The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) administers conservation, redevelopment and rehabilitation programs under contract to the City of Norfolk in 18 neighborhoods. Another seven previously served neighborhoods are in inactive status. The City provides the funding and annually reviews priorities and initiatives within the neighborhoods. The funding sources include City of Norfolk Capital Improvement Program and the Community Development Block Grant.
The City of Norfolk prepares and utilizes a number of planning tools in the delivery of municipal services. These plans have a hierarchy that goes from the general to the specific (and from policy to implementation). They are in order of hierarchy:
- General Plan
- Land Use (Zoning) Plan
- Area Plans
- Capital Improvement Plan
- Conservation & Redevelopment Plans
While NRHA participates in the development and implementation of all of these plans, it is tasked with primary responsibility for the implementation of the neighborhood conservation, redevelopment and rehabilitation plans and programs.
The activities described in these neighborhood plans can be categorized into three primary groups:
- Blight Abatement/Development
- Acquire – Demolish – Build New
- Acquire – Renovate
- Rehab
- Income-qualified, owner-occupied, single-family
- Infrastructure
- Street improvements
- Utilities
- Storm-water
- Open space
NRHA will continue to encourage the City Administration to:
- Develop and implement a city-wide neighborhood conditions tracking and reporting system
- Provide more flexibility in funding
- Provide a comprehensive approach of City services to socio-economic issues
- Initiate a systematic effort to identify and deal with structural problems
- Adequately fund neighborhood improvements