Progress continues on the housing rehabilitation project in Dillwyn, as part of the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) the town received from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) in 2017.

Town Mayor Linda Venable Paige said one of the six houses that are set to be involved in the project needed approval from the area Historical Society to make sure that the house did not have any historical value.

Paige said for another house, officials are working with the South East Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP) to help put bids out for contractors to help install equipment in the home.

Paige said another house requires substantial rebuilding, meaning that crew will demolish the existing house and rebuild it.

“We’re getting there,” Paige said about the project, noting that it is occurring in phases.

Dillwyn was announced as one of 15 localities in Virginia receiving grants, according to a news release from then Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Sept. 15, 2017.

The CDBG aids localities in Virginia to complete projects improving health care access, water and sewer infrastructure, downtown revitalization, public safety and housing rehabilitation, according to the news release.

Commonwealth Regional Council Deputy Director Todd Fortune said in a previous Herald report that the DHCD has approved a change in the CDBG allocation for this project, per revised budget figures sent to DHCD. The grant award amount is now $445,400, an increase from the previous amount of $176,300.

CRC Community Development Planner Cam Johnson said a few of the houses are getting closer to the bidding stage for the project.

“We have about six houses in the project in total right now,” Johnson said. “We’re working on getting two of those houses bidded out now and possibly a third.”