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A growing number of renters in Hampton Roads are falling behind on rent. Plus, we're taking a look at noise pollution in Norfolk. CityWork is away for the Thanksgiving holiday, but we'll be back to our regularly scheduled rent report in December along with the release of a major new project! What better way to be thankful than to support us here. It helps keep our work free. We are entirely donor funded.
A growing number of renters in Hampton Roads are falling behind on their rent. New data from the National Equity Atlas shows the scope of the region’s rental debt. This matters because rent debt can lead to more evictions and an increased chance of homelessness for renters
Virginia Beach renters have the most rent debt, close to $15 million, spread out among 8,100 households. In other words, 11% of Virginia Beach renter households are behind on rent. On average they carry $1,800 of rent debt. Chesapeake, which has the highest proportion of rent-burdened residents, also has $1,800 of rent debt per household, spread over 3,270 households.
These charts below show each city’s total rent debt, households in debt, debt per household, and children in households behind on rent.
Data: National Equity Atlas Nov. 5 2024
Data: National Equity Atlas Nov. 5 2024
Data: National Equity Atlas Nov. 5 2024
Norfolk has a noise problem. At fault are the usual suspects, namely the railroad and the city’s spaghetti-style highway system cutting through neighborhoods.This map shows the 24-hour LAeq in Norfolk. That's an average measurement of noise at different times of the day that gets added up over a 24-hour period. In short, it’s saying if the noise were the same level for 24 hours, how loud would it need to be so that it has the same total energy as all the changing noises throughout the day.The brighter the color, the more noise. Basically every neighborhood between Downtown and the tracks has the equivalent of a dishwasher running all the time.
Data: USDOT/Esri/CityWork
Not all neighborhoods are affected equally. This map shows the average peak railroad noise and average road noise in different neighborhoods. Those in blue have high road noise but low railroad noise. Those in orange have high railroad noise but low road noise. Those in black have both high road and rail noise.
Data: Tether/USDOT/CityWork
From Military Circle to Berkley, neighborhoods are suffering from a staggering amount of rail and road noise, with railroad noise regularly averaging over 70 dB. Meanwhile, residents in Calvert Square, East Ghent, Huntersville, Spartan Village, and Broad Creek are regularly exposed to peak train noise around 80 dB.For context, 70 dB is about the sound of a busy restaurant or a vacuum cleaner. It’s not harmful to human hearing but it can impact sleep. Prolonged exposure to 80 dB can damage human hearing.
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