The post-election haze is lifting, and VPAR continues its strong relationships with current elected officials at the local, state and federal levels while welcoming the newest members of City Councils and Members of Congress. All this while already looking ahead to the 2023 elections when all 140 members of the General Assembly of Virginia are up for re-election. Remember: In Virginia, there is an election every year!

Cue The Beatles’ “COME TOGETHER,” right? Or maybe “EVERYONE WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD” by Tears for Fears. “RISE UP” by Andra Day? Perhaps Twisted Sister’s “WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT?” Check out my favorite ELECTION DAY PLAYLIST on Spotify for even more tunes that might resonate!

This is a great segue for end-of-year RPAC solicitations! If you have not made your investment, ask what it would have meant to your business if real estate had not been deemed an essential industry during the pandemic. What about not having access to affordable health care for real estate licensees under the Association Health Plan legislation that passed in Virginia. Or not having a seat at the table on important local issues that include Short Term Rentals, Resiliency and Flooding, the development of a Strategic or Comprehensive Plan, or ongoing economic development projects that will yield more housing opportunities.

These matter because RPAC matters. And because incumbents and challengers alike want our support. Policy makers know that the REALTORS® are an influential, data-driven organization that is a trusted resource. They know the strength of RPAC, which is your voice in advocacy and industry-related issues. Click HERE to make your investment before the end of the month!

VPAR welcomes these newly-elected officials to our local and federal delegation! We already have been in regular communication with these strong housing advocates and are serving as resources to them as they transition to their various leadership positions.

HAMPTON CITY COUNCIL

Councilmember Steve Brown
Councilmember Jimmy Gray
Councilmember-elect Hope Harper
Councilmember-elect Martha Mugler

NEWPORT NEWS CITY COUNCIL

Mayor-elect Phillip Jones
Councilmember-elect Curtis Bethany
Councilmember-elect John Eley
Councilmember-elect Cleon Long

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Representative-elect Jen Kiggans, R-2nd
Representative Bobby Scott, D-3rd
Representative Rob Wittman, R-1st

LOCAL ISSUES

HAMPTON

VPAR was asked in September to be part of a small work group of business, tourism, industry and civic leaders to work with the City in the development of its Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Susan Gaston, VPAR’s Chief Advocacy Officer, and VPAR Broker Greg Garrett, both have represented the real estate and housing sectors, working to make sure that language is included to protect owners, landlords, investors, neighborhoods and current housing stock. The Hampton Planning Commission met in late November to approve language that, for the most part, is headed in the right direction, but VPAR continues to work on some areas of improvement. Council will hear the issue at its December 14th meeting, and VPAR will be present to provide public input into proposed ordinance.

VPAR also is represented in the effort to update the City’s Strategic Plan with Susan Gaston serving on the LIVING WITH WATER Work Group that is focusing on the City’s ongoing effort to mitigate recurrent flooding and sea level rise issues. The Work Group has met monthly since September. At the November meeting, Gaston provided each member of the Work Group with a hard copy of NAR’s ON COMMON GROUND smart growth publication. The current issue has a number of articles and research details on the issue of how other communities manage recurrent flooding. You can find that edition HERE.

Members of the VPAR Public Policy Committee attended the State of the City of Hampton event on December 1st! It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with elected and appointed officials, business and civic leaders, and recognize the City’s good work over the past year. VPAR was proud to have sponsored this annual gathering that is hosted by the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce!

Photo Left: Hampton City Council Member Steve Brown smiles with his Fall 2022 edition of NAR's "ON COMMON GROUND," NAR's bi-annual magazine on smart growth and land use, at the November 17th Planning Commission Meeting.
Photo Right: NAR's "ON COMMON GROUND" at the LIVING WITH WATER Steering Committee for the Hampton City Strategic Plan in mid-November.

ISLE of WIGHT COUNTY

Working again with CNU professor and economist Tom Hall, VPAR will deliver on December 8th the final Housing Needs Assessment Future Housing Needs report to the County Board of Supervisors. We hope that the Board and the Planning staff will incorporate portions of this detailed report into the County’s Comprehensive Plan. The County approached VPAR about the opportunity to provide this data set to them, and we will continue to work with the County in its efforts to support more housing at a variety of price points.

NEWPORT NEWS

The Short-Term Rental issue in the City was a repeated theme during the Public Policy Committee’s candidate interviews held in late September. Every candidate spoke to the issue and agreed with the Association that there is a need to place an additional focus on the ordinance that was passed last June. Once the newly-elected Mayor and Council have been seated, and likely after the General Assembly Session, VPAR will work with these Councilmembers to examine the ordinance language and to request that the City engage in a stakeholder engagement process.

Remember that amazing day that VPAR members experienced in the Southeast Community of Newport News back in July? Remember when VPAR provided support to the City in its efforts with the U.S. Department of Housing to receive the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) $30 MILLION grant from the Department? Check this out! On December 6th, the City and the Newport New Redevelopment and Housing Authority hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the conclusion of the first phase of construction of the new housing in the CNI! The LIFT & RISE on JEFFERSON is a vibrant mixed-used development that blends affordable and market-rate living spaces, and is reinvigorating economic growth in Newport News. Additional phases will come on line within the next two years. For more information, click HERE.

At the November 16th State of the City of Newport News event, hundreds of Peninsula residents and leaders attended to honor outgoing Mayor McKinley Price, who did not seek re-election. This being his final address on the accomplishments of the City over the past year, it was a special time to visit with Mayor Price and mingle with newly-elected Councilmembers. The City also unveiled its new brand and logo, a process that VPAR engaged in with the City over the course of the past several years. Check out the new brand and logo HERE! “BUILT ON BREAKTHROUGHS” is the new tag. But the Mayor said it best, “Remember we smash atoms and build nuclear aircraft carriers [in Newport News]. Anything is possible.”

STATE ISSUES

And speaking of smashing atoms, VPAR recently sent a letter to Governor Glenn Youngkin in support of a $43 MILLION budget request for the construction of a shell building at Jefferson Lab that will house a future High Performance Data Facility (HPDF). A long-standing “Friend of Jeff Labs,” VPAR is one of several business organizations that weighed in on this important economic development opportunity, but we are the only organization that focused on the positive impacts this would have on housing. With hundreds of high-paying jobs at stake, both direct and indirect, the Association views the HPDF as a driver of the housing market in the region. We will work to support the approval of this amendment over the course of the coming months in the General Assembly.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for February 8th, which will be VPAR’s REALTOR® DAY on THE HILL in Richmond! More details to come but be sure to join VPAR at the General Assembly for one of the best days of the year! Help us advocate for housing and real estate, for business and economic development, and come visit with your members of the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia!

FEDERAL ISSUES

On November 21st, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published the final rule to the Federal Register enabling Federal Housing Administration (FHA) borrowers to obtain private flood insurance.

The final rule posted to the Federal Register extends to FHA borrowers more insurance choices that have been available to conventional loan holders. The previous FHA rule was written decades ago, when there was no private flood insurance market. The market today is increasingly providing higher quality, lower cost alternative options than the National Flood Insurance Program. Conventional borrowers have been able to choose between NFIP and private policies since most of the federal lending regulators issued a final regulation in 2019. Now, because of this new rule, FHA loan holders will have the option to choose either flood insurance to meet federal coverage requirements. While the FHA rule does not perfectly align with the other federal rules, NAR stands ready to work with HUD to address any remaining differences that could create lender confusion.