Dave Kisamore, Sales Manager with Coldwell Banker Funkhouser Realtors, is a member of the Governor's Housing Policy Advisory Committee. The committee is working to make reccomendations to the Governor on Virginia housing policies.

Governor McDonnell recently released the new Virginia Housing Policy website.  The site states "Housing helps define communities and is a major component in determining the quality of life for individuals, families, and the Commonwealth general prosperity."

A healthy housing market not only supports our national and local economies, but also creates a greater sense of community leading to safer neighborhoods, better public schools and a greater quality of life. 

Governor McDonnell outlines the housing policy framework as follows:

1. Recognize the role of the housing industry as a critical economic development engine within the Commonwealth by streamlining regulations, ensuring robust finance and construction sectors, promoting the development of workforce housing, reducing commute times between home and work, and increasing residential access to transportation systems, while furthering public understanding of housing finance and economic literacy.

2. Promote sustainable and vibrant communities through measures that promote mixed use development, increase energy efficiency and use of cost effective green building concepts, support the rehabilitation of substandard housing, clarify the role of community associations in common interest communities, and expand public-private cooperation in addressing affordable safe housing.

3. Ensure that a range of housing options can be provided to  meet the housing needs of a dynamic and changing population, achieve proper balance between homeownership and rental options, promote a continuum of quality housing options for special needs populations, match existing subsidies with areas of housing need, and increase the emphasis on fair housing (eliminating barriers to housing).

4. Increase capacity to address the needs of homeless Virginians by focusing on the reduction of chronic homelessness, ensuring the continued viability of the safety net of shelters and services, and investing in transitional and permanent supportive housing. 
   
   You can review the full policy online @ http://www.virginiahousingpolicy.com/ and make comments to be considered by the committee.