Recommendations to Address Powhatan’s Unmet Housing Needs

The Powhatan County Housing Affordability Study Steering Committee completed a report to address Powhatan's unmet housing needs. The report was submitted in September 2025 and is available for download below. For the past seven months, an appointed committee of Powhatan County residents, nonprofits and county departments has been exploring the unmet needs in the county for affordable/workforce housing. It has taken its inspiration from the language in the County’s Strategic Plan. “Housing and Residential Options: As the community grows, so does the need for a variety of housing solutions. Our plan leverages the Comprehensive Plan as a guide to align residential growth with the county’s commercial needs. Our goal is to develop housing that is accessible by a wider socio-economic cross-section of the community while also addressing the housing needs of county staff, teachers, and those employed by businesses locating in the county.” The committee’s goal was to identify a series of high priority policies and programs that can serve as a road map for the county as it strives to solve the housing goal identified in the Strategic Plan and challenges identified in the 2020 Comprehensive Plan. In developing these recommendations, the committee conducted a county wide survey that garnered almost a thousand responses. Those results were presented to the housing sub-group of Citizens Working Group on the Comprehensive Plan in May. It also reviewed a range of data compilations and housing needs indicators for the county that have been produced in the past several years by local, state and regional organizations. A summary of these key indicators and survey results follow.

Powhatan Housing Study Report Final.pdf

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