The 100-acre Southwood Mobile Home Park is located off 5th Street Extended, about a mile from the 120 Exit of Interstate 64. It was opened in the mid 1970s and contains some 350 trailers. The actual number of residents is unknown, but a 2009 survey estimated 1,229. Southwood’s residents are low income and over half are Spanish speaking Mexicans, Salvadorans and Hondurans.

On March 1, 2007, Habitat for Humanity purchased Southwood. It plans to begin development there sometime after 2013, upon completing its first local trailer park transformation at Sunrise. To accommodate current residents and to increase the density of Southwood to make development economically viable and successful, Habitat is contemplating a combination of houses, townhouses, condominiums, and apartments. Presently, Habitat ownership is limited to adults who are U.S. permanent residents or citizens. In a February 2010 public forum, Habitat mentioned this policy can be changed locally. All adults, regardless of residency or citizenship status, can rent Habitat housing. In the past, Habitat’s priority has been to give current residents priority in the new housing Habitat develops.

For information about Southwood, contact Anne Ternes, Habitat’s Southwood Property Manager, at 434/979-0856 (telephone), 434/202-8760 (fax) or at anne@southwoodcville.com Habitat’s Southwood webpage is located at: http://cvillehabitat.org/southwood.shtml The Habitat official in charge of Southwood is Ryan Jacoby, who can be reached at: 434/293-9066 or rjacoby@cvillehabitat.org

This web page is maintained by sociologist Linda Hemby. To suggest additions or changes, email lhemby@albemarle.org


Contents

Media Reports

Other References

Community Initiatives

MEDIA REPORTS

Habitat Clarifies is Plans for Southwood
Nuevas Raíces, February 22, 2010

Panel on Southwood
Creciendo Juntos (CJ) organized a panel on Southwood which included Saphira Baker, Communitas Consulting, who provided an overview of a 2009 survey of the trailer park, and Dan Rosensweig, Executive Director of Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity.
Daily Progress, CBS19, NBC29, February 12, 2010

Southwood’s Latino Residents denounce crime
Reporters interviewed several residents who described recent robberies in their homes and fear of reprisal.
Nuevas Raices, January 27, 2010

Southwood Man Facing Rape Charges
January 21, 2010, NBC29

State of Virginia purchases Biscuit Run as a State Park
December 29, 2009
The state purchased the 1,200-acre Biscuit Run tract, south of Interstate 64 between state Route 20 and Old Lynchburg Road, close to Southwood. The land was to have been developed for residential use and also to construct a connector road to Southwood.

UVa Latino group, county partner to help students
UVa students tutor Southwood children
Daily Progress, December 14, 2009

Man sentenced to prison for scuffle over love triangle
Daily Progress, November 18, 2009

Police and Southwood Residents Strengthen Relations
Nuevas Raices, August 11, 2009
WAHU Fox27, WVAW ABC16, WCAV CBS19, August 3, 2009

Habitat to survey Southwood residents
Daily Progress, May 26, 2009
Cville, May 21, 2009

Letter to the Editor: Housing money earns appreciation
By James W. Craig, Habitat for Humanity
Daily Progress, May 2, 2009

Letter to the Editor: Partnership builds hope in housing
By Connie Jorgensen, Building Goodness Foundation
Daily Progress, April 18, 2009

UVa students build goodness
Daily Progres, April 5, 2009

Activities with students in Southwood
Nuevas Raíces, March 18, 2009

Southwood Boys & Girls Club has New Technology Center
NBC29, March 11, 2009

Letter to the Editor: Affordable housing still needed
By Dan Rosensweig, Habitat for Humanity
Daily Progress, March 10, 2009

Housing plan faces questions
Daily Progress, February 21, 2009

Albemarle fire destroys singlewide trailer
Daily Progress, January 18, 2009

Dog days: Warm houses make happy dogs
Hook, December 31, 2008

Red-hatted ladies endeavor to help local couple
Daily Progress, December 23, 2008

CYFS receives $4,500 to include Southwood in its Parenting Mobile program
Daily Progress, December 13, 2008

