Tired of city life? A free workshop Saturday, June 8, will offer an insightful look into the distinct challenges and opportunities of country living, focusing on rural housing issues such as land inheritance and affordable housing shortages. The workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Powhatan County Recreation Center, 4290 Anderson Highway.

Elizabeth Palen, director of the Virginia Housing Commission, will discuss statewide housing trends and provide updates on proposed legislation, including a bill to facilitate the development of on site affordable housing by churches. Sean Clendening from Powhatan’s Planning Department will address local land use plans and processes.

Ebonie Alexander, founder and executive director of the Black Family Land Trust, will speak about the importance of wills and trusts in protecting generational wealth. Alexander’s efforts through the Wealth Retention and Asset Protection program and the African American Land Ethic initiative have helped land owners retain ownership of over $12.5 million in land assets and secure more than $500,000 in federal funding for farmland conservation. She also played a key role in Virginia’s adoption of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act to protect inherited family land.

Although only 27% of rural households rent their homes compared to 52% in urban areas, the need for affordable rental housing remains significant. The report highlights that rural renters generally have lower incomes than homeowners, with over half earning less than $35,000 annually. Additionally, rural renters are twice as likely to live in substandard housing and nearly half spend more than half of their income on housing costs, with Black and Hispanic communities being particularly affected.

The Rural Housing Workshop is free and is hosted by Habitat for Humanity-Powhatan with support from the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond. Light refreshments will be served. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m., and attendees may register in advance at habitatpowhatan.org or by calling (804) 594-7009, option 2.