VA Beach Housing Crisis: The Causes and Solutions

The housing crisis has placed financial strain on those searching for affordable housing. It is no different in Virginia Beach, where many people are struggling to pay rent and find affordable housing. However, the city is taking steps to help those affected.

According to the City of Virginia Beach, housing issues stem from rising costs of living essentials such as food, transportation, childcare, health care, and unexpected circumstances.

Public Information Liaison Ali Weatherton-Shook said one in three households pays more than 30% of its income on housing expenses. In addition, renters are experiencing difficulties accessing both the rental and for-sale housing markets.

“A critical concern is the lack of rental units affordable to very low-income households, many of whom are employed in the region’s top 10 most common occupations. These individuals often bear the burden of high housing costs in order to remain in the city,” Weatherton-Shook said.

The Judeo-Christian Outreach Center (JCOC) Program Director, Nicole McInnis, said the lack of new affordable housing and requirements such as holding fees act as barriers.

“The affordable housing that we have here now is full, with waitlists that span one to three years,” McInnis said.

According to the City of Virginia Beach, millennials and boomers have the highest number of cost-burdened households. White and Asian households have lower cost burdens, both at around 31%. Black and Hispanic households have higher cost burden rates, at 48% and 44%, respectively.

To combat the housing crisis, Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation is developing new strategies to increase affordable housing in the city.

“Our department also plans to partner with a local agency to offer down payment and closing cost assistance using federal funding to help low-income first-time homebuyers afford a home,” Weatherton-Shook said. “We continue to assist homeowners through a city- and federally funded owner-occupied rehabilitation program to help low-income homeowners maintain decent, safe, and affordable housing.”

Virginia Beach Mayor Robert M. Dyer said the City Council is focused on planning for the city’s needs. One priority is the Attainable Workforce Housing Performance Grant, which helps provide affordable housing annually.

“These new developments will bring a total of 552 new affordable housing units for families,” Dyer said.

The JCOC will open a 38-unit affordable apartment complex reserved for those facing homelessness in Virginia Beach.

“It will help those with many barriers be placed in a home that they can afford and maintain, and it will allow them to no longer sleep in uninhabitable places where they may have stayed before,” McInnis said.

PiN Ministry was also asked about the housing crisis but declined to respond.

If you or someone you know is struggling with housing, please visit VirginiaBeach.gov/HousingMatters or call the regional housing crisis hotline at 757-227-5932.

-By: Staff O’Neil