The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission nearly has filled out the membership of its Regional Housing Partnership.
The partnership has 20 members representing a mixture of elected officials and representatives of public, private and nonprofit groups, as well as community members. Partnership members are appointed by the TJPDC.
The partnership will coordinate the TJPDC’s housing needs assessment and regional solutions to the assessment’s findings. The housing study is expected to be finished in a draft form on Dec. 31. The assessment will be similar to one done in Charlottesville.
Brandon Collins, a member of the Charlottesville Low-Income Housing Coalition who also works for the Charlottesville Public Housing Association or Residents, was chosen as the city’s citizen representative. Christopher Brement, of the Blue Ridge Home Builders Association, was chosen as the TJPDC’s builder representative.
Supervisor Jesse Rutherford will be the elected official representing Nelson County and Supervisor Bob Babyok will be the elected official representing Louisa County. A financial sector representative is the only remaining vacant spot.
The four appointments were made last week at the TJPDC’s meeting.
The partnership will meet for the first time Jan. 24, and is slated to select its executive committee, chairperson and vice chair at that time. The executive committee, which will advise TJPDC staff and housing stakeholders on ongoing programs, projects and other issues, is scheduled to meet every other month.
As the partnership and executive committee ramp up their work, they likely will meet monthly, TJPDC Executive Director Chip Boyles said. The full partnership likely will meet at least twice a year.
Boyles also said the state this month authorized the full $100,000 grant requested for a housing strategy as part of the housing needs assessment. The housing strategy will be formatted to become a chapter in any locality’s Comprehensive Plan, a guiding document required by the state.
