News

05/14/2013CHP One of Top 50 Affordable Housing Owners in Nation: Christiansburg, Va. – Community Housing Partners (CHP) was recently named to a list of the nation’s top 50 affordable housing owners by Affordable Housing Finance magazine, as presented in the periodical’s April/May, 2013 issue. More
04/23/2013A Home for Heroes: Richmond, Va. -- Nine CHP employees volunteered on April 22 to help renovate a century-old house that will become housing for formerly homeless veterans as part of the Partnership for Housing Affordability's sixth annual Affordable Housing Awareness Week in Richmond, Virginia. More
04/03/2013CHP Named Multifamily Contractor of the Year: Christiansburg, Virginia - For the third time in five years, CHP has been honored with one of EarthCraft Virginia's annual Sustainable Leadership Awards. The Richmond-based green building certification and education program recently named CHP as Multifamily Contractor of the Year for its exceptional commitment to sustainable housing. More
03/28/2013Homework Helps Homeowners Hold on to American Dream: Christiansburg, Va. – Receiving housing counseling before you buy a home just might determine whether or not you are able to hold on to it in the future, local nonprofit Community Housing Partners (CHP) announced today. More
03/15/2013Keys to Stability: Community Housing Partners (CHP), a leading provider of affordable housing and homeownership education and counseling in Virginia and Florida, applauded the recent release of a new report by the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) Housing Commission that offered bold recommendations for strengthening the availability of homeownership and rental housing choices at all stages of a person's life. The report follows the worst housing downturn since the Great Depression that has affected the housing future of young and old alike. More
02/28/2013Children Honor the Spirit of MLK Through Service: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. More
02/11/2013The Tax Man Cometh: Christiansburg, Va. – Homeownership offers many benefits, but this time of year, one of the most attractive is the ability to deduct the mortgage interest paid each year from a homeowner’s taxable income. More
02/04/2013CHP and Partners to Teach Property Managers How to Think Green: Christiansburg, Va. – With a $150,000 grant from NeighborWorks America’s Collaborative Model program, Community Housing Partners (CHP) will work for the next two years with two additional NeighborWorks organizations to assemble and develop curriculum for a comprehensive web-based, green property management training program. More
01/28/2013CHP Announces 2012 Employees of the Year: Each year, CHP recognizes employees who have demonstrated exemplary services that help the organization further its mission to create sustainable, affordable housing across the southeast. The following five staff members were recently honored for their professional commitment and hard work as CHP’s 2012 Employees of the Year. More
01/14/2013Lexington, NC Celebrates Renewal Historic Building's Renewal: Community Housing Partners (CHP) President and Chief Executive Officer Janaka Casper can tick off the extensive repairs and upgrades that his organization took on in order to renovate the 63 affordable apartment units located in the old Lexington Memorial Hospital, in Lexington, N. C. More
01/04/2013CHP Receives Dazzling Honor: Christiansburg, Va. -- Community Housing Partners (CHP) is proud to announce that it has received the Diamond Diversity Award from the New River Valley Society for Human Resources Management (NRV SHRM) Board of Directors for exemplifying inclusive excellence in employee recruitment and retention strategies, programs and offerings, and contributions to making the New River Valley an attractive and inviting place to live and work. More
12/11/2012CHP One of First in Nation Named a NeighborWorks Green Organization: Christiansburg, Va. – Being a green business seems natural to an organization like CHP whose roots were established in weatherization work for low-income Appalachian families 37 years ago and has grown into a 365-employee company committed to to creating affordable, green, sustainable housing opportunities and services for communities in the southeast. More
12/07/2012Building a Brighter Future for Disabled Veterans: Reprinted with permission from VBCDCConstruction of Cedar Grove Apartments, an affordable 32-unit supportive housing rental community, began in early July 2012 at 904 Broad Meadows Boulevard in Virginia Beach. The two nonprofit developers, VBCDC (Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation) and its CHDO affiliate Southeastern Virginia Housing Corporation (SVHC), awarded the construction contract to the Class A general contracting division of Christiansburg-based Community Housing Partners (CHP). More
11/21/2012Turkey Time in Tallahassee: Tallassee, Fl. - Thanksgiving is now just one day away and at least 102 Tallahassee families have something to be thankful for. More
