Henrico's five-year plan to tackle affordable housing and homelessness
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Henrico is rolling out a new five-year plan to funnel millions of dollars into affordable housing and preventing homelessness.
Why it matters: "The most substantial housing problem affecting Henrico residents is cost burden," according to the proposal, which the county's Board of Supervisors approved late last month.
The big picture: Henrico is already taking an unconventional approach to affordable housing that's been touted as a potential model in the state — a trust fund, fueled by real estate taxes from the county's data centers.
- This new plan — a requirement for localities that receive federal funding for housing — outlines how Henrico will spend federal dollars on one of the county's biggest issues.
State of play: The county says resident surveys and feedback from public hearings and dozens of local organizations informed the 2025-2030 plan.
- Affordable housing for sale, home repair programs for homeowners, domestic violence shelters and homeless facilities were among residents' greatest priorities.
- Housing providers said that the fastest-growing demographic of people experiencing homelessness they're seeing is working-class people struggling with rising rents.
- Those providers also noted a need for affordable housing that specifically supports older residents and people with disabilities.
Some of the goals for the five years include:
🧍♀️ 635 people getting homelessness prevention support.
🏚️ 368 homes repaired for lower-income elderly or disabled homeowners.
🛏️ 160 unhoused families receiving shelter and case management services.
🏡 67 first-time homebuyers getting down payment help.
The intrigue: Survey respondents named Eastern Henrico as the No. 1 area where housing improvements are needed most. The No. 2 answer was "county wide."
Zoom in: About 30% of Henrico households (over 38,000) have at least one or more housing quality issue, which can include aging infrastructure, not enough money for repairs or other issues within the housing market, per the plan.
- That's happening as the number of people currently experiencing homelessness in the Richmond region is "essentially unchanged" from the 9-year high recorded last year.