Creating a thriving, livable Charlottesville for everyone.
Read our October 2025 newsletter with updates from Charlottesville and Albemarle County
Read the Albemarle County Affordable Housing Advocacy Letter
Co-Signed by 50 Local Organizations
Read more about Understanding Homelessness in Charlottesville
Livable Cville is a local all-volunteer group of individuals powered by people like you. The issues we focus on—making housing more affordable, breaking long-standing patterns of car-centric investments, and reducing community climate impacts—require local and regional action. As people who live and work in the Charlottesville region, we focus our advocacy on the City of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia, Albemarle County, and nearby counties.
Livable Cville advocates for policies to build an inclusive community with more affordable housing, more sustainable transportation options, and healthy neighborhoods that are welcoming to all. On behalf of all our members, supporters, and partner organizations, we thank you for visiting our website. We appreciate your interest in creating a thriving, livable Charlottesville area for all current and future residents!
— Matthew Gillikin & Steven Johnson
Livable Cville Co-chairs
we Believe:
Housing is a human right.
Our Values
Through the effective advocacy of Livable Cville and numerous partner organizations, Charlottesville now has one of the progressive zoning codes in the country. We continue advocating for more affordable housing for everyone, including our unhoused neighbors.
We Believe:
Collaboration, coalition building, and listening help create positive change.
No single individual, no single organization, no single locality can solve complex challenges of housing, mobility, climate, and equity alone. One of our recent advocacy efforts brought together 50 area organizations in a formidable coalition.
We Believe:
Climate change and environmental justice must urgently be addressed
at the local level.
The City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County have both adopted climate policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, the city owns and operates a natural gas utility and the county’s land use policies undermines its own goals. Join us in advocating for bolder local action for a healthier and more sustainable future.
we Believe:
People should be prioritized over cars through quality transit and bikeable, walkable neighborhoods.
Our area has a range of transportation options for people who cannot or do not want to drive a car. These work for some people some of the time, but significant gaps remain for many.
we Believe:
We have a responsibility to redress discriminatory land use, housing, and transportation practices and policies.
What we experience living in the Charlottesville area today—both the good and the bad—is the results of decades and centuries of practices and policies. While it’s too late to go back in time to advocate for different choices, together we can push for better decisions that create a community that creates a more thriving, livable future for all.
If these values resonate with you, join us now in creating a thriving, livable Charlottesville area for all current and future residents.