11/20/2012Christiansburg Home Gets a Makeover Just in Time for Thanksgiving: Christiansburg, Va. – Tammy Roberts knew Thanksgiving would be difficult as she dealt with the recent death of her husband Kyle from cancer and faced an overwhelming list of home repairs necessary for her safety and wellbeing, but a $15,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation and a group of committed community members mean the holidays will now be a little bit brighter for the Christiansburg resident. More
11/19/2012Pulaski Residents Are All Smiles Thanks to Dental Program: Christiansburg, Va. - Like many Americans, a number of residents at CHP’s Bluegrass Community Apartments in Pulaski, Virginia are without adequate dental insurance coverage and find a visit to the dentist’s office is beyond their budget. More
11/13/2012Record Producer Brings Thanksgiving to Va Beach Apartment Community Where He Grew Up: Virginia Beach, Virginia – Acclaimed music industry executive Floyd “Danja” Hills knows what it is like to wonder if there will be a turkey on the table at Thanksgiving. But on November 17, he and fellow N. More
11/06/2012CHP Recognized With National 'Friend of Housing' Award: Christiansburg, Virginia - Christiansburg-based Community Housing Partners (CHP) has been a strong advocate for affordable housing since its beginnings in 1975, and recently its efforts were recognized by the largest organization of housing educators and researchers in North America when the group designated CHP as the recipient of its national “Friend of Housing” award. The Housing Education and Research Association (HERA) selected CHP for its “significant role in supplying housing in the region,” and its long history of commitment to mission, according to Dr. More
10/31/2012CHP Welcomes New AmeriCorps Members: The first week of October was an exciting time for CHP because it marked the arrival of 13 new AmeriCorps State members who will perform resident services work with the organization for an entire year. These motivated individuals have been placed at multifamily communities across CHP’s Virginia footprint and will coordinate programs for residents under the supervision of Resident Services Coordinators. More
10/17/2012Celebrating Health & Diversity: On the cool, quiet night of September 29, eight CHP employees and one board member attended the 37th Montgomery County/Radford City/Floyd County NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet at the Inn at Virginia Tech. As a bronze sponsor of the event, CHP was presented with a plaque to commemorate the evening. More
10/08/2012Show & Tell: NRCERT's Open House Event: What better place to kick off National Energy Awareness month than at one of the most energy-aware places in the country? CHP’s New River Center for Energy Research and Training (NRCERT) did just that when it hosted an open house event on October 5. There was plenty to celebrate, including NRCERT’s recent training of its 30,000th participant since its establishment in 1999 and the weatherization of our nation’s one-millionth home by the federal Weatherization Assistance Program since 2009. More
09/25/2012Our Valued VISTAs: As schools around the country welcome students to their classrooms, CHP also extends a hearty greeting to its newest "class" of AmeriCorps VISTA members. The six individuals featured below will work for one year out of the Christiansburg office, helping to revitalize and stabilize neighborhoods suffering from the negative effects of a difficult economy. More
09/24/2012A President's Promise: For many Americans, the chance to see a sitting U. S. More
09/21/2012Introducing the MTS Team: The combined creative and technical expertise of the Media Technology Solutions (MTS) team at CHP’s New River Center for Energy Research & Training (NRCERT) is pretty impressive. This team of three (Tom Snediker, Training Program Project Manager; Alan Scherry,Training Program Specialist/Videographer; and Van Garnett, Media and Graphic Content Designer) provides training and learning solutions for its trainees--and external clients--using media and technology. More
09/10/2012National Energy Awareness Month Kick-Off Event to be Held at NRCERT: CHP's New River Center for Energy Research & Training (NRCERT) will be kicking off National Energy Awareness Month and celebrating the training of over 30,000 participants at an open house gathering Friday, October 5 from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM at 550 Industrial Drive in Christiansburg, Virginia. Since 1999, NRCERT has provided innovative training in state-of-the-art residential energy conservation techniques, home performance testing, and heating/cooling equipment diagnostics, repair and replacement. More
08/24/2012CHP's Architecture Division Turns Ten: Ten years ago, CHP recommited itself to reducing the environmental impact of affordable housing, while promoting economic self sufficiency and long-term social well bing for its residents. This focus on sustainable housing opportunities coincided with the arrival of Frederick P. More
