2009-03-30March 30, 2009 (Special Meeting)
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A special meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County, Virginia, was held on March
30, 2009, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at University Hall located on Massie Road, Charlottesville, Virginia. This
meeting was called by notice from the Chairman dated March 16, 2009 for the purpose of participating in a
meeting with IMPACT in their Third Annual Nehemiah Action, to discuss affordable housing in the
Charlottesville-Albemarle area.
PRESENT: Mr. Kenneth C. Boyd, Mr. Lindsay G. Dorrier, Jr., Mr. Dennis S. Rooker, Mr. David
Slutzky and Ms. Sally H. Thomas.
ABSENT: Ms. Ann H. Mallek
At 7:05 p.m., the Chairman, Mr. Slutzky, called the Board of Supervisors to order.
In addition to the agenda, the following affordable housing handout was provided to Board
members and City Council members:
Problem: Because of the great need in our region, our interest continues to be to increase housing
opportunities for families earning 0-30% AMI (Area Median Income), or under 20K per year.
The Need: IMPACT first took on the affordable housing issue at the 2006 Covenant Assembly.
Through the research process the last 3 years, we have learned that:
- there is a severe deficit of affordable rental units for families in our region earning under
0-30% AMI projected to reach 4000 next year’
- there are long and often closed waiting lists for federal housing choice vouchers
- there is a disturbing rise in children who became homeless in Charlottesville and
Albemarle County
Albemarle County Charlottesville
84 - 2003/2004 125 - 2003/2004
320 - 2006/2007 240 - 2006/2007
- 1 in every 5 Albemarle County residents is living below the self-sufficiency standard²
All these affordable housing issues are affecting one group of people particularly hard — those earning
30% AMI or less.
Status of the Joint Task Force: The City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the UVa Joint
Task Force on Affordable Housing finalized their recommendations in late January 2009 and presented
their report to the governing bodies in early February. (A Report on Actions Needed to Address the
Region’s Affordable Housing Crisis)
Proposal: Our interest continues to be in seeing an increase in housing opportunities for families
earning 0-30% AMI (Area Median Income), or under 20K per year. The joint task force report states “for
practical purposes the extremely low-income bracket (under 30% AMI) is considered to be synonymous
with rental”.
¹Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission State of Housing Report of 2006
²Poverty in Albemarle County W orkgroup Report of 2007
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I. Questions for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors
Currently, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has a set of practices that address the
Comprehensive Plan provision that every new development that provides additional housing should
provide 15% affordable housing aimed at 80% area median income. In the past three years the BOS have
received three important reports: TJPDC State of Housing Report, the Albemarle County Poverty
W orkgroup Report and the Joint Task Force on Affordable Housing Report. In addition members of the
BOS addition have heard numerous testimonies from IMPACT members who are directly affected by the
affordable housing crisis in our area.
QUESTION 1: Given everything you have heard about the range of housing needs among extremely-
low, very-low, and low-income residents, do you commit to directing your Housing Committee to propose
an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan that more fairly addresses the range of affordable housing
needs in Albemarle County?
Currently, in proffer discussions, your Housing Committee has identified that a “comparable contribution in
lieu of an affordable unit” be indexed to the maximum down payment assistance offered by the County.
That maximum now stands at $19,100.
QUESTION 2: Do you commit to directing your Housing Committee to identify a more appropriate index
so that the contributions received can adequately assist the non-profit developers in our area to build more
affordable units?
March 30, 2009 (Special Meeting)
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QUESTION3: Do you commit to working with the City to examine the feasibility of establishing a regional
Housing Ombudsman Office to serve the area residents seeking rental housing?
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II. Questions for the Charlottesville City Councilors
QUESTION 1: Do you support the hiring of an experienced professional Housing Planner for the City of
Charlottesville whose initial task would be to develop an implementation plan based on the
recommendations of the Joint Housing Task Force?
QUESTION 2: Do you commit to approving at least $1 million for affordable housing in the upcoming
budget, reviewing in early 2010 where the City stands on revenues and if there is no major revenue
shortage, restoring level funding by allocating an additional $400,000 to the affordable housing fund from
the $2.8 million held in reserve?
QUESTION 3: Do you commit to working with the County to examine the feasibility of establishing a
Regional Housing Ombudsman Office to serve area residents seeking rental housing?
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Ms. Mallek was not present and had the following read on her behalf:
“Yes. I agree that the existing proffer monies should be divided among the three lower income
ranges in order to add units to create a progression of housing stocks. People who become more
prosperous may be able to move a step at a time, to larger, more expensive units.
No. My understanding is that the amount of the current down payment assistance in lieu of an
affordable unit policy is related to the maximum downpayment assistance amount. This figure has risen
from $16,500 in the last couple of years, thus it has an indexed increase.
Yes to coordination. I think a regional approach to affordable housing is a good idea. Improved
coordination between housing offices is a good idea. Each jurisdiction should know the details of what the
other is providing.
In the W hite Hall district, in 1993 the Crozet Community Plan addressed affordable housing. The
County proffer policy with the support of the community has provided affordable units or cash in each new
housing development. The residents have been working with the Piedmont Housing Alliance in design of
the new neighborhood off Blue Ridge Avenue.”
In response to the questions asked of the Board of Supervisors, Mr. Slutzky stated that he was
and remains a firm “yes” to all three questions.
In response to the questions asked of the Board of Supervisors, Ms. Thomas responded “no” to
#1 and yes to #2 and #3.
In response to the questions asked of the Board of Supervisors, Mr. Rooker responded “yes” to all
three questions.
In response to the questions asked of the Board of Supervisors, Mr. Boyd responded “yes” to #1,
“no” to #2 and “yes” to #3, if it is a volunteer position and no paid staff.
In response to the questions asked of the Board of Supervisors, Mr. Dorrier responded “yes” to all
three questions.
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The Board of Supervisors’ adjourned their meeting at 8:18 p.m.
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Chairman
Approved by the Board
of County Supervisors
Date: 07/01/2009
Initials: EWJ