Brianna has lived in Luray her entire life and works at a local Page County daycare center. When she and her husband had their third child, they knew it was time to move out of their cramped trailer and into housing that was a better fit for their growing family.

Luray Meadows apartments has been nearly 10 years in the making. Located near the booming Northern Virginia metro area, affordable housing, especially for families, has been increasingly hard to find in Page County.

People Incorporated stepped in to help the county develop more affordable housing in 2012, when the agency began raising capital to finance the construction of safe, quality housing for low- to moderate-income families in Luray. The agency worked closely with leadership from the Town of Luray and the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission, along with other local, regional, and state partners in the process of securing financing needed for the project.

After several major setbacks, full financing was secured to complete the nearly $13.5 million project, People Incorporated’s largest affordable housing development to date.

Luray Meadows is funded by a combination of public and private financing, including Virginia Housing REACH financing, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development HOME funds, Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission HOME funds, a DHCD Community Development Block Grant, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The property is the first new affordable housing development in Page County in 20 years.

This summer, the agency completed construction of the 52-unit, two- and three-bedroom community.

Brianna’s grandmother was the first person to tell her about Luray Meadows. Hearing that a three-bedroom option was available, Brianna jumped at the chance to apply. Her application was accepted, and she was the very first resident to move into the new property.

The apartments aren’t just spacious enough to accommodate families, but are close to grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations. The apartments also help residents save on energy costs as EarthCraft-certified green buildings with EnergyStarrated appliances and high-efficiency HVAC units.

Since about one in five Page County residents have a disability, Luray Meadows has also expanded the availability of living options with half of the property receiving accessibility-focused upgrades according to Universal Design standards. Six of the units are fully accessible.

For residents, Luray Meadows is not just a place to live, but a place to get involved. People Incorporated supports residents with quarterly homeownership, eviction-prevention, and tenant rights counseling. The agency also supports their eventual move from the property into homeownership.

For Brianna, the move to Luray Meadows has been life changing. The apartment community is “more private than I expected it to be, and we love our neighbors. My kids are just so much happier here and I’m so much happier. That’s what I love about it, it gave us a new start.”

Like many residents, Brianna hopes to buy her own home someday. But she doesn’t plan on leaving Luray Meadows until she is ready: “This is the perfect size for us – we still sit around and think, Wow, I can’t believe we’re here,” said Brianna. “I’m so glad we did this, I’ve never been so happy.”