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Council hears proposal for land bank authority as tool to preserve land for affordable housing
Summary
Staff introduced a draft ordinance to create a land bank authority to acquire and hold property for affordable housing, explained statutory steps (public hearing, ordinance adoption) and answered council questions about governance, funding sources, and oversight; no ordinance was introduced for action.
Antoine Williams introduced the concept of a Charlottesville land bank authority and said a draft ordinance is included in the meeting packet for informational purposes only. He described the authority as a separate entity that would "collaborate with the Office of Community Solutions" and operate similarly in structure to existing local authorities rather than as a city department. Williams said the draft has had an initial city‑attorney review and that state enabling legislation (the Land Bank Entities Act) prescribes steps such as public hearings and ordinance adoption.
Councilors asked about the authority’s governance and how it would differ from the Charlottesville Economic Development Authority and the housing authority. Williams said the land bank authority would have a board and that initial administrative operations would be channeled through the Office of Community Solutions while the ordinance and enabling documents are developed.
Councilors also asked whether staff maintains a consolidated list of properties that a land bank might acquire. Staff said no single repository currently exists: multiple lists exist across departments (NDS, economic development, city property lists), and creating a unified inventory is part of future work. Funding sources for acquisition were discussed as options to be explored, including grants, philanthropic support, community redevelopment investments and potential city contributions.
Council members sought clarity on transparency and ongoing council oversight. Williams and staff said appointments to the authority’s board would be made by council and that recommended early council appointees would likely include one or two council members during initial formation to ensure direct oversight.
The presentation concluded with staff noting additional stakeholder engagement and legal review would be required before any ordinance is brought for adoption; no formal action was taken.
