Neighborhood Balance

Certified Rental Property
Program
www.williamsburgva.govConcept 1 -
Criteria include a quality
assessment, landlord
completion of a training
course, and enrollment in
the emergency notification
system.
The US Navy promotes only
those properties enrolled to
its members and gives the
certification legitimacy.
Norfolk’s Rent Ready
Program is a voluntary
certification offered by the
city. Three criteria are used
to determine acceptance.
Certification is good for one
year.
Williamsburg Application
Criteria can include a
quality assessment,
landlord completion of a
training course, use of the
city’s preferred lease, and
enrollment in the
emergency notification
system.
W&M would be asked to
promote only those
properties enrolled to its
students and parents,
giving the certification
legitimacy.
Williamsburg could enact a
Rent Ready Program as a
voluntary certification
offered by the city. Four
criteria could be used to
determine acceptance.
Certification would be valid
for one year.
Implementation = 1 Impact = 4 years

2nd Shift Compliance Inspectors
www.williamsburgva.govConcept 2 - Norfolk
Some localities use 2nd shift
compliance inspectors to
obtain the needed evidence
of a violation.
Enforcing certain
regulations such as
occupancy limitations is
challenging given the
burden of proof required
for a court ruling.
A property maintenance
inspector, recently hired,
reports to the Building
Official. This inspector
handles violations of the
property maintenance
code, which is a division of
the statewide building
code.
Zoning violation examples
are parking on the grass or
having more than 3 persons
in a single-family home.
Examples of property
maintenance violations
include not mowing the
grass or buildings needing
painting.
Williamsburg’s code
compliance staff is divided
into two functional areas.
The Zoning Administrator,
working directly for the
Planning Director, handles
violations of the zoning
ordinance.
Our inspections staff all
conduct inspections and
handle violations. Adding
an inspector or paying for
occasional after-hours work
could help identify
violations but might be
viewed as an overly
aggressive step by many.
Implementation = 1 Impact = 1 year

Housing Needs Analysis
www.williamsburgva.govConcept 3 - Charlottesville
This type of study helps set
a target for new
construction or conversion
and can influence the
action steps taken to
resolve deficiencies in the
market.
Many localities have
quantified the number of
new single-family units
needed to satisfy certain
housing needs such as
middle income, affordable,
and student.
They or another group
could be contracted with to
expand their analysis to
identify targets that would
reshape Williamsburg’s
housing market.
The impact of this work is
difficult to quantify as we
do not have a large
potential for new
development inside the
city.
The Williamsburg Area
Association of Realtors
conducted a housing study
and identified areas of need
but did not quantify new
units required to influence
market trends.
Knowing target unit
numbers would be helpful
as we evaluate new
programs to redevelop or
reuse existing housing
stock. It would also provide
a base by which to measure
success.
Implementation = 1 Impact = N/A

Planning Advisory Council
The Planning Advisory
Council consists of the
University President, the
Mayor and the County
Chair.
Charlottesville uses a two-
committee process to
coordinate the planning
activities of the City and the
University of Virginia.
At this meeting, an agenda
includes all topics of policy
intersection between the
city and the University. The
Joint Administration
Meetings are exceptionally
productive and partly
responsible for the current
level of cooperation.
Adding a TAC component,
meeting less frequently,
may help with
implementation items and
increase communication
beyond the top of each
organization.
The city and W&M hold a
monthly Joint Administration
Meeting, including the
University President, the
University CFO, the Senior
Assistant to the President and
Secretary to the Board of
Visitors, the Mayor, a Council
Member, and the City
Manager.
A better application would
be to restructure the
Neighborhood Relations
Committee to function as
the TAC and as an outlet for
community concerns. This
would improve
responsiveness and
awareness for residents.
The PAC is advised by the
Technical Advisory
Committee consisting of
the Planning Directors and
the regional Planning
District Commission. The
TAC meets quarterly.
The PAC reviews
intersecting development
interests and provides
recommendations on future
development projects.

