1. Fairfax County releases Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan
2. NAR Advocates for Housing Providers with Administration Officials
3. New HUD Program Prioritizes Housing Supply
4. Study Proposes Reforms to Address Virginia’s Legacy of Segregated Housing
5. NAR Writes to HUD in Support of New 40-year Mortgage Modification
Welcome to FIVE FOR FRIDAY: A weekly roundup of Public Policy Issues and Headlines from around the Northern Virginia Region, the Commonwealth and on Capitol Hill.
1. Fairfax County releases Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan
Fairfax County is proposing long-term and short-term solutions to the harmful effects of climate change, and it wants feedback from residents. The draft Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan for Resilient Fairfax, led by the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, focuses on the effects of climate change in the county. The plan is open for public comment through June 15.
2. NAR Advocates for Housing Providers with Administration Officials
The White House and federal housing agencies recently hosted a listening session where NAR spoke on behalf of housing providers and the vital role they play in the rental market. The purpose of the listening session was to discuss priorities and gaps for tenant protections and owner needs, including specifically when it comes to challenges like the pandemic.
3. New HUD Program Prioritizes Housing Supply
NAR commends HUD on launching the innovative 'Our Way Home' program as part of an all-hands-on-deck approach to addressing the housing supply crisis.
4. Study Proposes Reforms to Address Virginia’s Legacy of Segregated Housing
The report, “Zoning and Segregation in Virginia: Part 2 — Expanding Housing Choices for the Future of Virginia,” builds on McGuireWoods’ previous study documenting how zoning was used as a tool to create segregated housing patterns that endure long after the Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited racial discrimination. The recommendations in Part 2 focus on changes to Virginia’s planning and zoning laws at the local and state levels to increase housing choices, remove barriers to diverse neighborhoods and increase access to attainable housing.
5. NAR Writes to HUD in Support of New 40-year Mortgage Modification
Allowing the FHA to modify the mortgages of distressed homeowners to a monthly payment that they can meet with a moderately longer amortization helps to support both homeownership and stability of the market.