How could shared design resources help residents turn new development possibilities into attainable paths toward homeownership? 

Making Housing Knowledge More Accessible 

In Charlottesville, VA, expanding the housing supply is only part of the challenge. Residents also need access to design expertise, permitting knowledge, financial guidance, and development strategies. Led by the University of Virginia, the Open-Source Affordable Housing Design Library will bring these resources together in a publicly available collection of adaptable housing concepts shaped by neighborhood stories, local conditions, and community priorities.

Effective housing ideas emerge when community knowledge, design expertise, and local possibilities inform one another. 

From Local Stories to Shared Solutions 

Architect and Assistant Professor Schaeffer Somers leads a partnership of residents, students, researchers, city staff, legal specialists, and community organizations. Collaborators include the City of Charlottesville Department of Neighborhood Development Services, the UVA Center for Cultural Landscapes, the UVA Law Community Organization & Social Enterprise Clinic, the Piedmont Housing Alliance, and a local community land trust. Approximately 80 students are expected to participate through coursework, research, community engagement, and design development.  

Community storytelling workshops, interviews, and design studios will inform a kit-of-parts system suited to varied sites and neighborhood contexts. Across two innovation cycles, the team plans to develop three place-specific housing prototypes, complementary landscape approaches, financial resources, and a policy framework. A Health Impact Assessment will evaluate both the proposed designs and the engagement process. By making these materials openly available, the initiative seeks to give residents, nonprofits, and municipalities practical ways to explore homeownership, equitable development, economic opportunity, and environmental resilience while respecting local identity.