White Stone and York County are among seven Virginia communities awarded a total of more than $7 million in Virginia Housing Rehabilitation and Community Development block grants last week.

The Town of White Stone will receive $1 million for its business district. The money will be used to improve the façades of 15 buildings, create or retain 15 businesses, demolish three blighted units, create seven upper-story housing units, and enhance pedestrian safety, according to a release from the office of Gov. Ralph Northam.

Gardens neighborhood, which will include the rehabilitation of 15 single-family housing units, all of which are low- to moderate-income households. Previous phases of the Carver Gardens rehabilitation project provided reliable and safe drinking water and housing improvements.

In all, 14 grant applications were submitted, the release said.

Since 1982, the federally funded CDBG program has been administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community De...