Virginia

A bridge crosses a river along the Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34-mile bicycling, jogging, and walking trail along an old railroad line from Abingdon through Damascus to White Top Mountain, in Abingdon, Virginia. photo cred: Jason Barnette

Our Work In Virginia

In partnership with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, ARC is supporting 36 projects in Virginia totaling $17.5 million in fiscal year 2022. These investments have been matched by $27 million and are attracting an additional $417 million in leveraged private investments in Virginia. They are also training or educating 1,430 students and workers, and benefiting the nearly 742,000 residents in Virginia’s 25 Appalachian counties.

State Partners

Governor:
Honorable Glenn Youngkin

Governor’s ARC Representative:
Bryan Horn, Director
Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
email: bryan.horn@dhcd.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
Main Street Center
600 East Main Street, Suite 300
Richmond, VA 23219
804.371.7056

ARC State Program Manager:
Tamarah Holmes, ARC Program Manager
email: tamarah.holmes@dhcd.virginia.gov

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
Main Street Center
600 East Main Street, Suite 300
Richmond, VA 23219
804.371.7056

Investment Priorities

In Fiscal Year 2022, ARC and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development partnered on the following investments and projects.

Regional Culture & Tourism
$5.6M
invested in preserving Virginia’s local history, culture, and natural assets
Community Infrastructure
$5.5M
invested in Virginia to ensure access to reliable and affordable broadband, clean water and updated wastewater systems, highways, and more
Workforce Ecosystem
$4.9M
invested in Virginia to expand community systems that will help Appalachians obtain a job, stay on the job, and advance their careers
Additional Priorities
$1.6M
invested to grow the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and communities to address challenges and entrepreneurship and business development to strengthen the economy in Appalachian Virginia

Investment Snapshot

Fiscal Year 2022

State Profile

Learn more about ARC’s fiscal year 2022 investments in Virginia.

Investments in Action

Old Prices Fork Revitalization Project

With ARC support, an unused elementary school building in the town of Prices Fork was renovated into a shared-use commercial incubator kitchen offering production space and business support services to local food entrepreneurs.
Woman in magenta apron prepares food

State Plans and Strategies

ARC’s current strategic plan is a blueprint for investments at the Regional level. Each of Appalachia’s 13 states develops a companion four-year plan and annual strategy statement outlining its funding priorities for ARC projects.

Fiscal Year 2024

County Economic Status

Every year, ARC applies an index-based classification system to compare each county in the Region with national averages to understand how counties are performing.


Counties in Appalachia

(25 out of 133 counties): Alleghany, Bath, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Highland, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Rockbridge, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe

The following independent cities in Virginia are also within the Appalachian Region: Bristol, Buena Vista, Covington, Galax, Lexington, Martinsville, Norton, and Radford


Local Development Districts

Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission
Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission
LENOWISCO Planning District Commission
Mount Rogers Planning District Commission
New River Valley Planning District Commission
Roanoke Valley–Alleghany Regional Commission
West Piedmont Planning District Commission


State Links