The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Aug. 2, 2023:
Richmond-area health data shows wide disparities
Reported by VPM News’ Jahd Khalil
VPM News requested data from the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts on the differences in health outcomes by race and income — following the announcement of more than $600,000 in Health Equity Fund grants for local organizations to address disparities.
What RHHD aggregated illustrated continued health disparities between Black and white Richmond residents when it came to COVID-19, food access, and substance use and recovery.
RHHD did include a disclaimer: The data was “not meant to be exhaustive of methodologically consistent between the sets of data to the next but rather provide a general summary of the justifications for Health Equity Fund program funding.”
Data: Housing affordability is concentrated in select Virginia cities
Reported by WHRO News’ Mechelle Hankerson
Despite rents falling overall in some cities, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Hampton Roads is still $1,539. WHRO published data in 2022 showing the region is less affordable than places like Northern Virginia or Richmond, meaning a higher portion of peoples’ wages here go toward housing costs.
According to Alex Fella from the Norfolk-based research group City Work, “Affordability is disappearing in certain parts and that matters most because if you are being forced to move or you have to find a new place to live, you might end up somewhere that's like an hour away from your job if you're looking for affordability.”
In other news:
- Tax cuts remain key to Virginia budget stalemate (The Associated Press)
- Should police officer names be kept secret? Chesterfield department says yes. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
- Rockingham And Augusta counties top locations for motorcycle fatalities in Virginia (Daily News-Record)*
In case you missed it:
- Recovering from twin Southwest Virginia floods: ‘A rough, rough ride’ (The Washington Post)*
- Richmond-area swimming hole Hadad's Lake is for sale for $975,000 (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
