Kaine discusses affordable housing during Roanoke roundtable

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine says access to affordable housing is now a top concern in his travels all across the state.

Friday afternoon, Kaine (D-Virginia) sat down to discuss the problem, and potential solutions, with community leaders in the Roanoke Valley.

The roundtable at the Roanoke Public Library included representatives of housing organizations and other stakeholders in the region.

“If I was having this meeting in Danville or Bristol. If I was having it in Floyd or Newport News, some housing issue would be in the top three everywhere,” Kaine told reporters after the event. “Statewide, rural, suburban, urban, housing cost is increasingly going to be a priority on people’s minds, which means we have to be creative in addressing it.”

One example, Kaine said, would center on workforce training with partners such as Virginia’s community colleges.

He said expanding the number of qualified construction professionals could help to address the shortage of available housing.

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