Plan is set to begin razing Richmond public housing complex

RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) says it has plans to move some residents from a public housing complex that is targeted for demolition.

Creighton Court could become the first of the city’s six large public housing communities to be torn down, according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The housing is more than half a century old and is home to some of the region’s poorest residents. Officials say the buildings are no longer worth maintaining and have outlived their usefulness.

A developer released a plan for the neighborhood that depicts a mixed-income development with hundreds of homes and apartments. But some residents of Creighton Court have expressed concerns about where they will end up.
Latonia Davis worries that “at the last minute we’re going to be kicked out to be on our own.”
Some Creighton residents have been moving into a nearby development, while others have moved to affordable housing around the region.

The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has said it will cover all moving expenses. It is yet to be decided how many homes on the new site would be reserved for existing Creighton residents. But officials said they will assess what residents’ preferences are.

Richmond Times-Dispatch & AP