Virginia is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, and people of faith want to help.
VICPP is supporting congregations building affordable housing, both in policy and practice! In the legislature, VICPP is leading on a bill called “Faith in Housing for the Commonwealth” that would streamline the process for building housing on faith-owned land. Check out our 2025 FACT SHEET HERE!
We also hosted “Congregations and Housing” events around the Commonwealth in October, 2024. Check out the slides from our past events:
- Hampton Roads, October 15, 2024 (SLIDES)
- Greater Richmond, October 22, 2024 (SLIDES)
- Northern Virginia, October 29, 2024 (SLIDES)
- Also, check out our RESOURCE GUIDE HERE
Are you interested in hosting a similar event in your area in 2025? Reach out to Sheila Herlihy Hennessee, our director of Faith Organizing!
Low– and moderate-income families struggle to find affordable housing in Virginia. According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, 71 percent of very low-income Virginians spend more than half their incomes on housing. According to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), approximately 29 percent (~905,000) of households were cost-burdened as of 2019. With thousands of families on backlogged waitlists for public housing programs, Virginia must address its housing supply and affordability crises. This means addressing supply-side, with zoning reform and streamlining permitting for affordable housing. It also means addressing the high cost of housing for Virginia families, and protecting tenants from landlord overstep.
Check out the fact sheets from the 2024 General Assembly session:
- 2024 all housing priorities – Including tenant protections
- Yes in God’s Backyard Fact Sheet – Supporting congregations building affordable housing
- Affordable Housing Funding Fact Sheet – Ensuring housing has funding in the budget
Other resources for congregations about affordable housing