A recent regional housing plan, presented by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJDPC), aims to address unmet housing needs and preserve housing affordability. There is no question that all localities represented by the TJDPC are facing affordability challenges, and Nelson County is no exception.
As quoted from the plan in a recent Nelson County Times article, “The characteristics that make Nelson so special attract new residents, and community members expressed concerns over the lack of inventory, both in the buyer and rental markets, to meet the current demand for housing.” Christine Jacobs, executive director of the TJDPC said that “Nelson County residents provided some of the most diverse feedback TJDPC officials heard, as Nelson has many seniors and with that comes a need for residents who want to ‘age in place’ and not leave their homes.” Without a diverse inventory of housing types and prices, there is not enough workforce housing to support the needs that come with the ageing-in-place needs of seniors and first responders.
Housing affordability and commute times are also concerns for the many businesses in Nelson County. The below infographic, provided in the Regional Housing Study and Needs Assessment, shows the in and outflow of jobs in Nelson County.
Transportation costs for commuters add significantly to the cost of living. Employers have more difficulty recruiting and retaining employees due to the burden of high cost housing and that means more people are working in Nelson but not able to live close to where they work.
Another graphic below outlines the affordability gap specific to Nelson County. The need for more of the “missing middle housing” is abundantly clear now and for the near future.
An opportunity to explore more about these challenges will take place on November 16, from 12-1PM when the Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership’s 2021 Fall/Winter speaker series continues. A discussion with rural housing policy experts and members of regional rural local government, to include Jesse Rutherford, Vice Chairman of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors, will focus on the primary challenges to the construction and rehabilitation of housing in rural areas. Register online for this upcoming session.
