Western Virginia Continuum of Care

09/03/2026

Reposted from Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter:

There are 168 hours in a week.

Did you know that, at Virginia’s current minimum wage of $12.77/hour, a person would need to work approximately 105 hours every week just to earn enough gross income to cover a 2-bedroom unit at the FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,091/month in Shenandoah County?

That leaves just 63 hours a week for everything else life requires- sleep, eating, commuting, childcare, appointments, household responsibilities, and simply having a life.

And remember: Fair Market Rent is a benchmark, not necessarily what you can actually find on the rental market.

So ask yourself:

What if your current job suddenly paid minimum wage?
Could you work 105 hours a week and still make ends meet?
Could you afford your rent?
Could you afford your utilities, food, transportation, medical expenses, childcare, and everything else?

And then consider the other side of the problem:
What rentals in Shenandoah County can actually be found for around $1,091 a month anymore?

The answer is: very few.

And many of the units that are affordable at that level are affordable because they are subsidized through federal or other housing assistance programs.

This is the reality of the affordable housing crisis.

It's not simply that people "aren't working hard enough."

For many households, the math simply does not work.

Housing costs have reached a point where even working full-time, or significantly more than full-time, doesn't necessarily mean you can afford a safe, stable place to live.

We need more affordable housing. We need more housing options. And we need to stop treating housing instability as an individual failure when the numbers themselves demonstrate how difficult the system has become.

Photo & Data Credit: National Low Income Housing Coalition

09/03/2026

There are 168 hours in a week.

Did you know that, at Virginia’s current minimum wage of $12.77/hour, a person would need to work approximately 105 hours every week just to earn enough gross income to cover a 2-bedroom unit at the FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for Virginia?

That leaves just 63 hours a week for everything else life requires- sleep, eating, commuting, childcare, appointments, household responsibilities, and simply having a life.

And remember: Fair Market Rent is a benchmark, not necessarily what you can actually find on the rental market.

So ask yourself:

What if your current job suddenly paid minimum wage?

Could you work 105 hours a week and still make ends meet?

Could you afford your rent?

Could you afford your utilities, food, transportation, medical expenses, childcare, and everything else?

And then consider the other side of the problem:

What rentals in Shenandoah County can actually be found at FMR in this area?

The answer is: very few.

And many of the units that are affordable at that level are affordable because they are subsidized through federal or other housing assistance programs.

This is the reality of the affordable housing crisis.

It's not simply that people "aren't working hard enough."

For many households, the math simply does not work.

Housing costs have reached a point where even working full-time, or significantly more than full-time, doesn't necessarily mean you can afford a safe, stable place to live.

We need more affordable housing. We need more housing options. And we need to stop treating housing instability as an individual failure when the numbers themselves demonstrate how difficult the system has become.

Photo & Data Credit: National Low Income Housing Coalition

08/24/2026

Centralized Housing Intake specialists are an integral part of our CoC coordination!

We're hiring! 🎉 We're on the lookout for a Centralized Housing Intake (CHI) Coordinator—could that be you? Check out the full job description below and reach out if you're interested. We'd love to hear from you!

06/09/2026

The Summer Point-in-Time Canvas is about more than collecting data. It's about connecting with people.

Jenni Holsinger, a local sociology professor and longtime PIT Count volunteer, remembers meeting a woman living in her car during this year's winter count.

"One of them was so grateful just to have someone approach her. She's been there in that spot for years, and no one, she said, ever comes over to talk to her." — Jenni

For Jenni, the experience is a reminder that every statistic represents a real person with a story worth hearing.

"The numbers are valuable," she says, "but they're numbers that represent real lives."

This July, you can help ensure those lives are seen and counted.

✅ No experience required
✅ Training provided
✅ Volunteers work in teams
✅ Make a meaningful impact in our community

Join us for the Summer Point-in-Time Canvas and help bring visibility to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. 📅 Sign up at the link in the comments.

06/05/2026

Good housing policy starts with good conversations.

We appreciated the opportunity to participate in today’s Shenandoah County Housing Solutions Summit alongside local leaders, housing professionals, and community partners focused on the future of housing in the region.

Special thanks to our member organization and sponsor, the Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter, for helping make this important discussion possible.

05/29/2026

Housing is health, and addressing housing challenges requires collaboration.

Today, many of our members joined local government leaders, housing professionals, healthcare partners, nonprofit organizations, advocates, researchers, and community stakeholders at the Housing Coalition of the Northern Shenandoah Valley’s 8th Annual Housing Summit to explore the connections between housing, public health, land use, and housing policy.

We’re grateful to be part of the vital conversation focused on expanding housing opportunities and strengthening communities across the Shenandoah Valley.

The conversation continues next Friday, June 5, at the Shenandoah County Housing Solutions Summit. We look forward to joining partners from across the region as we work together to advance practical housing solutions for our communities. Details in the comments.

05/11/2026

It's Today we are showcasing First Step, one of our Harrisonburg based CoC members. First step empowers survivors to break the cycle of violence and abuse in their lives by providing support services, counseling and resources to survivors of domestic violence. For more information about first step visit firststepva.com.

05/08/2026

Phoenix Project’s Survivor Art Showcase displayed art submissions from domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. The art submissions honored the stories of survivors through “What Were You Wearing” displays that elevated the voices of survivors and showcased resilience and healing. Phoenix Project is proud of their mission of working to end sexual and domestic violence.

05/06/2026

Individual effort is the first step in community-wide change. Whether you volunteer, donate, stay informed or advocate and support local services, you are helping to fight homelessness in our community. You are helping an entire community make a difference.

05/04/2026

It's Today we are showcasing the Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter, one of our Shenandoah County based CoC members. Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter provides temporary rental assistance through grant programs. For more information about the Shenandoah Alliance for Shelter visit www.allianceforshelter.com.