affordable housing

Norfolk is one of the worst areas when it comes to affordable housing. Taking Virginia as a whole, the Housing Wage is $15.79. This is the amount a full-time worker must earn per hour in order to afford a two-bedroom unit at Fair Market rent price. This is 307% of the minimum wage. Working at minimum wage, you would have to work 94 hours to afford a place to live! The average renter's income in Virginia is $36,622, but in Norfolk, that number drops to $25,726. This is why people in this area have a hard time.



At work, lack of affordable housing always comes up and is the cornerstone of many of the grants that I write. I had the priviledge of attending a Norfolk Homeless Consortium meeting yesterday where I learned of a very important meeting. Here is my public plea.



For anyone who lives in Hampton Roads, I encourage you to attend a meeting held at Willet Hall in Portsmouth on October 7. This meeting is put on by Empower Hampton Roads, a group that works to change public policies regarding affordable housing, education, and employment. We are talking about housing for people who make under $50,000. That's me. That's you. That's 58% of Hampton Roads (and 87% of Norfolk). As a single mother who works in the social services field, this will always be me. I have accepted that. I enjoy what I do immensely. But come and support the need for affordable housing in Hampton Roads. That's all.