Law firm to aid Habitat’s housing efforts

Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity and the Richmond-based Williams Mullen law firm announced last night a partnership to usher in an era of affordable housing.

In slightly more than two decades of work, the nonprofit local Habitat group has focused on single-family homes, building 273 of them.

But some 25,000 substandard housing units still plague the area.

"There's so much more to be done, and we are in a position to help," said Williams Mullen's Andrew G. Nea Jr.

Nea will oversee pro bono legal help for Habitat, enabling the entity to better coordinate zoning, tax, human resource, mortgage and title elements.

"We're a full-service law firm, and Habitat will be like any other client," Nea said. Williams Mullen is one of the state's largest law firms.

Leisha G. LaRiviere, Habitat's executive director, said Williams Mullen's expertise will be most helpful as Habitat expands into construction of multi-income, multifamily structures that should vastly improve Habitat's reach into the community and increase affordable-housing choices.

Habitat in Richmond is the country's 15th-largest affiliate of the national organization.

-- Bill McKelway