McDonnell Announces Plan to Fight Homelessness

Speaking at Lincoln Mews Apartments in north Richmond, a complex currently being renovated by the Better Housing Coalition to create modernized, energy-efficient, affordable housing, Governor McDonnell announced the creation of the Housing Policy Advisory Committee, which will work to develop the state’s first executive housing policy framework.

McDonnell:  I think the lack of affordable workforce housing affects us across the board in the community and affects our ability to retain high quality teachers and police officers and others in our community if we don’t have a good workforce affordable housing plan.

The Governor named his Senior Economic Policy advisor Bob Sledd to chair the committee, that will formally be created by executive order, which McDonnell will sign later this week.  Sledd is a former member of the Better Housing Coalition and has been an advocate for the homeless and affordable housing for years.  The committee is scheduled to announce their policy proposals sometime this fall.

Later yesterday evening the Governor attended a fundraiser for the Healing Place, a Richmond area homeless shelter.

Craig Carper, WCVE News, Capitol Square.