[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6657733,"mediaKeyId","5066801-a8d11f036eb2c610d1570df5f0fba7a2","parentId",5066801,"title","Newport News City Council approves two community grants totaling $6,000","audioSeconds",23,"startMs",3252000,"endMs",3275000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066801-a8d11f036eb2c610d1570df5f0fba7a2&start=3252&end=3275","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066801-a8d11f036eb2c610d1570df5f0fba7a2/thumbnail_3252000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6657733/Virginia/Newport-News-City-Council-approves-two-community-grants-totaling-6000","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657733-299d61e589ed5c46f305e4dab0863bfb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174766&Signature=RE-ebrvU2wAcnAh1Hnho-dXWFT7NOZLZHM7f6a0vw-qjQcaHA9nZT~6WbjhLKwvCuZu3QFNwLx6HLn1Wp0P11gWi6ISXBUQGwEawHd~xPB0xNSIMlMA2yFCnoZIt3tfSVTeM69ZQOHCI8fiu8yhepRxMQNC1XlUNXSg~jiojT-gFgOMqs8NNGS6OqdRHrXM6HAbrzFnzi5t2rsfak9O9bHPT6WbBKJRmslBfdJF7lqvnYYNOZbtWOb6V92VYL5Es1O7inNlYuYNu-rlToTpcRog6aFbC2jYzNMZ4eXgINePedz-cv3Bbj1M5PZhZRVC8WI23YhvMYPs2Igd60H9n-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Newport News (Sugggested)","date","2025-06-25T09:56:15Z","article","Near the end of the work session, City Council approved two community grant requests on a single motion. The council voted to award $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club and $1,000 to Peninsula Alpha for a Father’s Day breakfast.

A member moved and another seconded the motion; the clerk called the roll. Mayor Jones, Councilman Long, Councilwoman Bitt, Vice Mayor Bethany, Councilman Coleman, Councilman Ealy and Councilman Harris registered votes in favor when the clerk called each name. The clerk announced, “Motion carries 7 0.” No abstentions were recorded.

The council did not provide additional detail in the meeting record about the program budgets or conditions attached to the grants; staff were asked to obtain signatures for distribution of funds to the Southeast Community Day Parade earlier in the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Newport News City Council Work Session 06-24-2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the work session close, City Council voted 7-0 to approve a $5,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Club and a $1,000 grant to Peninsula Alpha for a Father's Day breakfast; motion was moved and seconded and passed on a roll call of seven yes, zero no.","taxTitle","Newport News (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",12491,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6657737,"Newport News outlines Strategic Housing Initiative to guide work toward 21,000 units by 2050",915,1882000,2797000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066801-a8d11f036eb2c610d1570df5f0fba7a2&start=1882&end=2797","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066801-a8d11f036eb2c610d1570df5f0fba7a2/thumbnail_1882000.jpg","/articles/6657737/Virginia/Newport-News-outlines-Strategic-Housing-Initiative-to-guide-work-toward-21000-units-by-2050","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657737-3c8786aecd90507071a9f03f442102c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174766&Signature=GrmyyeSPnyRab0HMHwH5Uth-vmiH5jvCiv6dYPBifPtvcDK8zOouGpE6THwR8YOTWxBdAk-rtwuBCQ8yNkowF2tNGd2stYjK0VKGlkeRx402oDItvU7adQwUboAKbNn8lr1aZ~q~fe-RpG4REXTKUW-ZVA3imwr5hq8krbP41IkfTJwCpW4PPF6foIVHnWRaqcTpqKPSGjdaVryG-IBwL8yX9aiKXdEwCREi8SfLSLMgXgKYw9-7YrZ52nOHtee843j8KqQ62BHWksfBnOyZx3dq7pMQ5uu2FpjsbAMh4QZXGcZiw7SIhFijlN1ZiWdR1NOla3w4LIfLc8-6R4FeZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Manager Alan and staff presented the Strategic Housing Initiative Plan (SHIP) at a City Council work session as a coordinated follow-up to the city’s comprehensive housing study. Owen Miller, the city’s chief strategy officer, and Terry Francis, neighborhood services office manager, described the SHIP as a public-facing roadmap of strategies, measurable goals, and partners to help the city meet projected housing needs.

Francis said the comprehensive housing study, launched in December 2024, produced an inventory and gap analysis; one key finding reported to council was a projected need for about 21,000 housing units by 2050. To develop SHIP staff convened a steering committee of more than 14 members, conducted more than 30 stakeholder interviews with financial institutions, military professionals, housing industry representatives, faith-based organizations and nonprofits, and formed an internal housing committee that engaged multiple city departments.

The SHIP organizes roughly 20 tactics under four primary focus areas: housing policy and regulatory reform; housing production and redevelopment; preservation, maintenance and neighborhood stability; and housing affordability and access. Francis said tactics include zoning and land-use changes, permitting improvements, financial incentives, adaptive reuse, residential rehabilitation programs, and a potential housing trust fund. Staff said some tactics are already underway, others need further study, and many will require council direction and budget resources.