Monticello High School Students Take Giving Outside the Classroom
NBC29, December 8, 2008

Special day for Southwood: $400,000 renovation offers new opportunity
Daily Progress, October 19, 2008

Dedicating the Southwood Community Center
The Boys and Girls Club partnered with Habitat for Humanity to give residents of the Southwood Mobile Home Park a recreation center.
Charlottesville News Plex and Daily Progress, October 19, 2008

Training offered for Latinos wishing to promote health
About the CJ Health Promoter training offered to Southwood’s Latino population.
Daily Progress Staff, September 18, 2008

Southwood Cleanup Day
Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, May 7, 2008
NBC29 & Daily Progress, May 3, 2008

Southwood Cleanup Day
Nuevas Raíces, May 5, 2008

In transition: What's next for Southwood residents?
The Hook, April 10, 2008

Boys & Girls Club Reaching out to Area Teens
The Hook, April 10, 2008

Boys and Girls Club One Step Closer
NBC29, Apr 08, 2008

Million Dollar Donation to Aid Habitat for Humanity
Daily Progress, March 15, 2008

[Southwood] Boys & Girls Club Reaching out to Area Teens
NBC 29, February 21, 2008

UVA Class Reads to Latino Children
UVA Today and Nuevas Raíces, January 18, 2008

Boys And Girls Club Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
WCAV TV, October 14, 2007

Mobile Mexican: Tracking down the mysterious 'taco truck'
The Hook, September 13, 2007

Drought watch? Mysteries abound at top-20 water users
The Hook, September 6, 2007

Police Investigate Morning Shooting
NBC29, July 30, 2007

Southwood Market Stabbing
NBC29, July 8, 2007

Virginia Community Capital Announces a Line of Credit for Habitat
A VCC press release, April 2007

Southwood Home Catches on Fire
NBC 29, March 12, 2007

What You Should Know If You Are Latino And Live In Southwood
A Nuevas Raíces article, February 26, 2007

Habitat Affiliate Buys Old Trailer Parks: Charlottesville Group is First in U.S. To Try Redevelopment Plan
A Richmond Times-Dispatch Article, February 5, 2007

Raise the Roof
The Declaration, February 1, 2007

UVA Students visit Southwood to advise Latinos about their
legal right to an interpreter
A Nuevas Raíces article, January 22, 2007

Habitat to close deal: Group buying trailer park
A Daily Progress Article, January 21, 2007

Biscuit Run, Habitat team up
For-profit gives to nonprofit to meet affordable housing requirements
C-Ville Weekly, January 2007

With Southwood, Habitat continues expansion:
Habitat for Humanity leaps to 16 houses per year
C-Ville Weekly, July 11, 2006

Habitat picks design firms for new neighborhood
Daily Progress, June 13, 2006

Habitat to Acquire 2nd Trailer Park
A Daily Progress Article, May 3, 2006

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville Announces
Purchase of Mobile Home Park
An NBC29 Report, May 2, 2006

Habitat Will Purchase Mobile Home Park
A WCAV report, May 2, 2006

C'ville Sees Surge in Mobile Communities
A UVA Cavalier Article, October 29, 2001

OTHER REFERENCES

Habitat Presents at CJ Plenary
Dan Rosensweig, Executive Director, Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity, was a panelist at the February 2010 CJ Plenary “2009 Southwood Survey and Habitat’s Response.” Click here to access his power point presentation.

Habitat hires consultant to survey residents and service providers
Habitat contracted Communitas Consulting to survey Southwood residents and service providers to obtain information to “improve collaborations with area agencies and to have a positive impact on the quality of life for current and future residents.” The survey report was released in November 2009; click here to view it. Also available is a power point presentation about the survey, used at the February 2010 CJ plenary.

