HousingForward Virginia’s Research Library is sorted by topic and geographic focus. All our resources can be sorted by geographic category: National, Virginia, and Other States. Our resources span some of the best and most widely cited housing and related research that is publicly available online. Our database is always growing as recent studies and reports are added, so please check back often.
City of Falls Church Master Plan: Housing (2019)
The Comprehensive Plan serves as the official policy guide for shaping the future of the City. It establishes strategies for housing efforts and projects to achieve the City’s vision. This chapter recognizes that implementation must remain flexible to changing conditions and that priorities will change.
Read MoreFairfax County Communitywide Housing Strategic Plan (2018)
The Communitywide Housing Strategic Plan includes two phases. Phase 1 of the Plan identifies 25 short-term strategies that can be implemented, without major policy or revenue impacts, to encourage and produce additional housing units within the county. The strategies, which were adopted in June 2018, are expected to take one to two years to implement. Phase 2 of the plan looks at long-term strategies, tools, policies and resources to support the development and preservation of housing that is affordable in our community. To support the efforts of Phase 2 and to garner additional community input, the Board of Supervisors created an Affordable Housing Resources Panel (AHRP).
Read MoreJames City County Housing Conditions Study (2016)
James City County commissioned this study to survey housing conditions and to quantify housing needs related to poor condition and lack of affordable and appropriate housing options. The Virginia Center for Housing Research (VCHR) at Virginia Tech and czb, LLC teamed up to collect data, conduct data analysis and provide strategy recommendations to County staff.
Read MoreCity of Alexandria Housing Master Plan (2014)
The 2014 Housing Master Plan (HMP) sets forth principles, goals, and strategies to address the City's housing needs through 2025. The HMP's housing affordability goals are augmented by the 2020 Regional Housing Initiative which establishes housing production targets through 2030.
Read MorePeople, Inc. Community Needs Assessment (People, Inc., 2021)
People Incorporated is the Community Action Agency for 13 counties and 3 cities in Virginia. As a part of its mandate, and in order to provide the best and most comprehensive anti-poverty services, the agency undertakes a major triennial community needs assessment. The findings from this assessment are used to inform the agency’s selection and delivery of services in each community it serves. People Incorporated hopes that the information in this report can also be used throughout Virginia by other non-profits and local governments to best serve the most disadvantaged members of our community.
Read MoreRoanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Housing Market Study (RVARC, 2021)
The goals and purpose of the Study are to: 1) Identify housing needs and provide both a region-wide and locality-specific housing market analysis. 2) Identify housing supply and demand issues and opportunities within the region and within each of the four sub-geographies. 3) Advance economic development opportunities by addressing housing concerns. 4) Develop regional and locality-specific recommendations to address housing needs. 5) Engage stakeholders to help understand housing needs/challenges and create a shared understanding of that need.
Read MoreMartinsville/Henry County Housing Study (City of Martinsville, 2020)
This study was carried out to determine the extent of housing needs in Martinsville and Henry County with a focus on rental housing.
Read MoreRichlands Housing Needs Assessment (Town of Richlands, 2020)
This report includes a variety of data sets related to demographics, economics and housing relative to Richlands, Virginia, with focus on the downtown commercial district, referred to as the Downtown Study Area (DSA) throughout the report. It includes housing gap estimates for rental housing at various income levels and provides housing plan recommendations that the authors believe will address housing issues and enable the Town of Richlands and Tazewell County to better to plan for the future.
Read MoreRichmond Regional Housing Framework (PHARVA, 2020)
The housing challenges confronting metropolitan Richmond are varied and complex, ranging from homelessness to affordable homeownership. The Partnership for Housing Affordability has led a collaborative effort to create a Regional Housing Framework to encourage consistent, collective focus in addressing the region’s shared housing challenges.
Read MoreAffordable Housing in Virginia (JLARC, 2021)
In 2020, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission directed staff to conduct a review of affordable housing in Virginia. JLARC staff were asked to report on the number of Virginia households that are housing cost burdened; the supply of affordable quality housing statewide and by region; the state’s efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing and make existing housing more affordable through direct financial assistance; and the effectiveness of the management of the state’s housing assistance programs.
Read MoreAffordable Housing Study Report (LWV-VA, 2020)
The League of Women Voters Virginia's Affordable Housing Committee conducted this study independently to help the LWV-VA arrive at a unanimous position on affordable housing. The study found high housing cost burden among very-low-income and extremely-low-income households, a severe shortage of rental units affordable to very-low-income and extremely-low-income households, minimum wages that could not support housing costs, and high rates of eviction in Virginia's poorest cities.
Read MoreConfronting Concentrated Poverty With a Mixed-Income Strategy (HUD, 2013)
HUD's mixed income housing program is a federal policy aimed at deconcentrating poverty in affordable housing developments. This Federal report details the theory and programmatic details for Mixed Income Housing.
Read MoreBest Planning Practices: Metropolitan Transportation Plans (US DOT/FHWA, 2012)
Regionalism and a regional approach to transportation is key to deconcentrating poverty. This Federal report summarizes best practices in creating regional transportation entities.
Read MoreRethinking Poverty: Recommendations From Virginia’s Poverty Reduction Task Force (2010)
In 2009 and 2010 the Commonwealth of Virginia convened a task force to look comprehensively at State-level policies aimed at alleviating poverty for Virginians. This summary report details existing programs, challenges and ultimately recommendations.
Read MoreA New Wave of School Integration: Districts and Charters Pursuing Socioeconomic Diversity (Century Foundation, 2016)
In the decades since Civil Rights-era desegregation policies, school systems have become increasingly more segregated, leading to concentrated poverty and a cycle of poverty. This report is a policy proposal to re-integrate school systems in an attempt to fulfill the promise of the desegregation policies of the past.
Read MoreEquitable Transit-Oriented Development: Examining the progress and continued challenges of developing affordable housing in opportunity and transit-rich neighborhoods (PRRAC, 2015)
Pairing affordable housing development with public transportation access is a best practice in planning and poverty deconcentration. This report evaluates how significantly this practice has been adopted by the affordable housing development industry and what room there is for improvement.
Read MoreNorfolk Plan to Reduce Poverty (City of Norfolk, 2014)
Norfolk's poverty rate was double the national average and in 2014 the City issued a comprehensive, holistic approach to address concentrated poverty and the cycle of poverty in Norfolk. The report develops concrete steps the City will undertake to alleviate poverty through education, workforce development and neighborhood revitalization.
Read MoreBuilding Opportunity II: A Fair Housing Assessment of State Low Income Housing Tax Credit Plans (PRRAC, 2015)
2015 report that evaluates and ranks State LIHTC QAPs based on their efforts to deconcentrate poverty through their award of LIHTC allocations.
Read MoreNext Generation Community Revitalization: A Work in Progress (Bridgespan Group, 2011)
Six national models used in recent decades to comprehensively address community revitalization are evaluated in this report. These models approach poverty alleviation through a multi-pronged approach including social services, education, housing, etc.
Read MoreEvaluation of Housing for Health Permanent Supportive Housing Program (RAND, 2017)
RAND conducted a formative evaluation to provide early feedback on program implementation and performed an outcome evaluation examining the effects of the PSH program on county service utilization and service costs.
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