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Council Approves Housing Authority Name Change to 'Beyond Housing' After Public Comment
Summary
The Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority received council approval to change its legal name to 'Beyond Housing' following a staff presentation and questions from council; one councilmember voted no amid concerns the new name could confuse residents seeking housing services.
The Bristol City Council on March 25 approved a request from the Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority to change its legal name to "Beyond Housing," a rebrand the authority says better reflects services beyond public housing.
Ray Austin, deputy director of the authority, told council the change follows a national trend to reframe housing authorities and is intended to reduce stigma. "We selected Beyond Housing because we really do go beyond just housing," Austin said, noting the authority provides resident services, children's programs and is pursuing neighborhood redevelopment through a Choice Neighborhood grant.
Staff said the authority's board voted unanimously in January 2025 to adopt the new name and that a 2022 amendment to Virginia Code §36‑4 allows localities to approve housing authority name changes. The staff report and accompanying resolution made clear that the authority will preserve a tagline—"Housing Authority of the City of Bristol, Virginia"—to limit confusion about its statutory role.
Frank Goodpaster, a resident who spoke during public comment, urged council to retain the current, descriptive name. "The name ‘Beyond Housing’ is kind of vacuous," Goodpaster said. "I would strongly object to changing the name because the new name may last for a couple of years, but over time it presents problems."
Council members asked whether the authority would use the new brand for public materials while keeping the formal legal name on documents. Austin said the branding would appear on the website and promotional materials while the tagline would clarify the authority's statutory status. Several council members expressed support for the change and for keeping "Bristol, Virginia" in the tagline to reduce cross‑state confusion with nearby Bristol, Tennessee.
On the roll call vote the motion passed (Farnam, Holmes, Pollard, Nave voting yes; Osborne voting no). Council approved the authority's requested name change and the manager and staff were directed to facilitate the branding steps and any necessary updates to city records.
