Recently, SERCAP’s Housing Department assisted an elderly woman and her adult daughter living in Buckingham County, VA, to complete several necessary repairs to their home. The elderly woman has lived in her home for over 20 years, and recently began experiencing difficulty with the hot water heater. It had begun leaking, damaging the surrounding floor and wall. In order to correct the problem, the house needed several critical repairs, including: installation of new water heater; replacement of damaged flooring; and installation of new drywall, studs, molding, and trim. However, due to the clients’ low-income status, they were unable to afford the cost of these critical repairs on their own.

Recently, SERCAP’s Essential & Critical Needs Program assisted a low-income veteran in Tazewell County, VA, with the water-lines at his home, which desperately needed to be repaired. However, due to his
low-income status, he was unable to afford the cost of the repairs himself without experiencing significant financial hardship.

March 18, 2020

Recently, SERCAP’s Certified CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) Loan Fund assisted a Veteran in Warren County, VA, to have a new well drilled at his home. The client’s nearly 50-year-old well went dry, leaving him completely without access to potable water. However, due to the client’s low-income status, he was unable to afford the cost of drilling a new well on his own without causing serious financial hardship. Fortunately, SERCAP was able to step-in and provide financial assistance, through a low-interest (1%), affordable loan, which covered the full cost of drilling the new well. SERCAP’s Loan Fund provided an Individual Household Well Loan in the amount of $9,523.00, and set-up an affordable monthly payment for the client. Now the he once again has reliable access to clean, safe drinking water in his home.

Recently, SERCAP’s Housing Department assisted a low-income family of three (3) in Caroline County, VA, by replacing their failing septic system. The clients have lived in the home for over 30 years, and recently began experiencing difficulty with their septic system. They needed to have both a new alternative septic system and an updated electrical box installed, in order for the system to run properly. However, due to the clients’ low-income status, they were unable to afford the cost of the new system on their own.

On Tuesday, February 4, 2020 SERCAP’s Regional staff, in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Office of Drinking Water (ODW), delivered a day-long training session entitled Rural and Small Systems Sustainable Utility Management Workshop, to the Mayor and Town Council of the Town of Monterey in Highland County, VA. The Town operates both the water and wastewater treatment facilities that serve its citizens and a number of county residents in close proximity. The Town’s relatively new, but motivated Town Council is facing several issues, including: aging infrastructure, limited resources, and a history of limited action in addressing these challenges. SERCAP and VDH: ODW have been working with the Town to implement both policy and operational changes, and to apply for funding.

As March and April 2020 rapidly approach, SERCAP’s VFC Alternative Break Program is gearing up for its Spring Break 2020 Weeks of Service! Thus far, SERCAP has confirmed that approximately 199 students from three Colleges and Universities, including: College of the Holy Cross, St. Joseph’s University, and the University of Delaware, will be participating in this year’s Spring Break Week of Service, specifically by sending students to community volunteer sites in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Back in the Spring of 2017, SERCAP was selected as the Housing Rehabilitation Specialist for the Lower Roxbury Neighborhood Revitalization Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Project, in the Town of Clifton Forge, in Alleghany County, VA. When the project’s previous Housing Rehabilitation Specialist failed to meet the Town’s expectations, they released a new request for proposals (RFP) for Housing Rehabilitation Specialist services for the project. Summit Engineering referred SERCAP to the
RFP, and SERCAP’s Housing Department was selected to take over as the project’s new Housing Rehabilitation Specialist.

Recently, SERCAP’s Certified CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) Loan Fund assisted an elderly woman in Cumberland County, VA, to have a new well drilled at her home. The client’s old well went dry, leaving her completely without access to potable water for several months. However, due to the client’s low-income status, she was unable to afford the cost of drilling a new well on her own without causing serious financial hardship.

Recently, SERCAP’s Essential & Critical Needs Program assisted a low-income couple in Caroline County, VA, with repairing their water-lines. The water pipes and hoses at their home had deteriorated and needed repairs. However, since the couple’s sole income is from social security, they were unable to afford the cost of the repairs themselves without experiencing financial hardship.

