Richmond mayor and Office of Community Wealth Building report drop in city poverty rate; officials focus on housing, workforce and regional coordination

Mayor Raula presented the Office of Community Wealth Building—s annual report to Richmond City Council, saying the city—s most complete recent data shows about 41,000 people living in poverty in 2023, a 21% decline from a 2015 baseline. The presentation highlighted a drop in the city—s overall poverty rate from roughly 25.5% in 2015 to 18.8% in 2023 and a fall in children living in poverty from about 15,000 to 11,000.

The report, produced by the Office of Community Wealth Building (OCWB), framed the reductions as the product of multiple factors and city efforts. "Over the period since OCWB's inception in 2014, they have been responsible for 2,420 job placements," Mayor Raula said, adding that the average wage for placements rose from just under $10 an hour in FY16 to nearly $20 an hour in FY25. The mayor also cited YouthWorks RVA and other OCWB programs as contributors to the city—s progress.

The nut graf: city and OCWB officials said the decline matters because it reflects coordinated investments in workforce training, youth employment and other supports, but they warned that housing cost increases and regional migration complicate interpretation. "We have seen a decrease in poverty rates, not just here in…