| Virginia Union University (VUU) is a first-time Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant recipient. The university will use HBCU funds to improve the economic viability of residents of a target area adjacent to its campus. The target area to be served is one that was identified by the city’s consolidated plan as having a significant amount of sub-standard housing, large numbers of vacant buildings, high crime, high unemployment, and low levels of education. To address these problems, VUU will: create the Virginia Union University Community Development Corporation, which will implement a public informational lecture series (three seminars per month) in the target community and develop the plans for the creation of a small business incubator program. VUU will coordinate its efforts with the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Partnership Access Center for Economic Self-Sufficiency (PACES) program. The PACES program provides participants with skills in job readiness, job search assistance, job development/job placement services and follow-up for successful job placement.
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