HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Harrisonburg City Council approved the disposition of real estate owned by the City of Harrisonburg located on Neff Avenue to Pennrose LLC during last night’s meeting. 

According to the memorandum, The Neff Avenue Development Agreement will convey the Neff Avenue site to the developer at no cost to support the creation of a maximum of 220 affordable housing units. 

Following public comment on this agenda item, Mayor Deanna Reed said she wants to get away from saying “low-income housing.”

“Because, apparently, there’s a stereotype to low-income housing,” said Mayor Reed. “What we’re talking about is affordable housing. Affordability means different to different people. But as soon as you say low income, and then all of a sudden, we’re talking about crime and we’re talking about things that are really not true.”

Mayor Reed continued by saying Harrisonburg is growing and that if there’s an empty parcel somewhere, she guarantees it will be developed because housing is needed. 

Units will be restricted to and affordable for qualified renters for a minimum of 30 years.