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State Data Overview
Across West Virginia, there is a shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low income households (ELI), whose incomes are at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income (AMI). Many of these households are severely cost burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing. Severely cost burdened poor households are more likely than other renters to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, and to experience unstable housing situations like evictions.
Housing Profiles
West Virginia
West Virginia by Congressional District
Select a District Download PDF
Key Facts
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54,816 OR 30%
Renter households that are extremely low-income
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-24,787
Shortage of rental homes affordable and available for extremely low-income renters
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$30,000
Average income limit for 4-person extremely low income household
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$39,993
Annual household income needed to afford a two-bedroom rental home at HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR)
Impact on Low-Wage Workers
A minimum wage worker would need to work:
- 71 hours per week or 1.8 full-time jobs to afford a 1-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
- 88 hours per week or 2.2 full-time jobs to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
Most Expensive Areas 2-Bedroom Housing Wage Winchester MSA $30.25 Jefferson County HMFA $24.06 Martinsburg HMFA $23.71 Morgantown MSA $21.13 Putnam County HMFA $20.27 Common Occupations Median Hourly Wage Nursing Assistants $18.15 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $15.31 Retail Salespersons $14.31 Home Health and Personal Care Aides $13.85 Fast Food and Counter Workers $12.89 Solutions
- Provide significant resources to build and preserve homes affordable to renters with the lowest incomes through investments in public housing and the national Housing Trust Fund
- Encourage states and local communities to reform zoning and land use regulations that prevent housing from being built and push up housing costs
- Bridge the gap between incomes and housing costs by expanding rental assistance so that it is universally available to all eligible households or consider other innovative approaches, such as a fully refundable renters’ tax credit
- Prevent evictions and homelessness by creating permanent tools, such as emergency rental assistance, to help stabilize families in crisis
- Other federal housing resources, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, should be reformed to better address the shortage of rental housing affordable to the lowest-income households.
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State Level Partners
NLIHC Housing Advocacy Organizer
Kayla Gilchrist
State PartnersWest Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness
P.O. Box 4697
Bridgeport, WV 26330
Zach Brown, Executive Director
Lauren Frederick, Policy Development Officer
Become an NLIHC State Partner
NLIHC’s affiliation with our state coalition partners is central to our advocacy efforts. Although our partners' involvement varies, they are all housing and homeless advocacy organizations engaged at the state and federal level. Many are traditional coalitions with a range of members; others are local organizations that serve more informally as NLIHC's point of contact.
Inquire about becoming a state partner by contacting [email protected]
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Housing Trust FundHTF Implementation Information
NLIHC continues working with leaders in each state and the District of Columbia who will mobilize advocates in support of HTF allocation plans that benefit ELI renters to the greatest extent possible. Please contact the point person coordinating with NLIHC in your state (below) to find out about the public participation process and how you can be involved.
Current Year HTF Allocation$3,311,933
HTF State Resources2019
Annual Action Plan with HTF Allocation Plan on page 116 (PDF)
2018
2018 HOME and HTF Rental Housing Program Guidelines (PDF)
Draft 2018 Annual Action Plan, with Draft HTF Allocation Plan on pages 117-126 (PDF)
2017
HUD-approved 2017 HTF Allocation Plan (PDF)
2017 HTF and HOME Updates (PDF)
2017 HOME and HTF Rental Housing Program Guidelines (PDF)
Housing Conference PowerPoint Slides
2016
HUD Approved HTF Allocation Plan
HOME and HTF Rental Housing Program Guidelines 2017 (PDF)
Draft HTF Allocation Plan by West Virginia Housing Development Fund (PDF)
2016 Action Plan for West Virginia’s Consolidated Plan (PDF)
State Designated EntityState Entity Webpage
West Virginia Housing Development FundOfficial Directly Involved with HTF ImplementationCathy Colby
West Virginia Housing Development Fund
[email protected]Megan Howard
West Virginia Housing Development Fund
[email protected]NHTF-specific Pages
National Housing Trust Fund Program
HTF Fund Commitments -
ResourcesResources
Housing Profiles
State Housing Profile
State Housing Profile: West Virginia (PDF)
Congressional District Housing Profile
Congressional District Profile: West Virginia (PDF)
Research and Data
National Housing Preservation Database
The National Housing Preservation Database is an address-level inventory of federally assisted rental housing in the United States.
Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing
Out of Reach documents the gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing. In West Virginia and Nationwide
The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes
The Gap represents data on the affordable housing supply and housing cost burdens at the national, state, and metropolitan levels. In West Virginia and Nationwide
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