University Sponsored Inspector
This Code Compliance
Inspector focuses on rental
housing issues, including
rental safety inspections,
occupancy limits, parking
regulations, and trash
collection.
The University of Virginia
“sponsors” a compliance
inspector for enforcement
in the vicinity of the
university.
Annually, the Zoning
Administrator has an annual
salary of $58,039, and the
Property Maintenance
Inspector’s Salary is
$45,000.
We augment this two-
person inspection team by
asking our Building Official
and three Building
Inspectors to also do code
compliance work when
warranted.
The city currently has one
Zoning Administrator who
serves as a zoning inspector
and a newly hired Property
Maintenance Inspector.
Adding another inspector is
likely not required unless a
2nd Shift Inspector or
additional after-hours work
is desired.
The position has an annual
cost of $60-65K, and the
city is reimbursed for this
expense by the university.
Implementation = 1 year Impact = 1 year

University Sponsored Employee
Housing
The University of Virginia
completed a strategic plan
for 2030. President Ryan
says the plan is an
acknowledgment that
universities can only
achieve greatness if they
are adopting a broader
view of their responsibility.
The City of Charlottesville
has identified a need for
3,000 new affordable
housing units (80% of the
AMI) and 4,000 new
workforce units by 2040.
The obstacle here is scale.
UVA is much larger than
W&M, so a direct
comparison is unfair.
However, there is a need
for workforce housing in
our community.
W&M is now working on a
new strategic plan, and the
city has been invited to
participate in some of the
workgroups. Questions
concerning housing for
employees of all incomes
have been raised.
The 2018 Williamsburg Area
Association of Realtors. The
study shows that based on
population projections, an
additional 2,160 units will be
needed within 12 years. The
study does not categorize
needs by income groups, nor
does it specify the type of
housing in demand.
Perhaps a strategy would
be for stronger
partnerships on new
housing for both students
and employees in mixed
incomes. This could meet
two goals, creating new
workforce units and student
housing outside of
neighborhoods.
The plan includes four
goals and ten initiatives to
achieve them. Action steps
include working with the
community to address
issues such as wages,
affordable housing, and
access to health care.
In March of 2020, UVA
announced a plan to
construct 1000 to 1500
affordable housing units
that would be open to
employees and community
members who qualify.

Annual Town/Gown Report
www.williamsburgva.govConcept 7 – Charlottesville/Salt Lake City/Blacksburg
The report provides an
opportunity to celebrate
where the partnership is
working and discuss areas
where improvements are
needed.
Annually, some college
cities present a Town/Gown
report to the City Council.
This report highlights the
partnership, volunteerism,
and enforcement activity.
This is in part due to a more
community-oriented
policing strategy by the
WPD, and a stronger
partnership between the
City administration and
W&M. Communicating
success is a challenge for
most local governments.
The city relies heavily on
the Neighborhood Council
of Williamsburg as an outlet
for news. Last year the
NCW featured sessions
highlighting the positive
impact of W&M students
on our community through
volunteerism.
The City of Williamsburg
has numerous processes in
place to help resolve and
mitigate conflicts between
the university and the
larger community. In
recent years we have seen a
sharp decline in such
conflict.
An annual report would
provide a stronger venue
for communicating success
and acknowledging areas of
need. To be successful, it
would need to include both
the city staff and W&M
personnel.
In most cases, the report is
provided by both city staff
and university personnel.
This helps citizens see that
there are two sides to the
issues being raised.

Lost Revenue Compensation
www.williamsburgva.govConcept 8 – Blacksburg
The Town of Blacksburg is
compensated by Virginia
Tech for the lost revenues
associated with converting
a property to a non-taxable
status.
This practice began after
converting of the
Hospitality House on
Richmond Road from a
hotel to dorms making the
property non-taxable. The
tax due this year for that
property would be
$151,703.
However, it is unfair to
ignore the economic
benefit of hosting W&M. A
2017 report by the Weldon
Cooper Center found that
W&M expenditures
resulted in 5,520 jobs and
generated $31 million in
state revenues.
W&M makes an annual
payment to the City of
Williamsburg to help with
the financial cost of
providing fire service to the
university, which is a
significant source of calls
for a response. The
payment is $120,000.
The current fire services
payment is dated and could
be revisited. Comparisons
of the process from other
university and city contracts
in the Commonwealth
could be helpful to that
process.

