Older residents affected by scarce affordable housing

(RECAP: There isn’t enough affordable housing for the oldest residents of the Williamsburg area, and the little housing that does exist costs too much for many of them. Diane Hartley runs the Williamsburg office of the Peninsula Agency on Aging. She believes many of the area’s facilities geared toward older residents are too costly for many people, especially those who are retired and are on a limited, fixed income. Many facilities in Williamsburg and James City County aren’t financially feasible for a large portion of the older residents in the area. Some are priced substantially higher than the market rate. Peter Walentisch, the executive director of Williamsburg’s Public Housing Authority, said more than 600 people are on the city’s waiting list for public housing, and the list is closed until next January.)