About PRHA

Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority came into existence on September 13, 1938 after the Council of the City of Portsmouth adopted a resolution to "determine and declare the existence of unsafe and unsanitary dwellings in the City of Portsmouth" and was directed by the Mayor to appoint a "Housing Authority of the City of Portsmouth," which became the Portsmouth Housing Authority.

The first Commissioners' Meeting was held on September 14, 1938 after Messrs. T. A. Willett, Chairman, J. M. Overton, Vice Chairman, E. C. Allen, V. E. Plunkett, and Clyde W. Cooper were appointed by the City Council. Their meeting place was in the New Kirn Building, where, ironically, the Main Office was housed from 1985-2002. Its current Main Office is at 801 Water Street on the second and third floors.

Portsmouth 1971

On August 22, 1940, ground was broken for Dale Homes, which was the first public housing development in the Commonwealth of Virginia. From 1940 to 1964, six public housing projects were built. Today, the Authority operates Dale Homes, Swanson Homes, Jeffry Wilson Homes, and Lincoln Park. In addition, the Authority owns and manages Effingham Plaza, which is an elderly housing complex; is the Managing General Partner of Southside Gardens, a 136-unit Section 8 development; and owns and manages HOPE Village, formerly Newtown Gardens, for those families participating in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program. The former Ida Barbour housing development has been demolished and is being replaced with new single-family homes and multi-family rental housing in a new mixed-income neighborhood called Westbury (a HOPE VI Project). Washington Park was demolished for environmental reasons. A new HOPE VI Grant has been received for Jeffry Wilson, which will include the demolition of the development and the construction of new single-family and rental homes. (Click on the Housing link above for more detailed information.)

In 1949, the Portsmouth Housing Authority became the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority to enable the agency to take advantage of legislation which provided for the clearance of blight and for the use of such land for new private development. Today, the Authority is very active in the revitalization of downtown Portsmouth and the city-wide conservation and redevelopment areas in which work is continuously being done to rid the City of blight and deterioration. Our annual budget is approximately $20 million. (Click on the Redevelopment icon for more detailed information.)

From a five-member Board in 1938, the Authority was expanded to a seven-member Board in 1983. The current members are Joe B. Fleming, Chairman, William H. Kline, Jr., Vice Chairman, Gladys Cross, Ernest F. Hardee, Junius H. Williams, Jr., Dr. Pamela C. Kloeppel, and Bryan R. Johnson The Commissioners are responsible for establishing operational policies and overseeing Authority activities. Harry L. Short is the Executive Director and oversees the day to day running of the Authority.

Portsmouth 2003

The Authority is comprised of the Departments of Administration and Housing, Modernization, Maintenance, Finance, Development, and the Executive Office. The Authority oversees many programs including:

Public Housing, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Capital Fund, HOPE VI, Family Self-Sufficiency, Community Development Block Grant, and the Empowerment Zone Grant.

From the time of the Authority's beginning until now, much has been accomplished in making Portsmouth one of the nation's finest cities in which to live.