Letter From Isabel

Dear supporters and friends,

As I write this reflection on 2019, it is from a far different position than I ever imagined I would find myself- sitting at my dining room table, my work from home station, while isolating from the world during a global pandemic. How completely removed from where I found myself a year ago…

Restoration Housing enjoyed healthy momentum in 2019, replete with conferences, ribbon cuttings, fundraisers, and volunteer workdays. It was a full and exciting year for our organization. Though the contrast is remarkable now, we are learning to adapt as we continue to deliver the work that is at the core of our mission: quality restorations of blighted properties with affordable rents. While the pomp of events has temporarily vanished, our work has not.

At the start of 2019, our organization straddled the two positions that it often does at the beginning of the yearoverseeing construction of one project (in this instance Villa Heights) and busily negotiating the complex predevelopment work of our next project in the pipeline (326 Dale Avenue in Southeast Roanoke). We were thrilled to learn that we were the recipients of funding from the State Housing Trust Fund (administered through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development) for our project at 326 Dale Avenue. This award meant that our organization could afford the sizeable construction costs while keeping our rents affordable for formerly homeless individuals, once complete.

By the late Spring and early Summer, construction at Villa Heights moved along swiftly. We hosted our annual Community Partnership Day at the Northwest-based house, which proved to be a rewarding endeavor with roughly 3.5 acres of parkland to work on (including a basketball court and playground) surrounding the house. Volunteers helped us plant trees, remove debris, mulch, weed, and plant new perennials throughout. The efforts of this site beautification helped to complement our

restoration efforts of the house, which were finalized in August. We marked the completion with a celebration at the property in honor of our organization’s 5th Anniversary, a wonderful way to culminate the work that had gone into the 200 year old house’s transformation.

By far, the busiest time of the year for Restoration Housing is typically the Fall. In 2019, we hosted our second annual PreServe Luncheon in September, we began construction on 326 Dale Avenue in October, we moved our new tenants into Villa Heights in November, and we signed a purchase contract for our fifth property in December.

When I think of the most rewarding moments from last year, I immediately think of the room of supporters that we hosted for our PreServe Luncheon. It warms my heart to think of the energy in the room that day and the feeling of community that resonates in those moments. We will get back to those moments again one day. I also think of the ribbon cutting for our new tenants at Villa Heights. Our anchor tenant, Kingdom Life Ministries, a Northwest based church shares the space with three nonprofit subtenants- LEAP for Local Food, Humble Hustle, and CAFÉ (Cultural Arts for Excellence). I am amazed at the work that all of these organizations are doing for our community and I’m thankful to have them together in this historic space. As I think ahead to the unknowns in the remainder of 2020, I try not to put too much weight on the contrast that these months will have to our experience last year. I’m trying to focus on what we do have control over right now and that is in the outcome of our restoration projects and in our commitment to be good stewards of our current inventory of properties- ensuring that our tenants remain housed and safe. We are entrenched in a pandemic while witnessing the outcome of centuries of systematic failures and oppression of people of color. Our organization is now straddling the line between reacting in the moment to the constantly changing state of the world as it relates to the pandemic while also paying close attention to the social events that have more recently unfolded. We hope to listen to, learn from, and follow oppressed communities in solidarity in an effort to grow as an organization and as kindred residents of this valley.

Thank you for your support last year and every year as we continue in our mission. As always, we could never do this without you and we are ever grateful.

Isabel Thornton Executive Director