Council members asked about specific levers and constraints. The presentation and discussion noted that some uses of faith‑based properties and other land are affected by state law; staff said authority in this area is constrained by the state General Assembly. Council members also suggested ideas for maximizing impact, including permit process improvements and financing levers; staff said several tactics will be discussed in more detail at the council’s July retreat.

Francis said staff plan to complete the SHIP before the end of the year and to return to council with a final document that will require council approval and likely additional tactics and funding decisions. The city plans follow-up community engagement events this summer and fall and periodic progress updates. No formal council action on the SHIP was taken at the work session.","City staff and partners presented a Strategic Housing Initiative Plan (SHIP) informed by a December 2024 comprehensive housing study that projects a need for about 21,000 housing units by 2050; staff outlined four focus areas, stakeholder engagement to date, and next steps toward a final plan and council approval later this year.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6657743,"Polco survey: Newport News residents report good overall quality of life; safety and economy show largest gaps",688,387000,1075000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5066801-a8d11f036eb2c610d1570df5f0fba7a2&start=387&end=1075","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5066801-a8d11f036eb2c610d1570df5f0fba7a2/thumbnail_387000.jpg","/articles/6657743/Virginia/Polco-survey-Newport-News-residents-report-good-overall-quality-of-life-safety-and-economy-show-largest-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657743-28d4d6783cca0ba8d97a0714381500c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174766&Signature=Cp6bkkf02SPZFuJW8BEC6F6ptcpyoWFMuTw~kN1zwY~1bir~9P05XNnGoyP-a63gndAmi5nywEMNBMpyE8VtgEJ0cERn2fAWfmxhl1toYvWJAR3BCBrd9MwfkKiQTtkMVTIgl~A5Zh1RQy4fIcboOOSXmjwIC2Uqyv7yvUpKJmlSbUP5YvuUnsKf3~yEQT-jrodyrRzhi5ys-UB9HEP3kYQVmOo8xN4aJR70j82mvUSMXlR7dkjZ02oGHwsXI7K~vFWn8AT82Vp1EyQl23d9DJP6m2eEFD76VOAERI~h4nu9wUKsdKANmoUOaxx5VyBbsG4vZbyff5xJr4o-oiEJOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Polco presented results from the Newport News National Community Survey (NCS) at a City Council work session, telling council members the random-sample portion of the survey received 313 responses and produced a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percent. Sonya Wittingk, executive vice president of data insights at Polco, said the survey will inform the city’s upcoming strategic plan and the council’s July retreat.

Polco described the methodology: staff randomly selected 7,000 addresses to receive an online invitation, mailed paper surveys to an additional 5,000 addresses, offered the survey in English and Spanish, and left data collection open for six weeks beginning April 8. Polco also provided an open participation (self-select) version that received 698 responses; the presentation was based on the statistically sampled 313 responses. Wittingk said Polco benchmarks Newport News against a set of roughly 500 peer jurisdictions and statistically weights results to match Census/American Community Survey demographics.

Wittingk said, “Your residents have a good quality of life. About 9 in 10 residents rated the overall quality of life in Newport News as excellent, good, or fair.” She told council that roughly 6 in 10 respondents plan to remain in the city for the next five years and would recommend living in Newport News to someone who asked.

Polco highlighted two topic areas with the largest importance–quality gaps: safety and the economy. On safety, the presentation showed about 8 in 10 residents reported feeling safe in their neighborhood during the day, roughly half felt safe from property crime, but ratings for safety from violent crime and safety in the downtown area ranked below Polco benchmarks. Wittingk noted police and fire services rated near benchmarks, saying “this may be a perception issue, but it’s something…whether it’s a perception or a true quality issue, they’re both ones that need to be addressed.”

On economic measures, Polco reported lower ratings for cost of living and for the vibrancy of the downtown area; ratings for the vibrancy of commercial areas outside downtown were higher than downtown ratings. Of 122 evaluative survey items, Polco said about three-quarters were similar to benchmarks.

Council members asked about the potential for public education or communications campaigns to shift perception scores. Councilman Long asked whether other cities had used education to raise safety perceptions; Wittingk described smaller informational campaigns and larger branding efforts she said have changed perceptions in other communities.

Polco’s full report and the open-participation results were included in the council packet; Wittingk said staff can run demographic cross-tabs and other analyses on request. City staff and councilmembers were told the NCS findings will be used as one data input for the city’s strategic planning process.

The presentation and Q&A were informational; no formal council action was taken on the survey results at the work session.","At a City Council work session, Polco presented results from the Newport News National Community Survey showing generally positive ratings for quality of life but notable gaps on safety and economic indicators; the random-sample component drew 313 responses (±6% margin of error) and an open participation survey drew 698 responses.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Newport News City Council approves two community grants totaling $6,000

Newport News outlines Strategic Housing Initiative to guide work toward 21,000 units by 2050

Polco survey: Newport News residents report good overall quality of life; safety and economy show largest gaps