Rebuilding Together Alexandria was recently awarded a $500,000 Project Reinvest grant to implement various projects in revitalizing the Hume Springs and Lynhaven neighborhoods. The organization is one of only two grant recipients in the state of Virginia.
Over the next 18 months, in two specific census tracts, Rebuilding Together will rehab up to 20 homes, make physical improvements at Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology, convert open space to a multi-generational park, and build a large scale community growing garden, all serving the areas of Hume Springs and Lynhaven.
Established in 1942, these neighborhoods predominantly consisted of low-income, African-American families. Most of the homes were constructed to serve the railyard workers at what was once the nearby Potomac Yard rail center. Today, nearly 50 percent of households in these communities have incomes of less than $60,000 (less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income).
Rebuilding Together Alexandria will partner with Alexandria City Public Schools and the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities to accomplish this revitalization project.