“Connecting Housing & Health in the Williamsburg Region” is a housing needs assessment for our area making the connection between health, housing and community just released by the Williamsburg Health Foundation.
The study, conducted by Housing Virginia shows that our population is growing – and growing older. Since the year 2000, the region’s population has increased about 30%, but with many of these new residents 65 and older who obviously have entirely different housing needs than other demographic groups.
In another study for James City County, housing conditions were explored and revealed that:
  • About 65% of the housing in James City County are single-family detached units, 10% are mobile homes, 7% are townhouses, and the remainder are condos or apartments.
  • More than 10,000 households in our area include seniors 65 or older. 13% are millennials.
  • The problem of housing affordability is severe: more than 13,000 households (48%) can’t afford to buy a home in the County and more than 5,300 can’t afford to rent.
  • Most of the County’s households are working with one or two earners. About 32% are likely retired, senior households (non-working).
  • Approximately 43% of the households are “cost burdened”; paying more than 30% of their income for housing.
  • Fifty-six percent of the County’s households are moderate to high income earners. The remaining 44% have extremely low to moderate incomes.

Original article courtesy of WAAR. For more information click here.