Newport News City Council Reviews Strategic Housing Plan
Comprehensive roadmap aimed at growth, affordability and access
The Newport News City Council received a detailed presentation on the Strategic Housing Initiatives Plan (SHIP) during a work session held Tuesday, June 24. The plan, designed to guide the city’s housing policy and development efforts through 2050, builds directly upon findings from the city’s first-ever Comprehensive Housing Study, completed earlier this year.
The SHIP outlines a multi-pronged strategy to address projected housing needs, affordability, and redevelopment opportunities across Newport News. According to the housing study, the city will need to add approximately 21,000 housing units by 2050, or about 700 units per year, to meet anticipated demand and replace aging housing stock. The SHIP is intended to be the city’s roadmap to achieving that goal.
From Study to Strategy
The SHIP was developed as a response to the Comprehensive Housing Study, launched in December 2024 and conducted by Urban Partners LLC. That study provided a foundational inventory of housing conditions, demographic trends, and market dynamics. Among its findings were persistent affordability challenges, population stagnation, and a significant housing cost burden for low- to moderate-income households. The city also found that despite representing only 13% of the region's population, Newport News contains 22% of the region’s income-restricted housing, signaling a need for a more balanced regional approach.
The SHIP translates the study's findings into specific action items, grounded in four core focus areas: Housing Policy and Regulatory Reform, Housing Production and Redevelopment, Preservation and Neighborhood Stability, and Housing Affordability and Access.
A Collaborative Planning Process
Development of the SHIP involved extensive collaboration across city departments and external stakeholders. Internally, a cross-departmental housing committee led planning discussions and reviewed best practices from peer cities. Externally, the city formed a 14-member steering committee with representation from the financial sector, housing industry, military, community organizations, and faith-based groups. Over 30 stakeholder interviews and a community survey informed the priorities and strategies included in the plan.
Strategic Focus Areas
Key proposed actions under each of the plan’s four focus areas include:
Policy and Regulatory Reform: Reviewing zoning codes, permitting processes, and incentive tools such as a land value tax and Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) policy, the latter of which is already complete.
Production and Redevelopment: Encouraging high-density development, supporting local residential developers, and conducting feasibility studies for a land bank and housing trust fund.
Preservation and Stability: Enhancing home repair programs, expanding the Rental Inspection Program, and formalizing efforts to address vacant and derelict properties.
Affordability and Access: Promoting first-time homebuyer programs, employer-assisted housing, and expanding the city’s Façade Improvement Grant.
The SHIP also emphasizes the need for coordinated funding strategies, ongoing evaluation, and community engagement. Staff have proposed that City Council consider formally adopting the plan by the end of 2025.
Next Steps
Following Tuesday’s work session, council members are expected to continue reviewing the draft SHIP, particularly focusing on funding mechanisms such as the proposed housing trust fund and land bank. The City Manager has been asked to move forward with feasibility studies for both. Once finalized and adopted, SHIP will serve as a living document—updated regularly to reflect evolving housing needs, market conditions, and population growth.
The city also plans to continue public engagement through community meetings and updates as implementation begins.
By tying the SHIP to the long-term goals outlined in the Comprehensive Housing Study, Newport News aims to take a data-driven, inclusive approach to solving one of its most pressing policy challenges: ensuring that housing in the city is available, affordable, and aligned with the community’s needs—now and in the decades to come.
A Newport News Daily contributor produced this post with AI and these sources:
Agenda - City Council Work Session - Jun 24 2025
Newport News Strategic Housing Initiatives Plan (SHIP)
Newport News Comprehensive Housing Study