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JAMES CITY – “It’s going to be pretty tight the first couple of months,” said Chris Clauser, 23, a county firefighter. He closed on his first home this week, a new $207,000 three-bedroom townhouse in Pocahontas Square. To Clauser, the workforce housing crunch is much more than a few lines in reports, surveys and news articles. As it is for so many people, his quest has been relentless. He was finally able to find and afford his new home thanks to a little-publicized subsidy offered to county employees. The county matches $3,000 of his money to help with closing costs.
The program has been in place for several years and it’s gaining entries every year. Over the past several years, 50 employees have signed up and 34 have purchased homes. The contribution can be used toward either down payments or closing costs. “It’s been a very useful program,” said Rick Hanson, director of Housing & Community Development. “It gives incentive for people who work in the county to purchase here in the county or City of Williamsburg in recognition that it may be somewhat more expensive to live here than in surrounding jurisdictions.” A certain amount is set aside in the county budget to match employee contributions. Employees either match $3,000 in a lump sum, as Clauser did, or can slowly contribute to a layaway plan. “It has grown,” Hanson said.
“Last year we had the largest number of participants, and this year seems to be on track to be around the same. Demand for this program seems to have grown.” Expansion may be next. Today the subsidy extends to county, James City Service Authority and library employees. Hanson said it may someday reach to school employees and serve as a model for private employers. The $3,000 can also be combined with other assistance programs, including a similar program for first-time home buyers. Clauser used his $3,000 toward his closing costs and took advantage of an offer from the builder to pay the remaining $7,000 to close. It leaves the firefighter looking ahead to monthly payments with a little bit of cushion. Until recently, Clauser had been renting with roommates in Hampton.
The combination of programs helped him return to James City, he said. “I don’t really want to move back in with my parents,” he said, laughing. “I don’t want to be that guy.” He found navigating the paperwork relatively easy. He furnished the county with a copy of his bank statement, credit report and pay stubs, information he had to furnish to finance the home anyway. “It was all very quick,” he said. “I was very impressed with the time, the turn-around.” Still, it’s not something for nothing. Clauser, who has been with the fire department four years, committed to remaining with the county at least 50 more months. He cannot sell the home for three years, either.
The county benefits twice by having a long-term employee and residential taxpayer. “We’ll see what my life has developed into [then],” he said. “For now, I’m 23, single. This is perfect.”
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