Roots to Roofs: Advocating for Affordable, Green, and Resilient Communities
Staff from Southside ReLeaf and Chesapeake Bay Foundation pose in front of the Brock Environmental Center during the summit.
Southside ReLeaf partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to convene Growing Together: From Roots to Roofs, a two-day summit focused on one critical question: how can Virginia expand affordable housing without sacrificing the trees and green spaces that keep communities healthy and resilient? The summit brought together more than two dozen affordable housing leaders, environmental justice advocates, urban planners, developers, nonprofit organizations, and state legislators to build shared solutions at the intersection of housing affordability, climate resilience, and environmental equity.
The conversations challenged the false choice often presented between housing development and environmental protection, particularly in historically redlined communities already experiencing extreme heat, flooding, and tree canopy loss. The summit resulted in a shared vision for creating communities where residents have access to both affordable homes and healthy green spaces, along with a set of policy recommendations to guide future state and local action. Southside ReLeaf also expanded the conversation statewide through a published op-ed in both the Virginia Mercury and Richmond Free Press advocating for “homes with roots, not just roofs.”
Impact
Convened housing, environmental, planning, and policy leaders across Virginia around shared climate and housing challenges.
Helped reframe affordable housing and green infrastructure as interconnected — not competing — community needs.
Produced a summit report with six key policy recommendations focused on equitable and climate-resilient development.
Elevated community-centered planning, tree preservation, and environmental justice in housing policy conversations.
Expanded public awareness through statewide opinion pieces published in the Virginia Mercury and the Richmond Free Press.
Strengthened cross-sector partnerships focused on building healthier, more resilient communities across Virginia.
Lisa Renee Jennings, Sheri Shannon, and Kendra Norrell connect at the Roots to Roofs summit.
Summit attendees listen and engage at the Brock Environmental Center.