PlanRVA manages regional programs and initiatives in the areas of community development, emergency management, the environment, and transportation. Their engagement spans government representatives to the private and nonprofit sectors, as well as civic organizations and the broader public.
PlanRVA serves as both a “catalyst” and a “navigator” in affordable housing spaces. The organization also has an advisory role with regards to localities as they implement land use policy and work to imagine new affordable housing and economic development projects. Through close collaboration with partners such as the United Way, and the Community Foundation, and the Partnership for Housing Affordability, PlanRVA provides foundational and trend data to support advocacy.
One such tool developed by PlanRVA is the upcoming 2026 Market Value Analysis (MVA) – a unique housing study carried out by the Reinvestment Fund of Philadelphia that goes beyond simple measures of housing conditions or affordability. It provides planners, elected officials, non-profits, advocacy groups, developers, and community members with an interactive index to see the geographic spread of market-based data such as median home sales price, vacancy rates, homeownership rates, renovation or construction permits, and the share of income-based rental housing per census tract. It also assesses displacement risk and markers of housing insecurity. The MVA is used to understand how certain phenomena, such as racial integration or mortgage denial rates, differ by submarket type. A powerful tool for data visualization, it sheds light on the interwoven nature of the housing policies and practices that have contributed to racial and economic segregation in the Richmond region.
PlanRVA is especially excited to announce its upcoming PlanRVA Regional Symposium, which will take place on Friday, March 13th from 9am to 3pm at the Richmond Times Dispatch Headquarters (8460 Times Dispatch Blvd, Mechanicsville, VA 23116). With a focus on the investment scenarios of the 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan and the 2026 Market Value Analysis, the symposium aims to tackle some of the toughest questions of our time, such as: how can we best make strategic regional investments in housing, transportation, and communities in order to achieve the futures we collectively want to see? Click here to learn more or to register for the event.
PlanRVA is one of the Virginia Housing Alliance’s newer member organizations, and we are glad to have them alongside as a partner for the Central Virginia region. We look forward to continued collaboration and shared advocacy efforts around affordable housing in the future.
“VHA helps to amplify our voice and direct our data on affordable housing to more meaningful outcomes. Our participation in the VHA network educates us so that we may keep our localities informed on legislation at the federal and state levels.”