Ready to get to work with Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger (who becomes Her Excellency on Saturday!) to serve our shared constituents.

More homes for more people, and more ways to stay

This week, Mayor Danny announced his comprehensive affordable housing plan.  

"Housing is the foundation of opportunity in Richmond," he shared following the introduction. "Richmond has affordable housing programs and tools on the books, but too often, residents haven't felt the benefit. That's an execution problem, and it's on us to finally fix that. By making our funding more predictable, streamlining our processes, and refining how our anti-displacement programs operate, we're building a Richmond where everyone has a place to call home. A Thriving City Hall that executes well is how we deliver Thriving Neighborhoods." 

It takes a lot of tools and strategies to make housing affordable for current residents—and the residents to come. This plan focuses on two main areas: Supply, or how to create more homes for more people, and anti-displacement, or making sure that folks have the resources and support they need to stay in homes they love. 

How do we increase supply?  

• Predictable funding that helps us plan for the construction and preservation of affordable housing. 
• Zoning code updates that increase housing options and streamline permitting and approval processes.  

How do we strengthen anti-displacement measures?  

• Collaborative public housing redevelopment that holds the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority accountable and centers resident voices and experiences.  
• Improved administration of our existing anti-displacement programs, including eviction diversion, right to counsel grants, real estate tax exemptions, and home rehabilitation existence.  



To read the plan in full, visit the Mayor’s Affordable Housing webpage.   

A big Richmond welcome

The 2026 General Assembly is officially in session just across the street from City Hall. It’s an exciting time of year when our city fills with lawmakers who will make decisions for the entire state. On Saturday, the Commonwealth will also swear in its first female governor, who was raised in the Richmond region! 



Richmond plays a special role as the Commonwealth’s capital city and, by extension, the host to our General Assembly members. This year, to welcome Governor Spanberger along with our legislators, local leaders put together their guide to Richmond. Check it out below, and then explore some of the priorities the City’s team will be advocating for during this year’s session. 

Looking to give back? Spend this summer as a mentor!

January is National Mentoring Month, and Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building has a way for local organizations to celebrate: Become a partner for the YouthWorks RVA summer program!  

The City’s Youth Engagement Services (Y.E.S) works year-round to recruit community partners to host or hire Richmond’s young people for six-week internships over the summer.  

Program Coordinator Erika Love is deeply committed to the success of the program. In fact, she spent three summers as a youth intern herself back when the program was called the Mayor’s Youth Academy!  

“All my placements were meaningful,” Erika shares, “but it was during my third summer, when I interned for the City in the DCAO’s office, that everything shifted. That experience changed the trajectory of my life. I grew up in Fairfield Court, and without programs like this, I’m not sure what my path would have looked like. I carry that with me every day when I’m working with young people.”  

The program’s success each year depends on having a solid roster of community organizations and City agencies who are ready to welcome and support our youth. Erika says organizations can apply to host—they work with their intern, but the person is paid through the City’s Y.E.S funding—or to hire. When organizations hire interns directly, it frees up program funds to support even more youth and gives interns a more hands-on, immersive work experience.  

Whether an organization chooses to hire or host, every intern gains more than a placement. They receive career advising, meaningful exposure to professional environments, and hands-on learning that helps turn potential into confidence and direction. Supervisors, in turn, are equipped with the tools to mentor, guide, and support the next generation of the workforce with intention. 

“It’s about connection,” Erika says. “This generation is different in all the best ways. When we are willing to meet them where they are, create space for real learning and exposure, and truly listen, we don’t just prepare them for work, we help shape their future and see lasting impact in their lives.” 

Erika shares that she’s often seen these internships lead to part or full-time work for some of the program participants. These pathways, she says, are what community wealth building is all about. “Our goal is to help people build wealth in every aspect and to drive solutions that expand opportunities. We cannot forget that youth are a part of the population who need to be part of this bigger project.” 

If you’re ready to be a mentor and help shape the future of our youth, you can apply to host or hire by February 13. Email Erika at erika.love@rva.gov to learn about your options!  

Fun fact: One of Erika’s most influential mentors still works at the City! “One of my first mentors was Carla Childs, and now I get to call her a colleague and a friend. When I work with our youth, I want to be the person that Carla was for me.” 

A City that Serves: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

City offices will be closed for MLK Day, but many City staff will be hard at work on service projects across Richmond.  

The holiday has officially been a National Day of Service since 1994 in order to honor the spirit of service that drove Dr. King’s life and work. “As we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I encourage you to take part in MLK Day of Service,” says Mayor Danny. “It’s a powerful way to give back and strengthen our community.”  



Residents looking for service projects during the holiday can visit the CFEngage website to find a range of opportunities. 

Poet's Corner

This month, Richmond Poet Laureate Joanna Lee shares a recent—and unexpected—encounter with poetry around town. Here’s Joanna:  

There are all kinds of ways and places to experience poetry in the city! Earlier this month I stepped out of my usual routine and attended (and participated in!) a Tanka Deathmatch put on by CommonWealth Poetry at Richmond Public Library.  

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a tanka is a poetry form of Japanese origin which is similar to a haiku, with strict line and syllable counts. It contains five lines and a total of 31 syllables (with the syllables per line broken down as 5-7-5-7-7). Tanka are generally (but not exclusively) written about nature and tend to have an element of surprise or unexpectedness.  

In this “deathmatch,” randomly selected pairs of poets competed by sharing tanka head-to-head in best-out-of-three bouts as decided by judges selected from the audience. While yours truly got “knocked out” early, others had more success, with each consecutive round narrowing the field, and new pairs of poets going up against each other to share their tankas.  

The winner? Lifelong writer and retired Richmond Public School teacher Dorothy Rice, who was cool under pressure in the final round after having created a last batch of tankas on the spot.  

It was an awesome afternoon. It’s so inspiring to see poetry bringing people together for fun as well as craft. And this is just one example of all the cool creative poetry events in town.  

Want to get in the loop? Check out the resource list under the Poet Laureate program at rva.gov and explore for yourself!   

Caption: From left to right: Dorothy and fellow contestant Kraig Keller listen to instructions by host Robert Owens; 77-year-old Dorothy Rice does an improv victory dance; Joanna Lee & Dorothy Rice snag a selfie before the match. 

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