08/23/2012America's Night Out Against Crime: Friends. Family. More
07/31/2012Grant Supports Technology Upgrades at Low-Income Communities: Christiansburg, Va. – Community Housing Partners (CHP) is pleased to announce the receipt of a $9,000 grant from Wells Fargo on July 26. More
07/10/2012Kamilia Lawson Named 'Top 40 Under 40' in Housing: Christiansburg, Va. – Kamilia Lawson, Director of Homeownership and Principal Broker with Community Housing Partners (CHP) and CHP Realty, was recently selected for a prestigious "Top 40 Under 40" award by the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) and the Virginia Housing Coalition (VHC). More
07/02/2012CREATES Program Recognized for Economic Innovation: Christiansburg, Va. – Community Housing Partners (CHP) is pleased to announce the CREATES program has received a 2012 Innovator Award winner by Southern Growth Policies Board. More
06/27/2012CHP Realty First in Region With Certified Earth Advantage Brokers: Christiansburg, Va. – Christiansburg-based Community Housing Partners (CHP) is proud to announce that Kamilia Lawson and Skip Slocum of CHP Realty recently became certified Earth Advantage Brokers®, making them the first licensed real estate agents in the New River Valley to receive this accreditation. More
06/18/2012Davidson Affordable Housing Community Celebrates Renovations & Renewal: Christiansburg, Va. - “Five years ago, Oak Hill Apartments was in danger of being torn down and replaced with market-rate housing. More
06/14/2012NRCERT First Weatherization Training Center to Become Nationally Accredited: Christiansburg, Virginia – As of June 7, the New River Center for Energy Research and Training (NRCERT), a division of Christiansburg-based Community Housing Partners (CHP), is the first U. S. More
06/13/2012National Homeownership Month Highlights Merits of Owning a Home: Christiansburg, Virginia – Owning a home benefits individuals and families, but also gives vitality to America's cities and towns and creates that sense of community that is important to so many Americans. In recognition of the powerful rewards of homeownership, Community Housing Partners (CHP) is celebrating National Homeownership Month throughout the month of June. More
06/11/2012CHP & Home Depot Partner Give Local Family a Home Makeover During National NeighborWorks Week: Christiansburg, Va. - When CHP and the Christiansburg, Virginia Home Depot learned this spring of a local family struggling to make ends meet, the two companies were moved to immediate action. More
05/29/2012Farmville Affordable Housing Community Gets a Makeover: Christiansburg, VA – The thirty-seven-year-old Parkview Gardens Apartments in Farmville, Virginia recently underwent an extensive transformation as its owner and manger, Community Housing Partners (CHP), performed numerous upgrades to the aging community. On May 21, a dedication ceremony was held to celebrate the affordable rental housing community’s renovation and those who helped make it happen. More
03/20/2012Florida Residents Foster a Sustainable Community: Sometimes, the most important thing one can do is to give back to the community. Eartha Webster and Cathy Spencer, both residents at CHP’s Sunrise Place Apartments in Tallahassee, Florida, are living examples of what it means to give back. More
03/16/2012Community Housing Partners' Mark Jackson Recognized as "Cool Citizen": Christiansburg, Va. – Everyone wants to be cool, but how many of us can consider ourselves cool citizens? Mark Jackson, the vice president of the New River Center for Energy Research and Training (NRCERT), a division of Community Housing Partners (CHP), can count himself among the lucky few who were recently named a Roanoke Valley Cool Citizen. More
03/09/2012New Pulaski Homes a Celebration of Community and Collaboration: Christiansburg, Virginia — A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating six all-new affordable homes in Pulaski’s Dora Highway neighborhood was held on March 8 at the Pulaski Railway Station. The single-family homes were designed by Community Design Studio, LLC (CDS), the architectural arm of Community Housing Partners (CHP), and constructed by CHP’s in-house general contracting team. More
03/07/2012New Single-Family Homes Important Part of Pulaski's Revitalization: Christiansburg, Virginia — A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating six all-new affordable homes in Pulaski’s Dora Highway neighborhood will be held on Thursday, March 8, 11:00 AM, at the Pulaski Railway Station. The single-family homes were designed by Community Design Studio, LLC (CDS), the architectural arm of Community Housing Partners (CHP), and constructed by CHP’s in-house general contracting team. More
02/24/2012"Speed Dating" Energy Efficiency Style: "Speed Dating" Energy-Efficiency Style Roanoke citizens joined experts to chat about conservation and home energy efficiency Dating is serious stuff. You don’t want to invest your heart or time in something that won’t work out. More
