Virginia’s affordable housing and homelessness systems are at an inflection point. Rising housing costs, federal uncertainty, and growing pressure on local providers are converging in ways that threaten hard-won progress. At the same time, these challenges create an opportunity to strengthen how the Commonwealth responds: by aligning policy, systems, and philanthropic investment around solutions that are both effective and durable.

The Virginia Housing Alliance (VHA) exists to help meet this moment. VHA’s mission is to expand housing opportunities and end homelessness throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are the only statewide organization working across the full affordable housing continuum, from homelessness to housing development, and we support the field through policy advocacy, capacity building, and education.

VHA serves communities across Virginia by connecting on-the-ground experience with state and federal level decision making. We work closely with service providers, housing developers, advocates, and state agencies to understand what is happening locally and what barriers persist. That insight is then translated into practical solutions that can be implemented statewide. In this way, VHA helps ensure that local expertise informs the systems and funding structures that shape housing outcomes across the Commonwealth.

Looking ahead, the affordable housing landscape in Virginia is likely to evolve differently across time horizons. In the short term, federal changes, particularly within HUD’s homelessness programs, are introducing instability into systems that rely on predictable, long-term funding. Permanent Supportive Housing, which serves people with disabilities and complex needs, is especially vulnerable. When operating funding becomes uncertain, providers are forced to make difficult decisions that can disrupt services and put housing stability at risk.

In the medium term, Virginia will face increasing pressure to preserve existing affordable housing, particularly as older publicly supported properties approach the end of their affordability periods. At the same time, localities will continue to grapple with rising land costs, zoning constraints, and the need for tools that allow them to respond to local market conditions. These dynamics will require stronger coordination between state policy, local implementation, and flexible capital.

Over the long term, Virginia’s housing challenges are fundamentally structural. Addressing them will require substantively greater State investment, durable policy reforms, and commitment to evidence-based approaches that prioritize housing stability over punitive responses. Philanthropy has a critical role to play in this work, not only by supporting programs, but by helping to shape systems that can endure beyond individual funding cycles.

VHA works closely with the General Assembly to advance this kind of durable change. Our approach is nonpartisan, solutions-oriented, and grounded in implementation realities. Each year, we help policymakers understand how housing and homelessness policies play out on the ground and what adjustments are needed to improve outcomes. In the current legislative session, we anticipate a strong focus on stabilizing homelessness interventions, strengthening the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, preserving existing affordable housing, and ensuring local governments have effective tools to meet their housing needs.

We also look forward to working with the new administration to align policy goals with implementation capacity. Transitions create both uncertainty and opportunity, and VHA’s role is to provide continuity, field intelligence, and actionable recommendations that help state leaders move quickly and effectively.

Philanthropic partners are essential to this work. Funders can engage with VHA by supporting policy and systems capacity, investing in research and convenings, and helping to bridge gaps created by federal instability. Many funders also use VHA as a connector, to understand emerging trends, identify opportunities for collaboration, and align their grantmaking with statewide priorities.

This is a moment that calls for both patience and partnership. Housing and homelessness are complex challenges, but progress is possible when communities, policymakers, and philanthropy work together toward shared goals. Flexible capital, long-term commitment, and a willingness to engage beyond individual programs can have outsized impact and help to stabilize systems today while building a stronger foundation for the future.

At VHA, we believe that durable solutions emerge when people closest to the problem inform the policies designed to address it. We look forward to continuing this work alongside Virginia’s philanthropic community.