Off-Campus Housing Fair
The benefit of the fair
would be providing this
information as housing
decisions are being made
for the future year.
Providing a space for
landlords and property
managers to interact with
prospective tenants
alongside city and
university resources could
be valuable to all who
participate.
The city currently provides
a host of information to
students as apart of move-
in and orientation. This
information includes much
of what is provided at the
VT/Blacksburg Housing Fair.
The intent of the fair is to
provide a venue for
property managers, the
University, and the Town to
educate students on the
options for living off-
campus.
In the fall of each year,
Virginia Tech and the Town
of Blacksburg host an off-
campus housing fair for
students.
This includes a discussion
of tenant rights, landlord
responsibilities, and citizen
expectations.

Adopt-a-Cop Academy
Last year Chief Dunn spoke
to the Greek life
organization and offered
similar partnerships without
a formal structure.
Formalizing a program with
a specific curriculum, in
partnership with W&M,
may help increase safety
and provide a stronger
connection to the
community for off- campus
Greek life.
The Williamsburg Police
Department has launched
numerous new programs in
recent years to promote
police interaction outside of
enforcement.
Now all 28 Greek
organizations participate
annually. The program
pairs each organization
with a police officer who
serves as an advisor and
mentor.
During 2014, Virginia Tech
and Blacksburg began
offering “satellite”
fraternities the opportunity
to participate in the Adopt-
a-Cop Academy.
The program includes a six-
week curriculum designed
to increase safety, reduce
party related calls, and
boost police report with
students.
The program requires
presidents and risk
managers to enroll in the
curriculum and that officers
attend chapter meetings.
Implementation = 2 years Impact = 4 years

Student Accountability
The code goes on to
stipulate, “Violations of law
that involve a threat to
public safety generally are
found to be conduct
adversely affecting the
university community.”
A significant difference in
policy is that W&M allows
the Dean of Students to
decide when the Code of
Conduct will apply to off-
campus actions.
The W&M Code of Conduct
states that students will be
held accountable for
conduct off-campus but
qualifies it as when the
conduct adversely affects
the university community
and the pursuit of its
objectives.
Students at Virginia Tech
are held accountable for
actions “on- and off-
campus to include online.”
The Town of Blacksburg has
worked with Virginia Tech
to establish a strong
connection between
community support and the
student code of conduct.
President Rowe has
embraced holding students
accountable regardless of
location. The current
Community Commitment is
evidence of the current
administration’s willingness
to support community
needs.

Neighborhood Stabilization Program
The city is not entitled to
CDBG funding annually and
would have to submit an
application each year. The
process is very competitive.
The cost of such a program
would make progress slow
and make grant funding
challenging to receive.
Currently, the city does not
have a Neighborhood
Stabilization Program or a
similar process.
Identifying a source of
funding that could be
dedicated to the purpose of
Neighborhood Stabilization
would be beneficial but
would need to be
renewable, given the cost
of real estate in
Williamsburg.
Blacksburg is an
entitlement community and
receives an allocation of
Community Development
Block Grant funds from
HUD each year without
competing for a specific
project or application.
The Town of Blacksburg has
created a Housing and
Neighborhood Services
Office to work on
neighborhood issues. One
program they manage is
Neighborhood
Stabilization.
The bulk of this allocation,
approximately $425,000, is
used to purchase homes in
downtown & university
adjacent areas and
transition them to owner-
occupied affordable
housing (80% of AMI).
The program’s goal is to
complete eight such
transfers in the next few
years. They have
completed four to date.

Contingent Interest Program
The impact of such a
program in Williamsburg is
difficult to gauge.
However, if lower rates
were offered and principal
payments not due, it would
reduce the initial market
entry costs.
Another application would
be financing renovation
costs beyond the initial
purchase.
The city nor W&M currently
offer employee housing
purchase or loan assistance.
Such a program could be
established if a source of
funds was identified or a
willing lending partner was
engaged.
Unlike NBC, the BBB is
focused on green building
strategies and affordable
housing specifically. One of
the initiatives considered is
Contingent Interest.
Building Better Blacksburg
(BBB) is a housing strategy
under development.
Similar to our NBC process,
the first community
meeting for BBB was held in
October of 2019. The
second meeting was held in
June.
This is a process of offering
a second mortgage where
interest-only payments are
made with a reduced
interest rate. This allows
some portion of the home’s
value, closing costs, and
fees to be satisfied by a
lower interest loan.
The unpaid interest amount
and the rate itself is
contingent upon the
home’s increased or
decreased value over time.
Upon sale or termination of
employment, the principal
and unpaid interest are
due.

