Before COVID-19 hit, Norfolk and Newport News both rolled out big plans to tear down and redevelop crumbling public housing near their respective downtowns.

The federal government kicked in $30 million for each city to help with the redevelopment.

Now, buildings are coming down in Ridley Circle in Newport News and Tidewater Gardens in Norfolk. The redevelopments are underway.

But the pandemic changed the price tags. Supply chain disruptions and increasing construction costs mean these projects will cost more than originally expected.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday it’s doling out more money to prevent the projects from being scaled down to fit their previous budgets.

“Cities and public housing authorities are working tirelessly to address affordable housing shortages despite pandemic era construction cost increases," HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a release announcing the additional grant funding.

Norfolk is getting an additional $10 million dollars, while Newport News will get an extra $5 million. The cities are two of the sixteen localities across the nation to recieive additional funding for their Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant projects.

That brings the regional total for the Choice Neighborhoods grants to $75 million dollars. Between the two projects, more than 1,000 units of mixed-income housing are planned.