The following is a list of the housing costs inside Velia, including all surrounding areas that can be used with workers from Velia as lodging base. I have added the main purpose of the building in (brackets) if there are multiple options, and it's not a "whatever suits you" purpose types.
House Name Contribution Cost Room 1, No. 1, Velia (Lodging) 1 Room 2, No. 1, Velia (Lodging) 1 Room 3, No. 1, Velia (Lodging) 1 No. 2-1, Velia 1 No. 2-2, Velia 2 No. 2-3, Velia 5 No. 3-1, Velia 1 1st Floor, No. 3-2, Velia (Storage) 2 2nd Floor, No. 3-2, Velia (Storage / Tool Workshop) 5 No. 4, Velia 3 No. 5-1, Velia 1 No. 5-2, Velia 2 No. 1-1, Balenos and Bartali Farm 2 No. 1-2, Balenos and Bartali Farm 1 No. 2-2, Finto Farm, Balenos 1 No. 2-2, Finto Farm, Balenos (Wood Factory) 2 No. 3-1, Loggia Farm, Balenos (Fish Factory) 2 No. 3-2, Loggia Farm, Balenos 1 No. 4-1, DelLucci Farm, Balenos 2 No. 4-2, DelLucci Farm, Balenos 1 No. 5, Marino Farm, Balenos 2 No. 6-1, Toscani Farm, Balenos (Lodging / Storage) 3 No. 6-2, Toscani Farm, Balenos (Storage / Furniture Workshop) 3
Being really close to the starting area without being in the starting area, but having a ship yard/fishing area, it is probably going to become a main hub for the region. Most people will use it as a shipping port/meeting area, being that it's more-or-less centralized compared to the rest of the trade hubs. Heidel is the furthers, but Heidel is in a league of its own with regards to the amount of houses you can have. You will probably just transport your goods from Velia to Heidel anyway.