University Housing Incentives
The challenge is funding,
availability, and staffing.
Identifying a source of
funds or a willing lending
partner is challenging for
such programs due to
limited returns and a lack of
available properties.
Such a program can be a
powerful recruitment tool
and will provide a new
influx of higher-wage
workers in Williamsburg’s
neighborhoods.
Where available, these
programs have proven to
be very desirable and
effective at creating
university employee
housing in an existing
housing market.
• 5% of a home purchase
or $8,500 (Washington
University SL)
• Monthly payments
totaling $50,000 or 20%
of homes purchase price
(USC)
Another program
considered by the BBB is a
university- sponsored down
payment and financial
incentive assistance
program. Many universities
use such strategies, and
those programs include
features like:
• Down payment
assistance = to 17% of
the purchase price up to
$20,000 max must live in
the home for a
minimum of five years
(Mercer)
These programs are
typically not beneficial to or
available for lower-income
employees.
• 10 annual cash
payments (1st payment
$7,500 with 9 payments
of $2,500 for a total of
$30,000 (Yale)

Repurchase Program
The city actively considers
new units for the program
but has not done so due to
the cost of housing in
Williamsburg.
Funding for purchase and
repurchase programs is
challenging when the units
are costly because the
program is exhausted
before having enough mass
to be impactful.
The city operates a small
workforce housing program
using city-owned housing
stock. Most of the units are
in York County and were
acquired as a part of
watershed protection
efforts around Waller Mill
Reservoir.
This program would
provide for unit reentry into
university housing at a
lower cost than a typical
purchase and offers a new
approach via university-
owned workforce units.
A final program considered
by the BBB is requiring a
repurchase provision when
housing is purchased with
university assistance
programs.

Student Home Rule
www.williamsburgva.govConcept 16 – State College
Adding rental housing as a
separate definition and as a
new use in certain zoning
districts could occur with
action by the Planning
Commission and City
Council.
Requiring a license,
inspection, and separation
from other uses will require
action by the general
assembly. These steps
would make it more
difficult for owner-occupied
single-family units to rent a
room as an income source.
Currently, the city regulates
student and rental housing
generally using occupancy
limits alone. Occupancy is
limited to three unrelated
persons with a special
permit available to allow
four.
These uses are required to
be licensed and must have
a minimum separation of
675 feet from owner-
occupied single-family uses
in certain zoning districts.
Occupancy is limited to
three unrelated persons.
State College, PA, uses a
Student Home Rule to
regulate student housing.
This rule defines a student
home as any non-
multifamily living quarters
with unrelated students in
occupancy. (Paraphrased for
length)

Signature Project Development
Overlay
The process of offering
incentives to builders to
incorporate desirable
community benefits is not
an uncommon practice of
zoning.
Using a zoning overlay
district, State College
provides incentives for
certain development
concessions such as
employee or affordable
housing.
Effectively, income-
restricted units are
designed into a project with
increased density
calculations so that the
project can be completed
and maintain the
developer’s profit margin.
In this case, the State
College has offered
increased density and
height in return for
dedicated
affordable/workforce/gradu
ate student housing.
Emphasis is placed on
owner occupancy.
However, towns and cities
with developed cores
accomplish this by allowing
existing lots to be split,
creating two small homes
where one used to be.
This is difficult to imagine
given the preservation
requirements for many of
our most desirable
neighborhoods but
providing density and
height bonuses is a proven
strategy for redevelopment
and new development alike.
Programs involving
incentives are difficult to
employ in Williamsburg,
with success in volume, due
to limited new
development sites.
Having the bonuses in the
City Code versus being
application based makes it
easier to attract interest in
such projects. Identifying
zones where this type of
development is desired also
helps attract new units.

