Housing data needed in city

By The Daily Progress

Published: October 28, 2008

Charlottesville City Council is struggling to determine just how much housing help is needed — and where it should be directed — as it looks to allocate $1.4 million for affordable housing.

But determining whether this money is well spent relies on an overview that Council does not possess.

How many housing units are available in the private sector for low-income residents? Where are they? Are they filled, or are there vacancies?

The answers to such questions would help Council gauge the demand for housing assistance, and also help determine what type of assistance is needed and for whom.

Presently, the city judges demand from anecdotal evidence and such quantifiable measures as requests for services. But it does not know the supply side of the equation.

City staff say that would be tough to establish, as there is no way to know what private owners are supplying in the way of affordable housing.

Still, the city needs to find a way to close that gap. It cannot efficiently spend taxpayers’ money if it does not know where the greatest needs lie.