Norwegian Wood, Vienna, and Housing Costs
Thirty years ago, when my wife and I were looking for an affordable piece of property to build a house in the area, we gravitated to Vienna, the “affordable” option. Vienna’s housing stock at the time was dominated by 50s and 60s ramblers and split levels, often with basement walls covered in knotty pine (or “Norwegian Wood,” the British term used by Lennon in his great song of the same name).
Today, almost half of those houses have been replaced by new, larger homes. The demand for buildable lots in Vienna reflects our small town’s desirability. When it comes to housing affordability, we are a victim of our own success. We have made Vienna such a great place to live that demand for housing in town greatly exceeds available supply. In this seller’s market, the properties go to the highest bidders, which typically are developers who can tear down the existing rambler, build a new multi-story house, and sell it at a handsome profit.
As a consequence, young adults and families are being priced out of the market. They are choosing less expensive places to live, cities like Richmond and Charlottesville. And the elderly are being forced to move out, as rising property values increase their taxes. Many people who work in our schools, businesses, and government cannot afford to live here. This is truly unfortunate, as Vienna has always been an economically diverse, family-oriented community.
In a recent survey, housing affordability was the number one concern of people in our area.
As an economist, I recognize that the solution to the problem is simple in theory: increase the supply of housing and prices will fall. As a former planning commissioner, however, I know that, in practice, there are no easy fixes. The vast majority of Vienna’s total area is zoned either commercial or single family residential. That is unlikely to change. As a council member, however, I have entertained every serious proposal to build more housing units in Vienna. I have championed rezoning idle commercial properties to mixed use. I have considered allowing multi-family housing near the commercial core. And I led the initiative to allow accessory dwelling units. If re-elected, I will continue to champion reasonable proposals to increase Vienna’s housing stock, while preserving our small town character.
