HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing and Neighborhood Preservation Departmental Budget PresentationCity of Virginia Beach
Proposed FY 2026-27
Housing & Neighborhood Preservation Department
Ruth Hill, Director of Housing & Neighborhood Preservation
April 14, 2026
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Trends & Issues
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•One in three households (62,000 out of 180,000) are housing cost-burdened, meaning
they pay 30% or more of their income for housing costs.
•Renters and homeowners make up nearly equal portions of housing-cost-burdened
households; renters are proportionately more cost burdened.
•Approximately 40% of seniors over the age of 75 are housing cost-burdened.
Housing Instability
•In 2024, the median monthly rent increased to $1,750, requiring an income of
$70,000/year.
•Median home prices have increased by 5% each of the past two years and coupled
with high interest rates makes it difficult for first-time and moderate-income
homebuyers to purchase homes.
Affordable Housing
•Housing and Neighborhood Preservation utilizes various programs to help residents
obtain affordable housing, such as: Attainable Workforce Housing Performance Grant,
Owner-occupied rehabilitation program, Federal Housing Choice Voucher program, and
the newly developed in FY 2027 Down payment and closing cost assistance (federal
funds) program.
•Housing and Neighborhood Preservation leverages public-private and public-nonprofit
partnerships to assist developers in creating more affordable rental housing units.
Affordable Housing
Trends & Issues
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•During the 2025 Point-In-Time count, 327 homeless persons were identified, an increase
from 311 in 2024.
•Over the past five years, targeted interventions have yielded a 9 % decline in chronic
homelessness.
•Over the past decade, the City has experienced a 34% reduction in unsheltered
homelessness through the enhancement of shelter capacity and the expansion of permanent
housing options.
Homelessness
Trends
•Individuals aged 55 and older constitute the fastest-growing segment among those
experiencing homelessness in Virginia Beach.
•Single men & women constitute 75% of all homelessness in the City. This development is
predominantly attributed to fixed incomes not keeping pace with escalating housing
expenses.
•Minority groups remain overrepresented within the homeless population relative to their
proportion in the City's general demographic makeup.
Homelessness
Trends Cont.
•Housing Affordability Crisis: The primary factor contributing to homelessness continues to
be limited access to affordable housing. In 2024 approximately 60% of households seeking
shelter were at risk of homelessness due to significant rent cost burdens
•Barriers to Shelter: Many unsheltered individuals avoid shelters due to pet restrictions and
limited storage; the City is exploring pet-friendly fostering and expanded storage solutions.
•Encampments:In the year 2025, the City cleared 29 encampments and 7 individuals were
successfully transitioned into shelter or housing.
Homelessness
Challenges
Major Budget Changes
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•A limited pilot program for the City Detect platform to evaluate the
effectiveness of AI-driven imagery for proactive code enforcement.
•The Pilot will use two vehicle-mounted cameras to test the
platform's ability to detect various types of property maintenance
code violations and improve inspection efficiency.
Code Enforcement
(City Detect Pilot) –
$110,000
•Six Code Enforcement positions have been transferred from the
Community Development Block Grant to the General Fund.
•This change frees up federal funding for the homeowner
rehabilitation program and other eligible programs.
•The transition strategically aligns local and federal program
services with their appropriate funding sources, maximizing the
impact of both local and federal resources.
Code Enforcement
Positions Moved to
the General Fund
Questions?
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