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Leaders press housing tools as Virginia Beach touts attainable-housing grant program
Summary
Council members pressed staff for policy tools to address low inventory and affordability while staff described an attainable-housing grant program that uses future tax revenue to close financing gaps; two approved projects are expected to add about 372 attainable units.
During the joint session on Nov. 18, Virginia Beach council members pressed staff on what local policy tools exist to address low housing inventory and affordability as city and school officials presented the five-year forecast.
A council member asked, "What tools are available to us at the city level?" Councilors and staff discussed a mix of options including zoning and comprehensive-plan changes, density incentives, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and incentive grants for developers.
City staff described an "attainable housing grant program" that uses future property-tax revenues to fill financing gaps for developers building attainable units. A council speaker said the council recently approved two projects under that program that together are expected to yield 372 homes. "We basically facilitate opportunities for developers in the private sector to build attainable housing through ... creating incentive programs," a presenter said.
Officials also flagged supply constraints: limited land availability, rising construction costs and regulatory costs. One speaker said building-material costs have risen about 99% since the current mayor’s swearing-in, and another noted an estimated 24–25% of development cost is regulatory overhead. Participants discussed the city’s current comprehensive-plan and zoning-review process and a school-board review of its own property inventory as possible ways to identify sites for redevelopment.
Council members and school board members raised ADUs as a lower-scale option to add units and gave an anecdotal example of an older homeowner creating an ADU to house family members. Officials said some affordable projects have been secured through one-on-one engagement with developers that resulted in negotiated affordable-unit commitments.
Staff committed to sharing the housing study (conducted in 2024) with school-board leaders and continuing cross-agency collaboration as planning processes and budget decisions proceed.
