On Grissom Lane in Blacksburg, there are now eight new apartments that provide affordable housing to low income people age 55 and older. The project came about as a result of Livability Initiative demographic projections of the aging population and the need for affordable rental housing in Blacksburg. The new homes are also “net-zero” which means that the housing produces as much energy as it consumes through the use of a solar electric photovoltaic system. Households earning less than 80% of the area median income and residents that live or work in Montgomery County receive first preference.