Advocacy Update - Fall 2023
As we round out what has been a long, hot summer, VPAR’s Chief Advocacy Officer (CAO) has been out and about on the Peninsula, throughout Hampton Roads and across The Commonwealth!
From transit to community land banks, meetings with policy makers, flood plain management and resiliency, short term rentals and RPAC fundraising, the CAO and the Public Policy Committee are all about connection and action. See below for a quick rundown of what is happening in and around the VPAR footprint!
LOCAL
Hampton
VPAR remains active with the City in its resiliency efforts that includes the CAO serving on the Living with Water work groups to explore more opportunities to harden the City’s infrastructure and protect private property. Downtown Hampton, Phoebus and Buckroe have been in sharp focus on those efforts. On October 10th, the Resilient Hampton team will be briefing the membership on these actions and objectives. Look for marketing details in your Inbox soon!
Also underway is a review of the City’s Community Plan, Hampton 2040. We likewise are working with City staff to provide an update to the membership on this important strategic plan for the City.
The City has hired Jimmie Wideman, a lifelong Hampton resident and experienced law enforcement official who had worked with the Hampton Police Department beginning in 1994, retiring as a Captain in 2019. Since that time, Chief Wideman had been working as an intelligence analyst for the law enforcement division of the Department of the Air Force in Quantico. Councilmember Billy Hobbs is introducing the CAO to the Chief at an upcoming meeting.
Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight County is growing and is taking some nice bites out of the housing inventory issue on that side of the James River. VPAR remains in contact with the County Planning Director, Amy Ring, on all things housing and community focused.
Newport News
The CAO has been appointed to the City’s Flood Plain Management Committee that has been tasked to update the City’s flood management plan. Facilitated by Dewberry, the Committee is looking at issues that include:
equitable, community-driven mitigation efforts
reducing current and future flood risk
improvement of the City’s Community Rating System (CRS) in order to reduce insurance premiums
restoring natural flood plain function by implementing green infrastructure
enhancing future development and redevelopment
incentivizing sustainable development.
To continue this work and take it to a broader audience, Dewberry and the City have launched a survey instrument in which issues around drainage and flooding can be submitted. The survey can be found here.
The City held a town hall on the issue of homelessness in August – an important issue to all REALTORS® not only as housing professionals but also as active community stakeholders. The CAO has been communicating with Councilmembers on how best to engage VPAR in ongoing dialogue to find REAL solutions.
The CAO has been in ongoing discussions with members of Council to explore long-term solutions to housing inventory and housing opportunity. Earlier this summer, Councilman Cleon Long, Laura Lafayette – the CEO of the Richmond Association of REALTORS® (RAR) - and the CAO convened a meeting to explore how RAR, the City of Richmond and other stakeholders created a community land bank/land trust. Initiated by Councilman Long – named by the Mayor as Council’s Housing Czar - he has reached out to the CAO to have a deeper dive into how VPAR can be a driver on this topic. More to come on this important, transformational issue.
The CAO and Mayor Phillip Jones met on September 7th to discuss a variety of housing and real estate topics. Mayor Jones met with the VPAR membership earlier this summer as a part of the inaugural Speaker Series’ program, and we look forward to his return!
REGIONAL
The Hampton Roads Regional Transit Advisory Panel (HRRTAP) met on August 31st to discuss a variety of transit and transportation issues around the region. Joining the CAO as members of this important committee were representatives of the Hampton Roads NAACP, the Greater Norfolk Corporation, Hampton Roads Transit, Sentara Health System, the Children’s Hospital of the Kings’ Daughters, ODU, the Hampton Roads Military & Federal Facilities Alliance, Chambers of Commerce, and City Council representatives from Suffolk, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and other Hampton Roads communities. The HRRTAP meets regularly to advance public transportation throughout the region. The agenda included micro-mobility projects to enhance transit excellence, bus stop and shelter amenities, and the regional transit backbone.
SPECIAL NOTE: Hampton Roads Transit will host a STATE OF TRANSIT event on November 28th from 8:00 AM until 10:30 AM, in partnership with the Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA), in Northern Suffolk. Stay tuned for details!
STATE
RPAC of Virginia has been very active in the November elections for the General Assembly! (Your CAO has been all over the Commonwealth to meet with incumbents and with candidates!) As the November 7th election date draws closer, look for more information from RPAC of Virginia and Virginia REALTORS® to learn more about who is a REALTOR® Champion of The REALTOR® Party!
Have an idea for legislation to be introduced on behalf of REALTORS® in the 2024 General Assembly Session? Here is where to go!
FEDERAL
With Congress having returned to Washington from its August recess, NAR is busy on a number of public policy issues. For the latest information on where your federal team is focused, check out The Washington Report that can be found here.