The citizens of Lee County, Virginia urge the Lee County Board of Supervisors NOT TO PASS the proposed Zoning Text amendments to Article V, Supplemental Regulations of the Lee County Zoning Ordinance. 

Restricting or prohibiting the use of storage and utility buildings and recreational vehicles/campers for human occupation would be a detriment to the low-income population of Lee County, VA, and would create further hardships for people who are already struggling. 

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there is a shortage of rental homes affordable and available for extremely low-income renters to the tune of 153,415 affordable housing units that are needed and 72 percent of extremely low income renters face a "severe" cost burden. The numbers are not broken out by county, but given the economic situation in Lee county, it can be extrapolated that the county also suffers an affordable housing crisis. The 2020 census numbers for Lee County indicate that 26 percent of our population lives in poverty and that for our 21,983 citizens, there are only 2311 jobs in Lee County. 

Before any restrictive housing legislation is passed, the Lee County Board of Supervisors needs to have in place a plan and a budget for ALL of the following issues:

• Attract and retain employers in Lee County, VA so that at least 9233 jobs are available within county limits that pay a living wage. That number would allow for 42% of the population to be gainfully employed.
• Create at least 5,715 affordable housing units in Lee County VA to allow the 26 percent of citizens who live in poverty to afford safe housing.
• According to census data, 25% of available housing units in Lee County (approximately 2950) are vacant. The county should provide funds to rehabilitate vacant housing units so that they could be used as affordable housing for those in need. 

In short, without a plan to solve the issues of poverty, lack of employment, and lack of affordable housing units, passing the proposed Zoning Text amendments to Article V, Supplemental Regulations of the Lee County Zoning Ordinance would be irresponsible and would contribute to further economic hardship for an already stressed population.

Let's show our support for our neighbors and our community and urge Lee County Board of Supervisors NOT TO PASS the proposed Zoning Text amendments to Article V, Supplemental Regulations of the Lee County Zoning Ordinance by signing this petition!

Ask the board to instead help us build a more resilient and affordable county for the future by creating jobs and ensuring that everyone has access to affordable housing.