Virginia Governor Signs Executive Order on Affordable Housing

In an effort to boost his state’s housing inventory and expand affordable housing opportunities, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has issued an executive order designed to “ensure that housing is a key contributor to Virginia’s ongoing economic recovery.”

Speaking yesterday before a housing conference organized by his office, McAuliffe issued Executive Order 32, which seeks to prioritize community development investments across Virginia’s urban and rural communities. The Executive Order addresses homelessness, with a special emphasis on ending veterans’ homelessness by the end of 2015, while expanding community living opportunities for people with disabilities. Gov. McAuliffe also used the executive order to emphasis the need for more affordable housing to accommodate Virginia residents.

“Expanding access to quality affordable housing is at the very foundation of my administration’s efforts to build a new Virginia economy,” said Gov. McAuliffe. “Strengthening our Commonwealth’s housing policy will create jobs, grow our economy and help improve the quality of life of Virginians all over our state.”

The Executive Order spelled out policy review initiatives that called for “appropriate housing options for an aging demographic” and “economic and community development strategies integrated with housing initiatives for urban and rural revitalization, including adaptive reuse, mixed-use development and mixed-income housing, and the preservation of existing affordable housing.”

The Executive Order also insisted on pursuing “affordable housing that meets the needs of working Virginians in areas where high housing costs impede economic development, productivity, and the quality of life.”