BLACKSBURG — The Town of Blacksburg has launched the third phase of its public engagement process on housing affordability in Blacksburg.
Over the next six weeks, the town will be looking for feedback on preferred strategies for future residential development. The increasing lack of affordable housing has become a major topic of community concern, and the town is now taking a close look at a variety of affordable housing strategies to help address this issue.
Citizen feedback will be used to select and prioritize the strategies the town pursues to address its local growth, limited housing supply, and rising home prices. The strategies suggested in this survey were chosen based on best practices used across the country, on what is feasible in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and on the preferred housing types and amenities identified in phase two of the town’s public engagement process.
A report with results from both the first and second round of citizen engagement is available on the town’s Let’s Talk Blacksburg housing affordability project page. In phase two, survey respondents noted their willingness to accept slightly higher levels of residential density and greater diversity in housing types if they result in more affordable housing; if they prioritize housing for permanent residents and not students and investors; if preferred amenities like trails, green space, and parking are still provided in new housing developments; and if moderate standards of housing quality, energy efficiency, and visual appeal are incorporated.
This next and final survey seeks to understand citizen perspectives on preferred development incentives to achieve the town’s desired housing types and strategies to provide more home ownership opportunities for first-time home buyers and affordable rental opportunities for young professionals and wage workers. The survey also looks for feedback on the best way to fund these preferred strategies.
Citizens can provide their input now on the Town of Blacksburg’s online community engagement platform called Let’s Talk Blacksburg. The town encourages individuals to register on the site to receive project updates and notices about future engagement opportunities on the chosen topic.
The project page also has access to a link to the recently released New River Valley Regional Housing Study. To start engaging on this issue, visit https://letstalkblacksburg.org/affordable-housing.