Bus service to Southwood
Since March 2007, CTS has been offering bus service from downtown Charlottesville to Southwood. The service is 6am – 6 pm, Monday thru Saturday. Community activists are advocating for Albemarle County support of the Charlottesville initiative. There are also demands for extended service since many Southwood residents work in the area’s large service industry in the evenings. For a bus schedule and map, visit: http://www.charlottesville.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6657

Habitat Southwood Progress Report for Albemarle County
August 2008

Latino Health Survey.   Between October 2007 and February 2008, a qualitative assessment was conducted through both semi-structured door-to-door interviews with eighty Southwood Latino residents and four focus groups with twenty-five Latinos recruited at the Bubbles Laundromat on Carlton Road.  Additionally, six service providers, five Latinas and one Spaniard married to a Mexican, were also surveyed.  The survey aimed to learn what the local Latino community considers as its most important health problems to assist the CJ Health Promoter Working Group design appropriate interventions to respond to them. To view the report of findings, published on March 1, 2008, visit http://www.cj-network.org/cjinitiatives/HealthSurvey.doc

A Message To Southwood Residents
A bilingual flyer circulated to Southwood residents by Habitat in late February 2007. Following the flyer, Habitat invited residents and agencies involved in Southwood to enjoy coffee and donuts on March 5 – 7, 2007 (between 7 and 10 am) in the trailer park’s parking lot.

Images of Southwood Trailer Park and its Residents
These twelve photos were taken by Billy Hunt for Habitat for Humanity. View them at: http://www.billyhunt.com/southwood.html

Habitat announces it will purchase Southwood
A Habitat Press Release (May 2006)
http://avenue.org/habitat/sunrise/Announcement.pdf

New connecting road through Southwood being considered
On December 19, 2006, the Albemarle County Planning Commission mentioned during a Board of Supervisors meeting that a connecting road is being planned that would be constructed through the Southwood neighborhood to connect Biscuit Run to Old Lynchburg Road. Source: http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/biscuit_run_development/index.html Click here for a related Daily Progress article

School Enrollment
For the 2008-2009 school year, some 270 Southwood children were transported by Albemarle County School buses to County elementary (148), middle (55) and high (67) schools. (Source: ACDT). Children residing in Southwood attend Cale (Elementary), Burley and Walton (Middle Schools; students were split in 2006 between two schools), and Monticello (High School). Click here for a chart reflecting the growth of Latino students in these schools between 1999 and 2010. To view statistics on Latino students for all Albemarle County schools visit Latinos in Our Area.

Map of Southwood
A simple street drawing showing locations of Southwood trailers.

Taking out Southwood’s Trash: A Social and Legal History of Mobile Homes and the Implications for Albemarle County
A paper prepared by a UVA student, May 2006.

Homelessness in Southwood
The minutes of an October 2005 meeting of the 2012 Task Force on Homelessness reads: “Mr. Rue distributed copies of the 2005 Homeless Census. Mr. White and others wished to remind us of the invisible nature of homelessness, especially in rural areas. He gave the example of the Southwood trailer park, where as many as 15-18 people sometimes live in the same mobile home, and yet these people are not considered homeless despite deplorable conditions.” Location: http://www.tjpdc.org/pdf/housing/2012_Task_Force/minutes_2005_10_24.doc

Southwood Pollutes?
Southwood owns and operates a sewage treatment facility that has been repeatedly cited for violating the instantaneous fecal coliform standard and for polluting Moore’s Creek. Online references on this problem includes:

A February 2005 Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission Report
http://www.deq.state.va.us/tmdl/implans/mooresip.pdf

A 2004 report of the Virginia State Water Control Board (Page 76)
http://legis.state.va.us/codecomm/Register/vol20/ISS21%5CV20I21.PDF

A 2004 State Water Control Board Action against Southwood for a pattern of pollution between October 2001 and September 2003. http://www.deq.state.va.us/enforcement/finalorders/southwood.pdf

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Habitat has a beautiful community room in the middle of the trailer park that can be reserved by service providers to hold activities benefiting Southwood residents. It is located in the complex with the Southwood office and the Boys and Girls Club. Inquiries should be directed to Anne Ternes 434/979-0856.

