LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg’s affordable housing crisis is pushing working families to the edge, with public housing waitlists closing and Section 8 vouchers in short supply.
Mary Mayrose, executive director for the Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority, explains the challenge: “We only get a certain amount of money in our bucket. We spend it on current clients we’re housing, and occasionally someone drops out the program.”
Behind closed doors in Lynchburg, hundreds of families are struggling to find affordable housing. The city’s housing authority has closed all waiting lists for public housing and Section 8 vouchers, leaving many without options.
Local reporter Jalen has been investigating the issue. “I’ve been making some phone calls and doing some digging on social media to reach out to people who are looking to rent here in Lynchburg but can’t be because the waiting list for public housing has been closed,” he said.
He reached out to the Living in Lynchburg Facebook group and received many responses. “I left my number in the Facebook post and a lot of them reached out to me via email with their phone numbers. So, let’s see if we can give some of them a call.”
One resident, Diane Miller, who lives in Rush Homes, shared her perspective on the impact of the waitlist closure. “I think most people lose sight of the suffering of other people once they have some sort of safe haven. I have never lost sight of that because I have been homeless in my life.”
Rush Homes provides housing for people with disabilities and limited income. Of their 564 applicants on the waitlist, fewer than 100 have Housing Choice vouchers. Only about 20 can afford housing without assistance.
Beth Fox, a Rush Homes resident, expressed gratitude for the voucher program. “Without the voucher it was more difficult to qualify but I’m very thankful and fortunate I was able to qualify for housing through an organization called Rush Homes.”
This shortage of affordable housing and assistance programs is just one piece of Lynchburg’s broader housing crisis, as hundreds of families continue searching for affordable homes.