Virginia Law

The Virginia Housing Commission (the Commission) is established in the legislative branch of state government. The purpose of the Commission is to study and provide recommendations to ensure and foster the availability of safe, sound affordable housing for every Virginian. The Commission may also study and make recommendations relating to such other housing, real property, and community development issues as it may be called upon to consider or as may be desirable.

2004, c. 1000.

The Commission shall consist of 11 members. Of these members, there shall be eight legislative members and three nonlegislative citizen members as follows: five members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and three nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor. Nonlegislative citizen members of the Commission shall be citizens of the Commonwealth.

Legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a term of four years. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Legislative and nonlegislative citizen members may be reappointed for successive terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.

The Commission shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman every two years from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.

2004, c. 1000.

A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The meetings of the Commission shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.

No recommendation of the Commission shall be adopted if a majority of the Senate members or a majority of the House members appointed to the Commission (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the Commission.

2004, c. 1000.

Legislative members of the Commission shall receive such compensation as provided in § 30-19.12, and nonlegislative citizen members shall receive such compensation as provided in § 2.2-2813 for the performance of their duties. All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. However, all such compensation and expenses shall be provided from existing appropriations to the Commission.

2004, c. 1000.

A. The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:

1. Undertake studies, gather information and data, and pursue such other activities as may be desirable to accomplish its purposes as set forth in § 30-257;

2. Report annually on its activities during the preceding year and include a discussion of studies made and recommendations for administrative or legislative action; and

3. Review newly enacted federal legislation pertaining to mortgage lending and brokering and determine if such federal legislation necessitates amendments to the laws of the Commonwealth.

B. The chairman shall submit to the General Assembly and the Governor an annual executive summary of the interim activity and work of the Commission no later than the first day of each regular session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

2004, c. 1000; 2008, c. 863.

The Commission may appoint and employ and, at its pleasure, remove an executive director and such other persons as it deems necessary to assist it in carrying out its duties as set forth in this chapter. The Commission may determine the duties of such staff and fix their salaries or compensation within the amounts as may be appropriated from general or nongeneral funds. Nongeneral funds may include, but not be limited to, federal grants and private donations or contributions. All other agencies and governing bodies and agencies of political subdivisions of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Commission, upon request.

2004, c. 1000.