Fredericksburg’s Problems Are Bigger Than Housing

There are three surprising statistics that reveal a deeper problem. First, Fredericksburg has the distinction of being the locality with the highest percentage of renters in the entire state. Across Virginia, the percentage of households that are owner-occupied is 66.1% (65.9% nationwide). But not here. In Fredericksburg, that percentage is actually reversed, with 64.5% of homes being tenant-occupied, and just 33.9% owner-occupied.

According to a study published in 2021, Fredericksburg ranks higher than all other cities in the state, even higher than other college towns such as Harrisonburg, Williamsburg, and Lexington, in the number of renter households. We do not need any more.

Second, Fredericksburg has gradually become one of the state’s centers for poor and economically-stressed households. You may have noticed an April report issued by the Rappahannock United Way that tallies the percentage of “ALICE” households in Planning District 16. United Way recently highlighted the plight of households that are above the federal poverty level yet are seriously challenged to meet their ordinary living expenses. These are known as “ALICE” households. “ALICE” is an acronym for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed” families and represents the growing number of families who are unable to afford the basics of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology. These households often struggle to keep their heads above water and stave off financial ruin, even though they are gainfully employed.

We all know these families. They include some of our neighbors, even our own relatives.

According to this report, Fredericksburg is a leader among Virginia cities and counties most at risk with poor and ALICE households. It shows the city has the highest percentage of ALICE families in the entire region (37%) and one of the highest rates in the state. If you combine the percentage of households that are either officially “poor” under the federal poverty level or who qualify as “ALICE” households, 50% of Fredericksburg households are either officially poor or economically stressed, the highest percentage of any city or county north of Richmond, except Harrisonburg, and one of the highest in the state.

The city has also become the poorest jurisdiction in the Fredericksburg area. When you compare Fredericksburg’s percentage of poor-plus-ALICE households with the counties in Planning District 16, the contrast between the city and its neighbors is stark. The city has more poor or economically at-risk households than any of the other four localities in the district, including Caroline County. The reality is that the city resembles more and more the “inner city” of major metropolitan areas such as Richmond or Washington, with the prosperity of the surrounding counties serving to obscure the poverty in the city center.

Third, this economic disparity between the city and its neighbors is further reflected in our school population and household income levels. Eighty-three percent of students in city schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, as opposed to 41.2% in Stafford, 54% in Spotsylvania, 74.6% in Caroline, and 33.8% in King George. Most of our public school children need assistance in meeting their basic nutritional needs. Finally, according to U.S. Census data for 2021, the city also has the lowest median household income in Planning District 16.

Taken together, these statistics show that Fredericksburg does not just have a housing problem but a much more serious and troubling economic problem. Fifty percent of our citizens simply do not make enough income or have sufficient assets to be economically secure to meet their basic needs. The available jobs, such as they are, simply do not support the high cost of living.

But [more rentals] are not the answer to this problem. In fact, allowing them by right will only exacerbate the problem that most city residents cannot afford to own their own homes. [Rentals] will provide only marginal relief — at the expense of their neighbors.

We are neither housing experts nor economists, but it seems clear to us that the city has stumbled in putting forward [a] proposal that does not address the real problems we face collectively. We suggest that the city step back from the issue entirely at this time and create a citizen’s task force, composed of a cross-section of the community (and not just affordable housing advocates), charged with the task of looking at all of these interrelated economic issues to see what steps the city should to take, particularly as they affect housing. One approach might be a homeownership assistance program that would help struggling families — in all neighborhoods — meet the substantial challenges of buying a home and building wealth. Another might be to devote more resources to bringing higher-paying jobs to the city. We believe better solutions can be found that won’t harm our single-family neighborhoods.

Let’s work together to build the city up, not bring it down.

Billy Withers and Bea Paolucci are former members of Fredericksburg City Council. Jim Pates is the retired City Attorney. The views expressed here are their own and do not reflect those of any other person or group. [letter has been condensed]