door as being “on the frontlines of assisting disadvantaged Virginians.”
Tate noted a Mount Rogers Planning District Commission study that found this region has a housing deficit of 2,500 units.
From Virginia Housing, he also said that Monroe North received $3.1 million in 4% low-income tax credits and $6 million in Housing Opportunity tax credits.
The project, Tate said, is “only possible through true collaboration.”
Kaine was able to secure $1.5 million through a Community Directed Spending appropriation in fiscal year 2024.
At Wednesday's groundbreaking, the senator said, “This is such an important day.”
While housing used to be a greater problem in urban areas, Kaine said it’s also become critical across Virginia. Many people, he said, are being priced out.
Kaine, a former fair housing attorney, also noted that projects like this one are challenging with so many partners. “You’ve got to have a lot of people around the table to make this happen,” he said.
Last month, Kaine helped pass the bipartisan 21st Century Road to Housing Act, legislation designed to build more homes, bring housing costs down, and expand access to affordable housing. The bill incorporates provisions from several pieces of legislation that Kaine has introduced, including improving transparency of mortgage loans for veteran homebuyers, creating a pilot grant program to support new housing and community development activities, creating a down payment assistance fund for first-time homebuyers, and ending tax breaks for large institutional investors that buy single-family homes.
Stidham anticipates that vertical construction of Monroe North will be completed in September 2027 with the units ready for people to call them home by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
Kaine’s Southwest Virginia itinerary covered three days and included multiple housing stops as well as health-care oriented visits.
On Tuesday, he visited Emory & Henry University’s School of Health Sciences in Marion. There he met a Wythe County student who is taking part in Southwest Virginia Healthcare Excellence Academy Laboratory School and is now considering building on her education at the School of Health Sciences. Through SWVA HEALS, high school students from Smyth County and Wythe County attend classes on the E&H Marion campus.
The program also serves Bristol and Washington County students who want to explore a healthcare career.
HEALS students also have access to clinical skills labs, science labs, simulation labs, computer labs, and state-of-the-art equipment,
Kaine also met with School of Health Sciences students and faculty members to discuss their needs as well as healthcare affordability and accessibility.
Having a Blast with the sheriff
Sheriff Anthony Cline recently announced a new traffic safety initiative, rewarding county children who are caught in proper car seats and wearing their seat belts.
The initiative, “Sweet Treats for Safe Seats,” will hand out 10,000 coupons for a free Sonic Blast, a cup of vanilla soft-serve blended with candy or cookies.
The Wythe County Sheriff’s Office said deputies would be on patrol, looking for properly secured children.
“This is our way of saying thank you to kids who buckle up and stay safe on the road,” Cline said. “Wearing your seatbelt is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself, and we want to make it something kids can get excited about.”
National data show that a significant number of children killed in traffic crashes each year were not properly restrained, highlighting the importance of seat belt and car seat use in saving lives.
“Every child deserves to get home safely,” Cline said. “If a Sonic Blast helps a child remember to buckle up, then it’s worth it.”
“Safety can be fun,” Cline added. “We’re building good habits, protecting our kids and strengthening relationships between our deputies and the families we serve.”
In other law enforcement news, the Town of Wytheville has finished installing blue light safety poles in Withers Park, Elizabeth Brown Park, the Wytheville tee-ball park and Crystal Springs Recreation Area.
The poles offer a connection to the Wythe County 911 center at the push of a button.
Trey Ward, Rural Retreat
Trey Ward, Rural Retreat
