Richmond council adopts amended budget, secures $11.7 million for Affordable Housing Trust Fund as parents press to save Richmond Virtual Academy

The Richmond City Council voted to adopt a package of budget ordinances (items 14–22) after a lengthy public hearing in which residents pressed the council on affordable housing, school funding and surveillance spending.

The amended budget includes $11,700,000 designated for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, a sum speakers from local advocacy group RISC and its allies said is legally required and long overdue. “We will not give up the fight,” said deacon Janice Lacey of Ebenezer Baptist Church, speaking for RISC, who urged consistent, legally mandated funding to serve the lowest-income households.

Why it matters: Council members said the dedicated funding was a priority for protecting low-income families and complying with the trust fund ordinance passed earlier this year. Several speakers and council members framed the appropriation as the most significant budget change in the session and said the amendment restores funds that had been misallocated in the mayor’s proposed budget.

In the public hearing, families and educators urged the council to preserve Richmond Virtual Academy (RVA), a small, city-run virtual school that parents said serves medically fragile or bullied students who struggle in traditional settings. “RVA is not just an online school. It is a safe place where students who may feel vulnerable, stressed, or overwhelmed can get a good education and feel supported,” said student speaker Renaya Kersey. Several parents described RVA as a lifeline for children with special health and learning needs and asked the council to use available one-time or gap funds to keep the program running.

Council response and next steps: Council members acknowledged broad public concern over RVA and discussed potential short‑term funding options, including redirecting unspent gap-grant dollars. Councilwoman Gibson said she had hoped the council could find roughly $1 million to sustain the program this year but described complications in the revenue accounting that removed previously identified funds. She urged continued coordination with the school division and an exploration of durable solutions in next year’s budget.

Other budget items and context: Public speakers also urged the council to revise or reallocate money from surveillance contracts (see separate coverage) and to increase spending on sidewalks, pedestrian safety and city retirees. A number of speakers praised amendments that added inspector general staff and additional social workers and said the process produced more transparency in a difficult fiscal year.

The council completed the roll-call on the listed budget ordinances and the clerk announced that the papers had been adopted. Council members said they expect further follow-up work on implementation details, accountability measures, and potential additional funding sources to preserve RVA and to ensure the trust fund dollars are placed in the fund as required by the ordinance.

Ending: The budget votes concluded the city’s formal public hearing on those items; councilors said they will continue work with residents and administration on unresolved implementation details.