Affordability has become one of the hottest issues on the campaign trail. And housing advocates are worried about people who are "rent burdened."
Anyone who spends more than 30% of their income on rent is "rent-burdened," a category of people that is surprisingly high in Virginia. According to federal data, 42% of renters in Virginia pay more than 30% of their income on rent.
"That means four out of 10 people who are renting in Virginia cannot realistically afford their rent," says Christie Marra at the Virginia Poverty Law Center. "Now, think about that. Four out of 10. What that means is we shouldn't be surprised by our eviction rate still being at 80% of what they were in 2019."
In 2019, Virginia grabbed national headlines for having an outsized eviction rate. Housing advocates say the situation has not really improved much since then. Jovan Burton at the Partnership for Housing Affordability says churches and religious organizations can help increase housing supply.
"So, there's been legislation the last couple of years to allow faith-based communities to develop housing by right on their land," Burton says. "And I think we'll see similar legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session."
Another potential solution would be for local governments to set a goal – a percentage of new housing that is required to be affordable housing. Similar legislation was considered earlier this year, but did not become law. Now, housing advocates are hoping next year could see some major new legislation to help those who are bearing the burden of a rent they can't afford.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
