Greenway Village Project: A Multi-Stakeholder Initiative Advancing Sustainable Development Goals in Richmond, Virginia

Project Overview and Objectives

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for “Greenway Village,” a new housing community in Richmond, Virginia, initiated by St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church and its partners. The project is a direct response to the need for affordable housing and sustainable community development.

• Total Units: 56
• Target Population: Individuals and families earning between 40-60% of the area median income.
• Location: Property adjacent to St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church.
• Projected Completion: First units are expected by the summer of 2026.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Greenway Village initiative directly contributes to several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through its focus on poverty reduction, inequality, sustainable urban development, and collaborative partnerships.

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The project provides affordable housing, a critical asset for alleviating financial burdens on low-income households and creating a pathway out of poverty.
   • Partnerships with the Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority will provide voucher units, specifically targeting the community’s lowest-income residents.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • By creating housing accessible to those earning significantly less than the area median income, the project works to reduce economic and social inequalities within the city.
   • It promotes the social and economic inclusion of all, irrespective of income status.
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.1: The development directly addresses the goal of ensuring access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing.
   • Target 11.3: The project exemplifies inclusive and sustainable urbanization by repurposing a previously blighted and underutilized property into a productive community asset. The land, which formerly housed a closed school and the site of a convent destroyed by fire, is being revitalized for a positive community purpose.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • This initiative is a model of a multi-stakeholder partnership, uniting a faith-based organization (St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church), a non-profit entity (Commonwealth Catholic Charities), and government bodies (Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority).
   • The collaboration, which has been in development for nearly eight years, demonstrates the effectiveness of combining resources and expertise from public, private, and civil-society sectors to achieve sustainable development objectives.

Stakeholder Commentary and Future Vision

Community leaders have highlighted the project’s significance as a model for future development.

• Jay Brown, CEO of Commonwealth Catholic Charities, emphasized the church’s commitment, stating, “They have said ‘yes, we want families thriving in our backyard’.”
• U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a congregant of the church, noted the project’s role in transforming a long-blighted property into a space with a clear and beneficial purpose for the community.
• Richmond Mayor Danny Avula expressed his hope that the project becomes “a model for a lot of other faith communities who own land in our community… because we do need to be really thoughtful about the precious land we have.”

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article focuses on a project to build a new community specifically for “low-income individuals” and the “communities lowest income residents.” Providing affordable housing is a fundamental strategy for poverty reduction, as it addresses a basic need and can free up household income for other necessities.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The project is a direct response to the need for affordable housing within an urban area (Richmond, Va.). It involves the construction of “56 units” on previously “blighted” land, which represents sustainable urban redevelopment and land use. The goal is to create a thriving community, “Greenway Village,” contributing to more inclusive and sustainable urban environments.
3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article explicitly details a multi-stakeholder collaboration to achieve the project’s goals. It highlights a partnership between a faith-based organization (St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church), a non-profit charity (Commonwealth Catholic Charities), “a number of other area nonprofits,” and a government agency (Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority). This collaboration is presented as a “model for a lot of other faith communities,” emphasizing the importance of partnerships.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
   • The entire project is centered on this target. The construction of “56 units” for people “earning between 40-60% of the area median income” directly addresses the need for affordable housing for a specific segment of the population.
2. Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services…
   • The provision of affordable housing and “voucher unites for the communities lowest income residents” is a direct measure to improve access to basic services for the poor and vulnerable, which is a key component of this target.
3. Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.
   • The project repurposes land that was previously “blighted” and unused for nearly 50 years. This act of urban renewal and thoughtful land use, which the Richmond Mayor hopes will become a “model,” aligns with the principles of sustainable human settlement planning.
4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…
   • The article describes the project as a joint effort between St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church (civil society), Commonwealth Catholic Charities (civil society/non-profit), and the Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority (public/government). This is a clear example of the multi-stakeholder partnership model that Target 17.17 aims to promote.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Number of affordable housing units created.
   • The article explicitly states that “56 units are being built.” This is a direct, quantifiable indicator for measuring progress towards Target 11.1 and Target 1.4.
2. Proportion of the population served by the housing project.
   • The project targets “people earning between 40-60% of the area median income” and provides “voucher unites for the communities lowest income residents.” These criteria serve as indicators to measure whether the project is reaching its intended low-income and vulnerable beneficiaries.
3. Area of repurposed land.
   • The article mentions that the “back two thirds of this property have been sort of blighted.” While not giving a specific acreage, this implies that the area of redeveloped land is a measurable indicator of progress towards sustainable urbanization under Target 11.3.
4. Existence and number of multi-stakeholder partnerships.
   • The article identifies a partnership between at least three distinct types of organizations: a church, a charity, and a government housing authority. The formation and successful operation of this partnership is an indicator for Target 17.17.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: 12onyourside.com