VUL gets $600,000 grant to aid neighborhood

A $600,000 grant has been bestowed on Virginia University of Lynchburg to revitalize the school’s immediate neighborhood.

VUL is one of only 13 colleges nationwide taking part in the announced funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which offers special grant opportunities to historically black colleges.

The funding is meant to help selected schools address “pressing community development needs” in their areas, according to a HUD announcement released Wednesday.

This is the first year VUL has participated.

The school plans to use the money to renovate deteriorating homes in its surrounding neighborhood of Fairview Heights. It also will build two new homes, both of which will be sold to low- or moderate-income owners.

“This is part of the thrust of our institution,” VUL President Ralph Reavis said Wednesday, reflecting on the importance of community service and social awareness.

“Education is more than just creating transcripts and teaching students,” he said. “It’s about reaching out to the community. … We’ve graduated countless people over the years who’ve gone on to help upgrade the social condition of their people.”

The housing project marks a first for VUL. The school plans to partner with city government in the endeavor, as well as numerous community organizations.

Collaborators include the Jubilee Family Development Center, Lynchburg College and Bank of the James, which has agreed to help the future new homeowners secure financing.

The federal grant money will be released over a period of three years, by which time the project must be complete.

VUL has committed to building two new houses and renovating three existing ones. Renovations are restricted to homes owned and occupied by low-income residents. Improvements will be made free of charge to those families.

Reavis said specific properties have not yet been identified, and the selection process is still under discussion.

Housing rehabilitation has been a goal of the city’s and was a subject of City Council deliberations during a retreat earlier this week.

Ward II City Councilman Ceasor Johnson, who represents Fairview Heights, said projects such as VUL’s were an important “piece of the puzzle” when it comes to addressing those issues.

“This is great news,” he said. “It will be a wonderful asset for that community.”

Johnson went on to praise Reavis for his work at VUL, saying the president has “done a wonderful job of pursuing innovative ideas.”

HUD’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities grant was first established in 1991. A total of nearly $9 million was awarded through the program this year.