Supportive housing works – but does Virginia have enough of it?
Over the past decade, Virginia has made big strides in expanding supportive housing resources, helping thousands of people find stable homes while reducing reliance on hospitals, jails, shelters, and other crisis systems. As VHA and CSH prepare to update the State of Supportive Housing in Virginia report, here are four things to know about who benefits from supportive housing in Virginia – and why.
1. Virginia’s supportive housing need is bigger than any one program, population, or specific driver of housing instability.
When we hear the term “supportive housing,” some of us may think of one program or a specific issue or experience that leads to someone needing supportive housing – but it is much bigger than that. While our current system often separates supportive housing interventions by funding source, population served, or type of service, we need to understand the whole picture to fully assess the need and create strategies to address it.
In 2022, VHA and CSH estimated that there was a need for approximately 15,000 units of supportive housing across Virginia – making our state the 10th in the nation in terms of supportive housing needs. Our assessment was made with this whole picture in mind, meaning that this number includes those who need supportive housing as they exit homelessness, live independently in their community with a disability or chronic illness, age in place, return from incarceration, manage a mental health or substance abuse condition, reunite with their family through the child welfare system, and more. Supportive housing is more than just an individual program: it is an evidenced based solution to many forms of housing instability, which can impact people of all walks of life.
2. Supportive housing can be an important tool for community reentry.
In 2022, the largest portion of Virginia’s estimated supportive housing need came from people returning to their communities after being involved with the criminal justice system. This makes sense when considering the fact that a prior conviction can be a huge barrier to finding a place to live – and a lack of safe, stable, affordable housing also makes reentry post-incarceration much more difficult.
Supportive housing provides these individuals with a different path, by pairing stable housing with the services that people need to successfully remain in their communities – rather than repeatedly returning to our crisis systems.
3. Virginia’s population is growing older.
In 2022, VHA and CSH estimated that Virginia needed roughly 5,000 additional supportive housing units for seniors, plus improved services for the more than 1,000 older Virginians already living in supportive housing. Across the Commonwealth, and the nation, homelessness is on the rise among aging adults – and many more seniors end up unnecessarily institutionalized due to a lack of better options.
For an older Virginian who just needs some help managing health conditions or everyday activities, we need alternatives – namely, options that fall between living totally independently or moving into an institution. Supportive housing for the elderly can provide an affordable home in a community setting, alongside health care, memory care, assisted transportation, meal delivery, and other services.
Supportive Housing Spotlight: Bay Aging
Established in 1978, Bay Aging is a nonprofit that serves older adults in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck regions. Through an innovative supportive housing program, Bay Aging is bridging the gap between homeless services and senior care. In collaboration with their community partners, Bay Aging quickly identifies older adults experiencing homelessness and matches them to housing options that meet their unique needs. After placement, clients benefit from supplemental services, including health assessments, home-delivered meals, employment training, insurance counseling, transportation and more.
4. Virginia has made real progress, but affordable housing supply is still an issue.
Across the state, Virginia added more than 2,200 supportive housing units between 2014 and 2020 – a 45% increase. Since then, the state has significantly increased funding for the PSH program administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), which reportedly supported 3,400 people with serious mental illness throughout 2025. This funding is critical – but it is only one part of the solution. There’s another ingredient that’s harder to come by: affordable housing.
Many supportive housing initiatives in Virginia have historically relied on “scattered-site” models – meaning that participants live in ordinary rental units that are spread throughout the community. This approach gives residents more options around where to live, and the ability to live more integrated within their communities. But it also means that supportive housing programs are competing for units in an increasingly expensive rental market.
One of the most fundamental challenges identified in our 2022 report still stands today: Virginia needs not only rental assistance and supportive services, but also an adequate supply of safe, accessible, and deeply affordable homes, across urban, suburban, and rural communities.
What’s Next for Supportive Housing in Virginia?
That’s the question we’re looking to answer! VHA and CSH will be hosting Supportive Housing Forums across Virginia in September to collect data, hear feedback, and gather insights into the most pressing challenges that surround supportive housing in our state today.
You can help us shape the future of supportive housing in Virginia. Click here to learn more about our upcoming Supportive Housing Forums – we hope to see you there!