Ongoing Initiatives

Neighborhood Watch Group
In February 2009, Albemarle County Police Department started a Neighborhood Watch Group in the trailer park. Lt. James Bond is responsible for this much needed initiative. Creciendo Juntos strongly recommends service providers to encourage their Southwood Clients, both Latinos and non-Latinos, to participate in the Neighborhood Watch meetings and to contact Lt. Bond with their ideas and concerns: BondJ@albemarle.org

Organización Latina de Fútbol en Charlottesville y Albemarle
This is the area’s outdoor Latino soccer league. For more information contact Jesús Ayala 434/465-1282 or Pedro Orea 434/836-0252.

Literacy & English Playgroups In Southwood
Children, Youth and Families Services (CYFS) offered literacy and playgroup programs in Southwood in 2008, and is continuing them during the current school year. For flyers on both, visit http://www.cj-network.org/cjcomm_ann/docs_2009/CYFSflyers.doc For more information contact Hilary Nagel at hnagel@cyfs.org or (434) 296-4118 ex 238. CYFS’ website is http://www.cyfs.org

Southwood Community Outreach Program
This 2009-10 program is sponsored by the UVA Latino Student Alliance and UVA’s Madison House. It consists of mentoring and tutoring a diverse group of kids, the majority of whom are Latino elementary and middle school students, ranging from ages 6-13 who live in Southwood Mobile Home Park. UVA student volunteers will be participating in one-on-one tutoring once a week and monthly activities with the families community. If interested contact Karver Bolton at karver@madisonhouse.org

Latina Mom’s Group: Southwood
The organizers of the Hydraulic Latina Mom’s Group began to offer a Mom’s Group in Southwood in September 2009. Moms will be taught parenting skills, English, and advised of community resources, while their children are being entertained. Multiple service providers will participate including Habitat, which will allow the group to use is Southwood Community Center, ACDSS Bright Stars (Kim Rambow), the ARC’s Infant Toddler Services(Maria Williams), and Albemarle County School’s ESOL program (Laura Brown and Paula Mehring). For more information, contact Paula Mehring (ACPS) at 434/295-7936 or pmehring@nexet.net

English Classes
Albemarle County Schools offers low-cost beginner and advanced English classes during the school year for adults living in Southwood. The program has been available since the 2008-09. For more information, contact Paula Mehring at (434) 295-7936 or pmehring@nexet.net

Study Club at Southwood
Since last year, Albemarle County Schools has provided a Study Club at the Southwood Community Center Conference room, to help neighborhood middle and high school students study.  The initiative is coordinated by Gloria Maria Rockhold, (434) 296-5803.

Shelter for Help in Emergencies (SHE)
Dilcia Colindres (dilciacolindres@msn.com) and Marie Murray (adrobal@yahoo.com) provide support to Southwood victims of domestic abuse. SHE’s administrative office is located at 1410 SachemPlace, Suite 102, close to Albemarle High School.

CHIP
This non-profit serves children from birth to age six and their families. Families are linked to a primary physician and assisted with preventive health care, positive parent-child interaction, and appropriate discipline. Several bilingual and/or bicultural CHIP staff work with Latinos in Southwood. CHIP’s Executive Director, Judy Smith, may be reached at 964-4701 or judy.smith@jachip.org CHIP’s office is located at 1469 Greenbrier Place. Its phone is 434-964-4700.

CJ Southwood Health Promoter Working Group
Creciendo Juntos (CJ) Health Promoter Work Group has organized several initiatives in Southwood including a Latino Help Fair (2007), a Latino Health Survey (2007), and the recruiting and training of health promoters (2008 and 2009). From 2009 to the present, its trained health promoters have periodically provided medical information and services to Southwood residents. For more information, see the working group’s web page at http://www.cj-network.org/cjwgm/health.html

The Bright Stars Program
This preschool program for four year-old children is sponsored by a partnership among Albemarle Department of Social Services, the School Division and various community agencies and organizations. The program’s goal is to provide early learning experiences and comprehensive social supports for students and families that address risk factors that can lead to early academic failure. Social workers from Social Services implement seven classes of 16 students each in six schools including Cale where Southwood children attend. For more information contact Kim Rambow, Social Services, 293-7455.