02/24/2012Homebuyer Education Classes Walk Participants Through the Maze of Homeownership: The prospect of buying a home can be overwhelming to many, but free homebuyer education classes offered by Community Housing Partners (CHP) can provide New River Valley and Richmond-area residents with the knowledge and confidence needed to purchase a home. CHP, a nonprofit community development corporation, has been assisting families with their housing needs for over 35 years. More
02/24/2012Growing Green Jobs in Southwest Virginia: Story by: Denise Young, Assistant Editor, Virginia Tech Magazine Reprinted with permission from the department of Outreach & International Affairs, Virginia Tech A recent $3. 8 million grant has left southwest Virginia poised for the future—a greener future, that is. More
01/09/2012Free Homebuyer Education Classes a Valuable Resource for Prospective Homeowners: Christiansburg, Va. - The prospect of buying a home can be overwhelming to many, but free homebuyer education classes offered by Community Housing Partners (CHP) can provide New River Valley and Richmond area residents with the knowledge and confidence needed to purchase a home. More
01/05/2012CHP's Chris Heslep Honored by U.S. Department of Energy: Christiansburg, Va. – Chris Heslep, a thirty-year-veteran of Community Housing Partners’ (CHP) energy services department, recently received a National Recognition Award from the U. More
11/30/2011CHP Welcomes Newest AmeriCorps VISTA Members: Christiansburg, Virginia – For many, Fall is about the beginning of school, the beginning of football, and the beginning of cooler temperatures. Fortunately, for Community Housing Partners (CHP), it is also the beginning of a new service year for eight new AmeriCorps VISTA members. More
02/28/2011Newlyweds Buy First Home With CHP's Help: Christiansburg, Va - As they listened to CHP’s Principal Broker, Kamilia Lawson, describe a new single-family development being designed and built by CHP on Cedar Hill Drive in Blacksburg, Virginia, outdoor enthusiasts Stephen and Amy Englund knew they were finally ready to make the leap into first-time homeownership. . More
11/09/2007CHP Recipient of National Home Depot Foundation Award: Christiansburg, Va. – Community Housing Partners (CHP) announced today that it won first place in a national competition for designing and constructing the Roanoke-Lee Street Project in Blacksburg, VA. More
10/23/2007Stephens City Townhomes Dedication: Stephens City, Va. - Powerful wind gusts and gray skies could not keep potential home buyers or Congressional staff members away from the dedication of six new condominiums designed and built by CHP in Stephens City, Virginia. More
08/30/2007Blacksburg Honored for Website and Affordable Housing: Blacksburg, Va. - This October, the Virginia Municipal League will honor the Town of Blacksburg with two achievement awards at its statewide conference. More
08/27/2007CHP Featured in Housing Assistance Council's Rural Voices Publication: Christiansburg, Va. - Community Housing Partners (CHP) was recently featured in the Housing Assistance Council's summer 2007 publication of Rural Voices, a magazine covering rural housing and development issues. More
08/16/2007Town of Davidson Approves Grant Allowing CHP to Purchase Oakhill Apartments: Davidson, NC - The Town of Davidson approved a grant that would allow Community Housing Partners (CHP) to purchase Oakhill apartments and maintain the 72-units as affordable housing. "We are pretty excited to save the units of affordable housing," Town Manager Leamon Brice said during the town board meeting. More
08/09/2007Lowe's Heroes Replace Fencing at Horse Facility at Tekoa's Girls' Campus: Pilot, Va. – On Tuesday, August 7, Christiansburg Lowe’s employees took their home improvement skills on the road as they helped improve the safety of the horse facility at Tekoa, an at-risk youth residential treatment center in Floyd, Va. More
08/02/2007CHP Receives $275,000 in Flexible Second Round Grant Funds: Christiansburg, Va. – Community Housing Partners (CHP), a member of the national NeighborWorks network, is receiving $275,000 in flexible grants – a much-needed affordable housing boost from NeighborWorks® America. More
07/28/2007Town of Blacksburg, CHP Celebrate New Neighborhood Park: Blacksburg, Virginia—On July 28, the Town of Blacksburg and Community Housing Partners (CHP) hosted a dedication ceremony to celebrate Page Park, one of the town’s newest neighborhood parks located on Prospect Street beside Dayspring Christian Academy. Mayor Ron Rordam, members of the Page family, and Town of Blacksburg and CHP representatives will join with Roanoke and Lee Street neighbors to celebrate the completion of this park. More
06/22/2007CHP Resident Services Receives $15,000 Bank of America Grant: Richmond, Va. - Investing in the future success of our residents has always been at the core of Community Housing Partners' (CHP) mission. More