Home to 114 African American residents, the small community of Weems is located in the Greentown and Gaskins Road area of Lancaster County, VA. In 2016, funds from USDA’s Rural Utility Service (RUS) and a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) were designated for the construction of a wastewater treatment system to serve the community’s 45 households. Initially, a Package Plant known as the Living Machine, which mimics a natural wetland system, was built. This type of system requires a minimum intake of wastewater so it will continually move through the tanks and not lay dormant. However, due to engineering and construction delays, the treatment plant lay idle for a couple of years before it was placed into service.

Recently, SERCAP’s Certified CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) Loan Fund assisted a low-income family of four (4) living in Culpeper County, VA, to have a new well drilled at their home. The clients old well went dry, leaving them completely without access to potable water for several weeks. However, due to the clients’ low-income status, they were unable to afford the cost of drilling a new well on their own without causing serious financial hardship.

In June of 2017, SERCAP’s Housing Department was awarded the Rehabilitation Specialist Services Contract for the Stanardsville Downtown Revitalization Project, a CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Construction Improvement Grant (CIG) project in Greene County, VA. Over the past 30 months, SERCAP’s Housing Team has diligently worked with the community to oversee the rehabilitation of the designated properties selected for the project. Once the project is complete, SERCAP will have provided housing rehabilitation assistance to 10 downtown apartment units in the Town of Stanardsville. The project will bring the selected apartment units up to the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development’s (DHCD) Housing Quality Standards (HQS), improve the beneficiaries’ living conditions, and remove blight from the community.

Recently, SERCAP’s Essential & Critical Needs Program assisted a low-income, family of six (6) in Botetourt County, VA, with repairing their septic drain-field. The family has been living in their home for four (4) years, and they recently began experiencing difficulty with their septic system. The drain-field was not draining properly and sewage/wastewater was coming out of the ground. However, since the family is low-income, they were unable to afford the cost of repairing the septic drain-field themselves without experiencing financial hardship.

Recently, SERCAP’s Certified CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) Loan Fund assisted a low-income elderly woman living in Stafford County, VA, to have a new well drilled. Her old well went dry, leaving her without potable water in her home for a few months. However, due to the client’s low-income status, she was unable to afford the cost of drilling a new well on her own without causing serious financial hardship.

In the Spring of 2018, SERCAP’s Housing Department was awarded the Rehabilitation Specialist Services Contract for the Town of Dillwyn Rehabilitation Project, a CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Construction Improvement Grant (CIG) project in Buckingham County, VA. Over the past 18 months, SERCAP’s Housing Team has been diligently working with the community to oversee the rehabilitation and/or substantial reconstruction of the designated properties selected for this project. Once the project is finished, SERCAP will have completed housing rehabilitation and/or substantial reconstruction for six (6) Households in the Town of Dillwyn.

Since becoming a HUD approved Local Housing Counseling Agency (LHCA) in 2012, SERCAP’s Housing Counseling Program has served hundreds of clients and provided a variety of Housing Counseling and Financial Literacy services. This year SERCAP is working to create and execute a series of Holiday focused budgeting and scam prevention workshops.

Recently, SERCAP’s Essential & Critical Needs Program assisted a low-income, single female in Bedford County, VA, with repairing her individual household well. Approximately nine (9) months ago she began experiencing serious difficulties with her well as it was constantly running dry, leaving her without adequate access to potable water. However, since she receives SSI and is low-income, she was unable to afford the cost of repairing the well herself without experiencing financial hardship.

Recently, SERCAP’s Certified CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) Loan Fund assisted a low-income single woman living in Lancaster County, VA, to have a new well drilled. Her old well collapsed due to an excessive amount of rain, rendering it useless and unable to function. However, due to the client’s low-income status, she was unable to afford the cost of drilling a new well on her own without causing serious financial hardship.

Currently, SERCAP’s Housing Department is assisting an extremely low-income, elderly widow in the City of Suffolk, VA, to repair her roof. The client has lived in her home for 45 years, and recently began experiencing trouble with her roof. However, due to the client’s extremely low-income status, she was unable to afford the cost of the roof repairs on her own.