Economy and Economics

Lawmakers are about to return to Richmond for the General Assembly session, and one of the items they'll be talking about is expanding the stock of new housing.

Increasing rental prices and high eviction rates are pushing more people out of their homes, a trend that’s happening in many communities across the Commonwealth, including in the New River Valley, putting pressure on some shelters who offer a warm bed for the night.

Next month, Governor Glenn Youngkin will present his budget to the General Assembly. And there's at least one potential income tax issue to handle.

Virginia Tech moved forward with a plan to add a student life village to its campus —a move that could provide housing for 5,000 students.

Affordable housing advocates are seeing high numbers of people asking for help, as pandemic protections for renters expired recently, and housing costs continue to increase. Southwest Virginia is just one of many places where the housing market is increasingly stretched thin.

President Biden recently announced he wants to end childhood hunger in the U.S. by 2030, and increase access to nutritious foods. One of the strategies he announced is to provide more federal funding for schools who buy locally sourced fruits and veggies. But there are logistical challenges to connecting farmers with cafeterias. Schools in southwest Virginia are trying to bridge the gap.

Virginia Poverty Law Center runs an eviction help-line and since last summer there’s been a 500% increase in the number of folks reaching out for help.

New orders for defense capital goods are steadily increasing according to new numbers from the Census Bureau.

Some studies have shown that people in immigrant communities may be more likely to face food insecurity, particularly in urban areas. They often can’t access, or afford, fresh, healthy vegetables. And the types of foods they grew up eating usually can’t be purchased in grocery stores.

Since 2020 Roanoke has seen an increase in the number of people sleeping on sidewalks and downtown areas. Last December, the city council voted to make sleeping on sidewalks a criminal offense. Other communities across southwest Virginia, including Bristol and Pulaski, have enacted similar policies in the past few months.