Housing Crisis Haunts Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Virginia, has been facing a crisis over the last couple of years, particularly for low-income individuals, families, and students attending Virginia Tech.
The housing crisis in Blacksburg can be characterized by a shortage of affordable options driven by several factors contributing to it.
Rapid growth in population is one of the main influences on housing accessibility and affordability. The expansion of Virginia Tech and the increasing number of students, faculty, and staff who need housing has led to a high demand for rentals.
As a result, landlords can charge high rents for apartments and houses, making it difficult for low-income residents or students with limited financial resources.
In a 2021 report on housing affordability in Blacksburg, when respondents were asked what the biggest challenge the community will face as Blacksburg continues to grow, 45% of residents chose cost of housing as the answer.
“Stop accepting so many students, honestly that would save a lot of housing problems.”
Spencer Cuttle, occupancy lead for Virginia Tech Housing Services, said that despite all of the construction you see on campus, it never catches up with the influx of students that seems to progress in numbers every year.
“The amount the university is growing versus the infrastructure available in Blacksburg is the biggest issue,” Cuttle said.
Cuttle also mentioned that in 2019, Virginia Tech housed over 500 students in hotels, a shock for many upset parents. The school offered admission to about 22,000 of the 31,815 who applied that year, according to the Washington Post.
Limited supply of available housing units, with many existing rental units being either too expensive or not well-maintained, is another concern Cuttle mentioned.
“Groups of four students were squishing into dorm rooms because of the overflow of acceptances,” Cuttle said. “If they can’t build faster than we are growing, one side needs to give.”
Luxury apartments are another issue that college students and low-income families face when looking for housing in Blacksburg. The Edge Apartment Homes, Park37, and The Retreat at Blacksburg are a couple options on the luxury side, ranging from $850 to $1500 a bedroom.
TJ Langley, a community assistant at The Retreat off-campus, noted that the biggest housing issue was how expensive and overpriced living in Blacksburg is, especially for college students.
“Regulations that cap the maximum amount of rent that you’re allowed to charge or some sort of subsidies for students would be useful,” Langley said. “A lot of people are forced to reside in these luxury apartment buildings and pay for amenities and extra space that they don’t even care for.”
The competition among students and families to find housing is another issue Langley voiced, as students rent family homes for year-long periods of time during their college years.
Langley mentioned that many students and families have resulted in living in the neighboring town of Christainsburg, which offers much lower prices at a ten minute distance from Virginia Tech’s campus.
The median home value in Blacksburg in 2022 was $400,000 compared to an average of $138,228 in the rest of Montgomery County, according to Long & Foster Real Estate.
“On one hand, it’s great to see more people wanting to come to Virginia Tech because it shows that our school has done a great job advocating what it’s like to be a Hokie,” Langley said. “At the same time though, much needs to be done in order to mitigate the housing crisis in Blacksburg.”