Family Support Program
The mission of the Albemarle Social Service’s Family Support Program is to provide prevention and intervention services that support children's growth and development, strengthen families, and promote school success through home, school and community collaboration. Dick Goodin is the Family Support Worker at Cale Elementary where Southwood students attend and most of his work is in that community. Dick can be contacted at 293-7455.

Covenant School Efforts
The Covenant School has enjoyed a long and rich association with its neighbors in Southwood. Covenant students have tutored at the Rainbow House drop in center and the Boys and Girls Club. Volunteers raked leaves for Albemarle Housing Improvement Program and organized a Southwood-Covenant 5K race to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club (over $1600 in two years). The Habitat for Humanity Student Club, among many other projects, secured a grant and using plants grown by students in the 7th grade Life Science class, constructed a community garden. Among other initiatives, Covenant has hosted the Boys and Girls Club over the summer and for other occasions (computer tutoring, classroom instruction, and athletic camps), and in coordination with the Club, Covenant School families have “adopted” Southwood families at Christmas, and over three years have provided 20 families with a meal and sometimes presents. For more information about Covenant’s activities contact John Collmus, Dean of Students (9-10), jcollmus@covenantschool.org; Bryan Verbrugge, Chaplin, BVerbrugge@covenantschool.org; or Deb Short, Habitat Club, dshort@covenantschool.org

Southwood Boys and Girls Club
Affiliated with the Charlottesville/Albemarle Boys and Girls Club, this unit, located next to the Southwood office and Community Center, has after school and summer activities including homework help, sports, hobbies, and field trips. It is operated by Olga Arouca who can be reached at oarouca@bgclubcville.org or (434) 295-0037.

The Rainbow House
A Jefferson Park Baptist Church ministry located in Southwood. Community groups are encouraged to use the community center for their Southwood activities.

Past Initiatives

Southwood Children’s Photography Project
El Barrio: The Neighborhood, a book of photos taken by Southwood children, released in April 2009, is the result of a collaboration between the Boys & Girls Club of Charlottesville/Albemarle, Albemarle County schools and The Bridge. The effort brought low-income and at-risk students together with professional photographers to learn basic digital photography skills and feel the pride of seeing their work published. For more information, click here or visit http://johnedwinmason.typepad.com/john_edwin_mason_photogra/el-barrio/

Southwood Children’s Art Exhibit
Between 2008 and 2009, Diana Foster directed a program at the Boys & Girls Club at Southwood called Forest Discoveries. In partnership with artist Ann Cheeks, Southwood children explored the forests near the trailer park and then interpreted their findings through a variety of art media. Works of 170 children from both the Southwood and Cherry Ave B&GClub units were exhibited at McGuffey Art Center for the entire month of May 2009. For more information contact dfoster@newventure.com or 964-1022

Rural Health Outreach Program Mobile Clinic
The RHOP Mobile Clinic, operated by Jan Wolfe and Ivonne López, visited Southwood every other month for two years, providing services to Southwood residents, many of whom were Spanish speaking. After almost three years, the service ceased the end of 2007. For more information, contact Jan Wolfe at 434/263-4858, 434/409-1636 or jan@rhop-brmc.org The RHOP is located at 4038 Thomas Nelson Highway, Arrington, VA 22922.

Getting bus service to Southwood
Largely due to the efforts of the grassroots initiative IMPACT (Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together), bus service began running between downtown Charlottesville and Southwood on March 26, 2007. For more information contact Brian Plum, (540) 907-2299 or impact@thedartcenter.org IMPACT’s office is located at 100 Alderman Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903.

CJ Southwood Work Group
In 2006, CJ began a work group, comprised largely by community organizations, to share knowledge and resources about Southwood, and coordinate and encourage additional initiatives there. Click here for meeting summaries and updates. Once Habitat took over Southwood in March 2007, the group ceased to meet even though CJ continues to maintain a strong presence there through its individual members and its Southwood expert, Linda Hemby, who developed the Southwood webpage.

Overview: The Southwood Task Force (2003 – 2005)
July 2006