Community Land Trust
By lowering the developer’s
land acquisition cost,
building materials, lending,
or permitting processes, a
community can make
affordable development
appetizing to the private
sector.
The challenge, again, is
funding the trust. In many
cases, the trust has an initial
endowment from the
community, is sustained by
market-rate development
fees, or is granted recurring
funds in the form of impact
payments.
Land Trusts are employed
nationwide to accomplish
affordable housing projects
in this manner. The need
for affordable projects is for
the public to “buy down”
the project’s overall cost.
When a property,
particularly a current rental,
is known to be entering the
market, the land trust
purchases the property and
then uses a long-term land
lease for the buyer to
purchase the home.
Using a Community Land
Trust, State College
separates the land and
improvement costs of a
property.
The trust restricts the
property for owner-
occupied uses only.
To deploy this model, the
city would need to establish
a land trust arm and
identify the source of funds
for action. This could be an
extremely impactful tool if
funded appropriately.

Fraternity Zoning
The key question we would
need to answer first is,
“Where can these uses be
accommodated.”
This strategy seems unlikely
to be as impactful as others
previously reviewed.
Additionally, the process of
deciding on an acceptable
location may prove
impossible, given the
neighborhoods near W&M.
We currently see illegal
fraternity, sorority, and
team houses occurring off-
campus in neighborhoods
adjacent to the University.
Creating a zone for these
uses may incentivize the
user to move.
This approach is very similar
to the student housing
strategy. State College has
defined fraternizes as a use
and established certain
zones where they are
allowed.

Nuisance Property Ordinance
Currently, the city does not
have the legislative
authority to regulate rental
properties in this way. The
city would need to seek a
pilot program authorization
from the General Assembly.
Working in concert with the
requirement for licensed
rental properties, this
ordinance threatens the
loss of the license and
thereby the income
potential if too many
violations occur.
The Nuisance Property
Ordinance is a tool that
helps enforce community
standards within the rental
community. It uses a point
scale on licensed rentals to
hold landlords and tenants
accountable.
Violations have point
weights such as trash and
debris violation equals 1
point, noise violations are 2
points, and a criminal
citation adds 3 points.
Action plans are prescribed
before the license is
revoked for up to 3 years.
State College uses a 10-
point scale with points
assessed by violation type.
If a property accumulates
more than 3 points in a 24-
hour period or amasses 10
points in a year, the license
is in jeopardy.

Inclusionary Zoning
State College requires a
developer to provide 10%
of the proposed units as
affordable (60-120% of
AMI). In return, density is
increased by one unit for
each affordable unit
provided.
Inclusionary zoning is the
practice of requiring a
certain percentage of new
units in a proposed
development to be income-
restricted to a defined
percentage of the AMI.
Also, depending on project
characteristics, one
additional story is allowed
for vertical construction. An
inclusionary housing
agreement is required that
stipulates how compliance
is maintained and the
length of the restrictions.
One reason for success is
the flexibility in the allowed
satisfaction of the
requirement. Most
communities allow a
payment in-lieu, which can
fund a myriad of affordable
housing programs.
This is likely where such an
ordinance would be helpful.
It could be a source of
funds for a land trust or
further WRHA workforce
unit acquisition.
Inclusionary Zoning in
Williamsburg is difficult to
imagine for some due to
the limited space for large
projects. However, even in
small numbers, such
ordinances are successful at
providing new restricted
units.

4-Person Allowance Moratorium
www.williamsburgva.govConcept 22 – Suggested by Member of NBC
Presently, the city allows
4-person occupancy with
Zoning Administrator
approval meeting criteria
outlined in the ordinance.
This permit is granted
based on the conditions,
that can result in the
revocation of the permit
is violated.
Occupancy allowed
1947 to 1983 – 1 or more
persons
1983 to 1991 – 4 persons
1992 to 2009 – 3 persons
2009 to present – 3 or 4 persons
Currently, there are 36 4-
person houses approved in
the City. One of those has
received a noise violation in
the past.
Considering a purchase of
this home as a primary
residence with $77,800
(20%) as a down payment
and good credit (740+), a
mortgage interest rate of
2.87% could be expected.
The monthly payment
would total $1,558.
As a four-person rental, the
2019 lease calls for a total
rent of $2,600 monthly.
This creates a profit of
$1,042 after the mortgage
is paid. We do not know
how the occupancy impacts
the rental rate.
The most recent sale of a
home with a 4-person
allowance involved a home
of 2,400 square feet on
Cary Street. The sales price
was $389,000. The asking
price was $389,000, and it
was on the market for two
days.
For five years, instituting a
moratorium would allow
the City time to determine
the market’s impacts from
projects like Midtown Row
and policy changes at
W&M requiring on-campus
housing.

