Barbara Watson, social services director for James City County, says the fastest growing group of people she serves are seniors who can no longer afford to live in the county.
The service workers the county relies on for its tourism and retail services are also struggling to keep up -- more than 4,000 families spend more than 35% of their income on rent, according to county figures.
Williamsburg and York County face similar issues.
A survey of York County residents released this month found 70% thought housing was no longer affordable in the county. A 2021 workforce study by the city of Williamsburg concluded one third of city households were spending too much on their housing.
“We have seniors who were long-term residents here. They don't make a lot of money, they’re living on Social Security and they’re struggling with the cost of housing and food and utilities and medicine,” Watson told us. “Their homes are in disrepair because they can't afford to keep them up.…