Podcast for March 28, 2025: Albemarle Supervisors learn about end of EPA grant, potential threats to housing vouchers; Charlottesville approves 5 out of 6 requests for housing funds

In the early days of Charlottesville Community Engagement, each edition was a newsletter as well as a podcast. In early 2024, this tradition was severed so I could make sure I could get a radio version on WTJU for Saturday morning 6 a.m. That’s the case with this March 28, 2025 edition which is being produced in an odd week with slightly less productivity due to seasonal allergies. I’m Sean Tubbs and next week may see further experimentation.

• Albemarle Supervisors briefed on climate funding, pay increases, and future direction for FY2027 (learn more)

• EPA climate resilience grant for community nonprofits rescinded (learn more)

• Supervisors also learn about the county’s plans to add $4.2 million to a housing fund as well as a potential pause in federal housing vouchers (written story out tomorrow)

• Charlottesville City Council holds first reading of allocations for affordable housing projects (learn more)

• City Council enters into new agreement with CRHA for Sixth Street redevelopment (learn more)

• Solar panels atop Ivy Landfill move closer to reality (Read this story on C-Ville Weekly)

• Local projects left out of recent Continuing Resolution for federal budget (learn more)

First shout-out: Celebrating the community’s other information organizations!

There are a lot of stories each week that go out through this newsletter, but no one information outlet can put together the entire picture. That’s why each regular edition ends with a section called Reading Material.

Charlottesville is fortunate to have a media landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.

There’s also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you’ll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.

Now more than ever, journalism is needed. To be a citizen of a democracy, you must seek information from multiple sources. Consume only one and you are at risk of becoming a zombie!

This is the weekly glimpse into the spreadsheet that drives the work. I’m more Google Doc than person now….

Second shout-out: Advertise on Information Charlottesville

Long-time readers may know that most of the stories posted through this newsletter are also posted to Information Charlottesville. Sometimes the stories go there first! Both this newsletter and that website are part of the same information gathering operation, an operation I hope to continue to grow!

There are multiple ways to contribute to Town Crier Productions.

One new one is to place an advertisement on Information Charlottesville. I’m in the early days of experimenting with visual ways for organizations to get their message across to a growing audience. I’ve not yet put together a media kit, but I’m ready to offer a special for March. What’s the special? More details in the audio version of the podcasts.

Advertising on Information Charlottesville could be a great way to keep my business going while also growing yours. I think there are new ways to do advertising, but I don’t know what they are until I’m allowed to continue testing.

A rendering of 501 Cherry Avenue which is in one of today’s stories and I’ve not used the image here, so here it is. (Credit: Piedmont Housing Alliance)