4 Person Allowance Repeal
Presently, the city allows 4-
person occupancy with
Zoning Administrator
approval meeting criteria
outlined in the ordinance.
This permit is granted
based on the conditions,
that if violated, can result
in the revocation of the
permit.
Occupancy allowed
1947 to 1983 – 1 or more
persons
1983 to 1991 – 4 persons
1992 to 2009 – 3 persons
2009 to present – 3 or 4 persons
Currently, there are 36 4-
person houses approved in
the City. One of those has
received a noise violation in
the past.
Considering a purchase of
this home as a primary
residence with $77,800
(20%) as a down payment
and good credit (740+), a
mortgage interest rate of
2.87% could be expected.
The monthly payment
would total $1,558.
As a four-person rental, the
2019 lease calls for $650 in
rent per tenant for a total
of $2,600 monthly. This
creates a profit of $1,042
after the mortgage is paid.
If this were a 3-person
home, that profit would be
reduced to $392.00.
The most recent sale of a
home with a 4-person
allowance involved a home
of 2,400 square feet on
Cary Street. The sales price
was $389,000. The asking
price was $389,000, and it
was on the market for two
days.
Eliminating the four-person
allowance will reduce
landlords’ ability to create
low maintenance student
housing in residential
neighborhoods.

Institute a Trash Cart Ordinance
An ordinance is required to
influence this trend, to
relocate trash carts, provide
a time-frame for their
relocation, and a monetary
fine for violation. Many
other localities have such
an ordinance and enforce
its requirements regularly.
Frequently trash carts are left
on the street or in front yards
and not returned to a side or
rear yard location or
enclosure. Staff has, on
occasion, issued notices to
violators and even spent days
retrieving carts and placing
them out of sight.
Implementing an ordinance
would stem the trend of
trash carts in the wrong
place at the wrong time. It
would require additional
staff time to document the
violations, process the
payments, and pursue the
unpaid tickets.
In 2012, City Council was
presented information on
possible regulations for trash
and recycling carts.
Regulations reviewed
included prohibiting carts in a
front or side yard, requiring
the screening and/or
enclosure of trash carts, if
visible from a public street,
and a time frame for carts to
be removed from the street.

Direct Loan Program
Monthly payments should
be based on income. A
deed restriction would be
placed on the property
requiring it to remain
owner-occupied.
The city should fund a
direct loan program for
qualified buyers of
property. The program
would include an interest
rate equivalent to the
public’s interest rate on
borrowed funds.
Alternatively, fewer loans
could be provided, or the
rates could be blended to
allow the public funds
greater application. Staff
would be required to
manage such a program or
a third-party administrator.
A direct loan program
based on income
qualifications or a first-time
homebuyer program could
be successful but would be
slow. Given the cost of
property in the impacted
areas ($389,000 for 2,400
sf). The funding required
would be substantial.

Preservation Assistance Program
The city should fund a
program to provide the
costs of such renovations
for first- time homebuyers
or based on income
requirements to make these
properties more accessible
to lower incomes.
The city should offer to
fund the ARB required
improvements for qualified
applicants. When the ARB
requires historically
appropriate windows,
siding, or roofing materials,
the cost of renovations
increase.
A process of determining
homeowner desired cost
versus ARB required cost
would need to be
developed. Staff would be
required to administer the
program.
Such a program would
make historic properties
subject to ARB review more
affordable and attractive to
a broader market of buyers.
Renewable funding would
need to be identified for
the purpose.

Hotel to Affordable Housing
Conversion
To date, two projects have
been completed using 142
of the total units available.
The city should increase
the available units so that
additional conversions may
occur.
The city adopted an
ordinance in 2015 that
allowed certain hotel
properties to be converted
to affordable housing. The
ordinance allowed 100
units, which was later
increased to 150 units in
2017.
Additional thought should
be given to requiring
affordable rents based on
defined income levels.
Annual reporting should
also be a consideration.
There is additional demand
for hotel conversion to
affordable housing.
Increasing the number of
available units would allow
these properties to pursue
conversion and increase
affordable housing
availability in the city.

Neighborhood Balance

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