HAMPTON, Va. — An Earth Day community tour Tuesday highlighted the planned work to address long-standing flooding issues in Hampton's Aberdeen Gardens community.
The tour came as the work was in jeopardy because of frozen federal funding.
Shelton Tucker lives in Aberdeen Gardens. His family owns land that is part of the planned $20 million environmental project in the community.
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“This is important for a number of reasons. Number one is the preservation of homes and the community within the district. Also, the historical value," said Tucker.
The community was designed and built by the Black community in the 1930s and has a federally recognized historic district and a state-recognized cemetery.
Shelton’s family’s land was one stop on the community tour with Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) and city and project representatives.
“This is really a treasure of an area," Tucker said.
Watch: Newport News and Hampton tackle flooding issues, families speak out
According to project leaders, the $20 million grant awarded for the project had, as of Tuesday, been frozen by the Trump Administration, prompting the organization to look for other funding sources.
“There are no funding sources right now readily available that have the scope to accommodate $20 million worth of work. Unfortunately, what happens is you get a project and a timeline that’s less cohesive and can drag out," Wetlands Watch Executive Director Mary-Carson Stiff said.
Watch: City of Hampton and Army Corps of Engineers study flood risks
Scott said he wanted to tour the community to highlight work being done to address climate change.
“In the Inflation Reduction Act, we made a major investment in climate change. That’s important to the Hampton Roads area because we’re at the highest risk to sea level rise of any community other than Louisiana, New Orleans," Scott explained.
Watch: Olde Hampton to see restoration with redevelopment project nearing completion
Tucker said he is undeterred, despite the funding setback.
“My reaction was that, just like anything else, the work still needs to be done and we just need to find another way to do it," said Tucker.
When work on the project could begin was unclear Tuesday.
