The Charlottesville Police Foundation is a local non-profit organization that has been helping officers in the City since 2004. They do that through a variety of programs - from extra training, to partnerships through grants and various community events, as well as housing assistance. WMRA's Marguerite Gallorini talked with the foundation's Executive Director, Mindy Goodall.
The Foundation’s primary mission, says Executive Director Mindy Goodall, is to attract and retain officers in the community. One of the issues this solves is a quick, efficient response to emergencies.
GOODALL: Let's say that they need to call in the reinforcements and if they have 45 minutes to drive to get to this area, that's a problem.
But it also helps officers and citizens bond.
GOODALL: We want officers to stay in our community because you get to know the people that you're serving. You start to put down roots. You understand the neighborhoods. You understand the different idiosyncrasies of an area.
That’s why they try to help officers settle in the city.
GOODALL: We have a program - Officer Housing Program - where officers can apply for a $20,000 grant towards the down payment of a home inside the City of Charlottesville or three driving miles outside of the city.
Applicants should have a household income below 150% of Charlottesville’s annual median income.
GOODALL: We try to fund about two to three of these per year. I don’t think we’ve ever had to turn down a police officer.
But, Goodall says, the main obstacle remains that of available affordable housing to begin with. And so the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund will commit $2.5 million towards affordable housing in the City in 2018 - the highest allocated amount since its inception in 2007.