In March of this year, the General Assembly passed HB 854, which mandates that the Department of Housing and Community Development and Virginia Housing carry out a study of housing policies, programs, and conditions in the Commonwealth as well as assess several specific program concepts. HousingForward Virginia will be the prime contractor for this work.
DHCD and Virginia Housing will form a Stakeholder Advisory Group made up of housing experts and practitioners from across the state. This group will review the findings of the study and make recommendations for action.
The bill, championed by Del. Kathleen Murphy (D – 34), lays out several charges for the Stakeholder Group:
- Determine the quality and quantity of affordable and workforce housing
- Conduct a review of current programs and policies
- Develop a projection of future housing needs
- Make recommendations for the improvement of housing policy in Virginia
In addition, the study will examine the impact of the pandemic on affordable housing as well as the status and impact of racial inequity in affordable housing. Finally, the project will look specifically at several program areas: state rental assistance, utility rate reduction, property tax reduction, bond financing, and other programs that increase housing supply.
The project will be getting underway in the next several weeks and will be completed by late summer 2021 in time for recommendations to be put forward during the 2022 General Assembly session. HousingForward Virginia will be conducting extensive outreach to the affordable housing community as a key component of this assessment. Stay tuned for information on how you can participate and make your views known.