Hunt Country's Windy Hill was worse than a slum in 1981 when the seeds of an organization designed to provide first class affordable housing for the residents took shape in the mind of René Llewellyn, the Windy Hill Foundation's founder.

Today, the embarrassing housing inequalities left over from decades of segregation and neglect in that slum are gone. In their place is a pristine, bucolic neighborhood that represents only the first step in a journey to ensure that Middleburg Virginia and many other communities have state-of-the-art affordable housing for their workforce and elderly citizens.

"When the foundation's last Middleburg project was completed in 2008, we were built out," remembers Kim Hart, the organization's Executive Director. "Did that mean we should fold our tent? We felt we had an obligation to help our neighbors in surrounding counties."

"To quit would have been to waste more than 30 years of funding and building experience. So the Foundation formed the Windy Hill Development Company to work on affordable green projects outside its home base with all net profits returning to the Foundation."

Six successful projects later, at the 2013 Governor's Housing Conference, the Windy Hill Foundation was recognized with the Best Affordable Housing Energy Conservation Program Award; much deserved high praise for dedicated staff and donors who have learned how to do very well by doing good.

"This is our ethic," explained Hart. "This is our moral being, our commitment to our community." "We began by taking care of our own, and as we grew, we learned how to shape our organization to respond to affordable housing needs across Loudoun County and beyond."

For the last decade, the Windy Hill Foundation and its development partner, TM Associates have made a leadership commitment to energy conservation wherever they build. "Not only is this good for the planet, it is very good for affordable workforce housing because it reduces monthly energy bills and, thereby, increases the number of elderly and working households who receive housing," Hart continued.

"Explained simply, the less money applicants must budget for energy, the more money they have to meet the income qualification requirements. Green affordable housing is a big win for citizens and an even bigger win for the environment," Hart emphasized.

Windy Hill properties are distinguished by more than being green. The designs, workmanship and craftsmanship are excellent and defy the "downmarket" image often associated with affordable housing. 'We're proud to have Windy Hill housing in our community," says Middleburg Mayor Betsy Allen Davis.

Projects & Plans

Three local communities now enjoy Windy Hill workforce housing, the 67 units built by the foundation in Middleburg remain at the core of the organization's holdings and house 20% of the population of the village, according to the latest census figures.

Piedmont Lane in The Plains, Virginia, is Windy Hill's most recent development. It provides 16 units of multi-family living. It is the first multi-family project to use geothermal heating and cooling with average $80-a-month electric utility cost in the all electric buildings for a three-bedroom residence.

Virginia Lane, a 14-unit multi-family project in Middleburg is the first project of its kind to utilize a neighborhood district heating and cooling system. The project is also the first apartment complex in Loudoun County to win the prestigious "Signatures of Loudoun" design award.

Levis Hill House, opened in 2008, was the first certified "green" multi-family apartment building in Loudoun County. The twenty families who live in Levis Hill House are justifiably proud of living in the first apartment building in the county to win an Energy Star award from both the Environmental Protection Agency and from HUD.

The Windy Hill Cottages, the Foundation's first endeavor, were totally renovated in 2010 when all eleven units were certified "green."

The Llewellyn Village Apartments in Middleburg were built in 1995. Completely renovated in 2010, the building was the third certified "green" multi-family building in Loudoun County.

"We pride ourselves on providing both resident services and direct rental subsidies to our elderly residents," Hart noted. "These subsidies are paid out of donations. But there is never enough funding to do as much as Windy Hill would like, and that's another area where their partnership with TM Associates has been valuable."

"There is real synergy between our organizations," Hart said. "TMA's substantial skills in understanding and securing tax credit support from the Virginia Housing Development Authority have been invaluable for Windy Hill," he emphasized.

TMA Vice President Adam Stockmaster pointed out the value of partnering with a community-based non-profit. "Windy Hill Foundation is able to bring resources such as funding mechanisms that are not available to for-profit companies, and Windy Hill has an excellent relationship with Loudoun County," Stockmaster added.

How's the partnership working for Windy Hill? "This year, thanks to great property management from TMA, the Windy Hill Foundation is for the first time ever 'at break even,' Hart said. That means we can put more money toward family services and foundation operations. This is where we want to be."

The Windy Hill Foundation has several projects in the planning stages and would welcome donations and partnerships for their future developments. Please telephone Kim Hart at 540-687-5866 to make an appointment to discuss how you can support their mission.