06/21/2007CHP Architect Colin Arnold Receives Virginia Housing Coalition Award: Richmond, Va. - On June 21, the Virginia Housing Coalition (VHC) honored Colin Arnold, Community Housing Partners' (CHP) Architect with a 2007 Housing Leadership Award for Designer/Architect. More
05/01/2007Local Non-profit Receives Two State Honors for Environmental Leadership: Christiansburg, Virginia – Coming off the heels of a national 2007 Energy Star® Partner of the Year award, Community Housing Partners (CHP) recently received two state honors for environmental leadership and sustainable building On May 3, the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) honored five individuals and organizations from government, corporate, non-profit and community sectors within the Commonwealth who have set themselves apart as leaders in conservation and sustainability at the Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond. CHP President and CEO Janaka Casper and Architect Colin Arnold accepted a 2007 Conservation Award for Non-profit Leadership in Green Building and Sustainability. More
05/01/2007Community Housing Partners Receives $13,500 Expendable Grant Award from Wachovia Foundation: Christiansburg, Va. – Community Housing Partners (CHP) announced today that it received a $13,500 grant from Wachovia Foundation to increase its efforts in the community to promote long-term, stable homeownership through quality homebuyer education and counseling. More
04/28/2007Community Housing Partners Participates in First New River Valley Green Home Tour and Seminar: Blacksburg, Va. – The first of its kind in southwest Virginia, Community Housing Partners (CHP) joined local businesses and non-profits to create the New River Valley Green Home Tour and Seminar on April 28. More
04/28/2007Community Housing Partners Residents and Staff Join with Virginia Tech Students to Plant Living Memorials: Blacksburg, Va. – On April 28, Virginia Tech students planted maroon and orange Hokie flower gardens throughout the New River Valley as a living memorial to Virginia Tech’s students and faculty whose lives were lost on April 16. More
04/26/2007CHP's Energy Services Receives Recognition from Local Community Action Agency for Weatherization Work: Williamsburg, Va. – In celebration of 39 years of service, the Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency (W-JCC Community Action Agency) honored individuals and organizations that have strengthened and enhanced the agency by contributing time, energy and resources. More
04/20/2007CHP Breaks Ground on Boodry Place, First Kentucky Multi-family Project: Morehead, KY – With partners Frontier Housing and the City of Morehead, Community Housing Partners (CHP) broke ground on CHP’s first multi-family property located in Kentucky. Named in honor of Glenn Boodry, a Frontier Housing Board member for 15 years, Boodry Place is a 32-unit multi-generational community for elderly households and families with special needs who are below 50% of the area median income. More
04/20/2007Community Housing Partners Completes Straw Bale House for SLEC: Floyd, Va. – Community Housing Partners (CHP) Energy Services staff pitched in to help build a house made of straw. More
04/18/2007CHP Receives 2007 ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence in Energy-Efficient Affordable Housing: Christiansburg, Va. - The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Community Housing Partners (CHP) a 2007 ENERGY STAR® Award for Excellence in Energy-Efficient Affordable Housing in recognition of its efforts to provide energy-efficient housing for low-income residents. More
03/19/2007CHP Named One of NeighborWorks America's Top Ten Producers for 2006: Christiansburg, Virginia – With a national network of more than 240 community-based organizations in 50 states, NeighborWorks® America (NW) has announced their top ten producers for 2006 in the areas of direct investment, homeownership units, rehab units for existing owners, multi-family units, owned or managed units, and programmatic units. Community Housing Partners (CHP) was named as a top producer in four separate categories. More
03/01/2007CHP Provides Weatherization Assistance to Senior Citizens in Arlington, Va.: Arlington, Va. – For Josephine Chapelle, her home and neighborhood on South Monroe Street is like a photo album of her life in Arlington, Va. More
01/01/2007CHPC Staff Participate in First National Community Development Conference in New Orleans Since 2005 Hurricanes: New Orleans, Louisiana - Nine Community Housing Partners (CHPC) staff and board members were working hard in the Big Easy by participating in training and volunteer opportunities at the NeighborWorks® Training Institute held Dec. 11-15 in New Orleans. More
01/01/2007CHPC Purchases First Conventional Property in North Carolina: Christiansburg, Virginia – The close of 2006 marked two important firsts in Community Housing Partners’ (CHPC) history: the purchase of its first conventional property, and its first property in North Carolina. Completed on Dec. More