Joe Lerch, VACo’s Director of Local Government Policy, and Doug Bilski, Assistant Director for Clinical and Prevention Services at the Chesterfield County Community Services Board, highlighted county initiatives to create and retain affordable housing for individuals with disabilities at the September 24 meeting of the Virginia Disability Commission. The Commission’s Chair, Delegate Amy Laufer, had requested a presentation from VACo on county efforts in this area.
Joe Lerch explained that VACo has considered various aspects of affordable housing policy and housing supports for individuals with disabilities in its steering committees as part of the Association’s legislative program development over the course of several years. Noting that county affordable housing programs vary significantly based on community needs, he shared several examples, including Fairfax County’s program to provide small-scale home repairs and accessibility modifications to eligible low and moderate-income homeowners who are older or have disabilities; Floyd County’s VACo Achievement Award-winning Scattered-Site Housing Rehab project, which involves partnerships among nine public, private, and nonprofit organizations to address safety and livability issues; and Henrico County’s new Housing Trust Fund, which is funded by revenues derived from data centers and managed by a local nonprofit, using a land trust model to help preserve affordability over time.
As a case study of local innovation through partnerships, Doug Bilski shared several projects implemented by the Chesterfield County Community Services Board (CSB). The Build-a-House program, a partnership among Chesterfield County, Chesterfield County Public Schools, the CSB, and a local nonprofit, Chesterfield Alternatives, Inc., involved the construction of four homes by students on County-provided land; these homes were specially designed to meet the needs of CSB clients with intellectual disabilities. The CSB also supports individuals with mental health needs through a shared home model, using housing units that were previously operated as group homes for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities; these units generally use an independent living model, with some support from the CSB in the form of a housing case manager. The CSB also provides rental subsidies to support individuals who make their own housing arrangements and deploys funds provided through the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services for permanent supportive housing. The CSB has also worked with the County, in partnership with housing developers, to secure apartment units for CSB clients in new developments. In some cases, the CSB holds the lease and sub-leases to the client, and in other cases the client holds the lease directly.
Joe Lerch offered several concluding thoughts to the Commission regarding ways that the state could support local governments in developing creative solutions to affordable housing needs. Additional state and federal housing funds could magnify localities’ ability to leverage local resources. VACo has also advocated for preserving and enhancing local flexibility to deploy innovative housing solutions. For example, VACo supported legislation in the 2024 session that would have expanded authority that is currently granted to seven jurisdictions to provide optional increases in density to meet affordable housing needs to allow this authority to apply statewide; this legislation passed the General Assembly, but was vetoed. Commission members discussed possible incentives to encourage localities to undertake programs similar to Chesterfield County’s, noting that the ongoing cost of supportive services is an area where the state may be able to provide more assistance.
VACo appreciates the opportunity to showcase counties’ innovative projects and thanks Chesterfield County for sharing some creative approaches to meeting a critical community need.
VACo Contacts: Joe Lerch, AICP, and Katie Boyle