Norfolk must advance affordable housing options
Growing up, I lived in the same home for more than 25 years and took for granted the comfort and stability that this foundation afforded me. As I launched my career in public health, I began to think more critically about my positionality: how my identity and upbringing shaped my worldview. Without the security of a stable place to live, my life would have been very different. Circumstances nationwide in recent years have drawn into focus the importance of safe, affordable, and dignified housing.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, several regions of Virginia struggled with high eviction rates and a lack of affordable housing. According to The Eviction Lab, created by Professor Matthew Desmond at Princeton University, Virginia had five of the top 10 cities with the highest eviction rates in the nation; four of those cities were in Hampton Roads (Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Chesapeake). Of course, the pandemic exacerbated this.
Additionally, Hampton Roads has the second most unmet need for affordable housing in the state after Northern Virginia. Based on a 2020 review of affordable housing in Virginia by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, Norfolk has the second most unmet need for affordable rental units. This should be deeply troubling to everyone in Norfolk.
When I hear of fellow Norfolk residents who are being affected by this housing crisis, I feel compelled to act. Dominic, a Norfolk resident for three years, works two jobs and lives in a three-bedroom apartment with his wife and children. Due to substantial rent increases, he must move his family to a more affordable place, where, hopefully, the quality and amenities will align with the rent.
Tamika lives in income-based housing. While she had a disability, her rent was approximately $400, but after recovering from her illness, it skyrocketed to $1,150. Since she lives in income-based housing, they can change her rent at any time.
These situations are not fair to everyday citizens, and unfortunately these stories and other unjust housing issues have become more common.
The lack of affordable housing is not a temporary problem, and it will likely have generational impacts as women and children are largely affected. Desmond wrote in his book “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” that, “If incarceration had come to define the lives of men from impoverished Black neighborhoods, eviction was shaping the lives of women. Poor Black men were locked up. Poor Black women were locked out.”
Housing affordability and availability are equity issues, and when the future of already marginalized communities — especially children — are on the line, we must do better. Safe, dignified and affordable housing is a fundamental human right.
This is why Virginia Organizing, a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization, is advocating for affordable housing in Norfolk. There are viable steps that Norfolk City Council can take to move towards more equitable and affordable housing. We need reasonably-priced housing, well-maintained properties and landlord accountability. Options such as housing trust funds, the amplification of community members’ collective voices through the creation of a Housing Task Force, and the development of a rental inspection program to ensure property maintenance and landlord accountability can improve our city.
We are excited for the forthcoming report by the Norfolk Department of Housing and Community Development. We hope that officials will take these suggestions into account, and that Norfolk City Council will soon vote to implement measures such as those mentioned above. Everyone deserves to have stable, secure housing, a place of solace, a home. We all must work together to bring that vision to fruition, especially those in leadership positions in this city.