By summer, a solution may be in sight for a workforce housing impasse that has stymied everyone. A regional affordable housing task force met for the first time last week and agreed to issue a report by July on how to establish and promote workforce housing in all three localities. A Virginia Tech study was cited that we're headed for a crisis. A combination of low wages and lack of housing threatens to cripple local industry. Researchers expect the problem to be compounded over time as retail continues to build out but the area continues to attract affluent retirees.
"We've got to find a way that local teacher, police, firemen and professionals, as well as those who work in the very-large hospitality sector, can live here rather than commute," said Marshall Warner, executive vice president of Chesapeake Bank. The task force is outlining both what hinders and promotes efforts to establish workforce housing. It's part of a five-part initiative by the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance to address worker issues. "It's going to take the cooperation of developers and the government," Warner said. "One group can't solve this. We've got to get together."
Workforce housing is the new word for affordable housing. Over the years, various sectors have been blamed for inaction. Homeowners are respectful but dig in against workforce housing near their neighborhood. "It's a real sensitive subject and we realize that," said Bill Strack, vice president of Henderson Contracting. "We are going to do what we can as a business in the county to support the initiative and provide what insight we have, and hopefully there will be good outcome."
"Our members are really excited about this," said Robert Duckett, spokesman for the Peninsula Housing & Builders Association, a development lobby. "It looks like there is a genuine effort to bring together all of the players, to develop practicable applications throughout James City County, York County and Williamsburg."
The group hopes to offer detailed ideas for resolving the housing crunch rather than producing another round of reports to be shelved. Even the timing of the report serves a purpose, Alliance vice president Bob Hershberger said. With a summer release, the group will have time to recruit state legislators and craft legislation for the General Assembly in 2009. "The good news in this whole initiative is that there are some really smart people around the table," York supervisor Walt Zaremba said. "I'm optimistic by the midpoint report, and certainly by the final report, we can get beyond the talking and start seeing it happen."
Hershberger cautioned that work is just beginning and that the first meeting was largely a briefing. He cited New Town as a good example, which has 45 units set aside as affordable and 60 more in the pipeline. "Some us are just picking up the gauntlet," he said. "But some of us have been doing this for years. We are excited about the prospect of tackling the issue. I think the group is energized and focused."
Source: VAgazette.com