AHIP History
Humble Beginnings
Before there was AHIP, there was SCRUB. After Hurricane Camille stormed through Charlottesville in 1969, a volunteer group of UVA students came together to help with the cleanup efforts, calling themselves SCRUB.
In the process, these volunteers discovered that many families in the area lived in dire housing conditions, some even before the hurricane. Recognizing the need for ongoing support, SCRUB evolved into the Charlottesville Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) in 1974. Eventually, the team came to realize that the surrounding county needed support of its own, culminating in the founding of the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program in 1976.
1995 saw CHIP come to an end, which led in turn to AHIP becoming the premier home repair nonprofit for both the city and county, a role it carries on to this day!
AHIP Today
As we come up on our 50th anniversary, the AHIP team carries on the legacy of our founders by providing critical home repairs throughout both the city and county.
Last year alone, we conducted over 180 repairs for more than 90 local low-income homeowners, reinvesting nearly $600,000 back into our community in the process.
With fiscal year 2025 on the horizon, we intend to match that number once again, bringing much-needed assistance to as many neighbors as we can and making Albemarle a place of stability and safety. After all, everyone deserves to stay safe at home.
