In 2010, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) awarded Pulaski County $1,000,000 to rehabilitate homes for low-to-moderate income households in the Baskerville neighborhood and provide infrastructure updates. The program has now been completed, having rehabilitated or reconstructed 15 homes in the neighborhood and provided over $130,000 of improved the water and sewer lines. Through the grant process many households were given assistance with clearing the titles to their homes, setting up payment plans for overdue taxes, and resurveying unclear property boundaries. Several blighted structures were also torn down and removed. In addition to DHCD funds, several other significant sources of funding also helped make the project possible, including local HOME Consortium funds, the Weatherization Program, the Town of Dublin, and Pulaski County.
The project was originally brought to the County’s attention by several residents of the neighborhood. Since that time, the County has received planning money to assess and prioritize other similar neighborhoods for future rehabilitation. For further information, please contact Jennifer Wilsie (jwilsie@nrvrc.org), 540-639-9313, ext. 204.