Richmond set to declare affordable housing emergency

Richmond leaders are set to formally declare a housing crisis.

What’s happening: In a resolution before the Richmond City Council, officials pointed to an array of alarming statistics they said have only been getting worse.

• Rents have been shooting up.
• The number of evictions has surged, with more than half of all filings attributed to 15 large landlords.
• And a record 188 people were counted living without shelter this winter.

Why it matters: City leaders say they’re hoping that calling attention to the problem will bring more outside support.

• “Today we stand together to show some urgency on this issue,” Mayor Levar Stoney said during a press conference at City Hall last week. “We must send a message to our partners at the state and federal level.”

Stoney outlined a series of steps the city is undertaking to address the problem.

• That includes a pledge to help create 1,000 new affordable apartments each year for the next five years through a $50 million local grant program.
• He also noted the city’s work to rewrite zoning codes to allow denser development.

The intrigue: Stoney’s announcement comes after months of criticism by a large grassroots advocacy group that represents more than a dozen local church congregations.

• The group, Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities, has been pressing Stoney and City Council members over a pivot away from the city’s existing Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which they argue would provide more funding for the problem over the long term.

• They’ve also criticized Stoney for being slow to release money set aside to aid people living in dilapidated mobile home parks.

What they're saying: City Council President Mike Jones addressed criticism of the decision to move away from the housing trust fund at last week’s press conference, telling reporters.

• “There are going to be some other organizations who say we should do it the way we’ve always done it," Jones said. "We can’t. The need has changed.”

What’s next: A final vote on the housing resolution is scheduled for April 10.