The City of Virginia Beach, through its Department of Housing and Neighborhood preservation, helps to expand affordable housing opportunities by facilitating partnerships, contributing federal and other resources toward projects, administering housing assistance programs and offering guidance to organizations interested in developing affordable housing.

What is the City’s Role in Expanding Affordable Housing?

The City helps to expand affordable housing opportunities by facilitating partnerships, contributing funds toward new development and creating new policies and programs.

Every day, thousands of families and individuals are also able to afford safe, stable housing through various federal and state housing assistance programs administered by Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation.

What Progress is Being Made on This Issue?

• Since 2000, the City has invested more than $15 million in federal and City funding to support developments that provide affordable housing for families and individuals in Virginia Beach. This funding has created 1,280 affordable rental housing units and rehabilitated 413.
• The City has provided direct support to two developments currently underway that will provide a total of 76 units of affordable housing for seniors and the most vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness.
• In April 2025, City Council also approved an ordinance to create the Attainable Workforce Housing Performance Grant program. This new tool aims to incentivize developers to create new rental housing development for households with low income. Grant funds provided to a developer are based on a percentage of the incremental real estate tax revenue generated by the new affordable housing development. It does not rely on existing general fund revenues.