VIRGINIA BEACH — Land for affordable housing projects is limited in Virginia Beach, so the city is putting feelers out to see if current property owners — particularly nonprofit and religious organizations — have an interest in helping to solve the problem.
Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation is currently collecting information online from organizations that could make land they own available for the development of affordable housing.
“We have heard from churches over the years that have brought this up that they’d like to be part of the solution,” said Sharon Shoff, the city’s housing finance coordinator. “The first thing we want to know is who is really interested in doing something about affordable housing with their land.”
One in three Virginia Beach households (about 59,000) are housing cost-burdened, which means they pay 30% or more of their income on their total housing costs, according to a recent city housing study. Increased competition in the housing market is making it harder for first-time and moderate-income buyers to purchase homes, and for many renters — especially seniors who live alone — to find quality, affordable units, according to the city.
“We have significant housing affordability challenges, and there’s just demand for more options for low-income renters,” Shoff said.
After gathering information from area nonprofits, city staff will consider the location, the amount of land available and the current zoning of each property. The city can provide resources to help nonprofit organizations interested in developing their land for affordable housing, Shoff said.
“The city would not be purchasing the land,” she said. “It’s really about them taking the next step.”
Virginia Beach has more than 200 churches, according to the city.
Several state groups are pushing for legislation that would cut through some of the red tape that religious institutions face if they want to offer affordable housing on land they own. A bill introduced this year in the Virginia General Assembly session that would streamline the process for faith communities to build affordable housing on their land was referred to a subcommittee and continued until next year.
About 12 religious organizations in Virginia have built affordable housing on their land, according to Sheila Herlihy Hennessee, an organizer with Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy.
“It’s really exciting when government works with faith communities because so often the process is so confusing and so expensive the good intentions get lost along the way,” Hennessee said.
Virginia Beach recently updated its housing study to analyze the current housing market and identify strategies to address housing needs. In May, the City Council directed the city manager to advance discussions with the Virginia Beach Development Authority to fund new, large-scale, mixed-use development projects; design a housing education campaign with community engagement; and research opportunities to simplify the permitting and review process.
Permanent affordable housing has not yet been built on a religious organization’s property in Virginia Beach, according to the city.
The Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, a nonprofit organization, recently broke ground on a supportive housing project for people experiencing homelessness. JCOC already owned the property near the Oceanfront and previously operated an emergency shelter there.
Shoff said it’s an example of a nonprofit using its land for affordable housing, but the city is also interested in helping to facilitate projects for the broader community, including low-income seniors and families.
In a public survey conducted last fall on what should be the City Council’s top priorities, respondents ranked “affordable housing/housing affordability and homelessness” among the top five.
The city is offering an online quiz at www.speakupvb.com to help gain insight into the community’s understanding of what affordable housing is and why it is important to have an adequate supply. The quiz is open until Aug. 11.
For those organizations interested in developing their land, a request for information form is available online at VirginiaBeach.gov/HousingRFI until 5 p.m. Aug. 14.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
