The Peninsula Housing And Builders Association acts as the voice of its members on issues that affect the housing and building industry. We work to protect economic growth and strive to keep housing affordable. Through our public and legislative efforts, we help educate the public and keep our industry thriving.

Housing is vital to local and state economies, creating jobs and generating taxes and wages that positively influence the quality of life. Not only do these effects begin before the shovel even hits the dirt, but they last long after the housing has been built. The Peninsula Housing and Builders Association works to protect the interests and vitality of the Hampton Roads building industry, because a vibrant home-building industry translates into massive benefits.

At the National Level
Housing production and housing-related services account for about 15 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and drive other closely related sectors of the economy. In 2004, sales of new single-family homes topped one million and set a new annual sales record for the fourth consecutive year.

The National Association of Home Builders has released figures showing just how much the housing industry affects local economies.

• Building 100 Single-family Homes Generates:
  $11.6 million in new income to local businesses and workers in the first year of construction and $2.8 million every year thereafter. It creates 250 jobs in the local community during the first year of construction, and 65 jobs are created every year afterwards. The homes generate $1.4 million in additional local taxes and fees in the first year of construction and $498,000 every year afterwards.
• Building 100 Multifamily Homes Generates:
  $5.3 million in local income in the first year of construction and $2.2 million every year thereafter. It creates 112 local jobs in the first year of construction and 47 jobs every year subsequently. The multi-family homes generate $630,000 in local government revenues in the first year of construction and $384,000 every year thereafter.

At the State
The Peninsula Housing And Builders Association works closely with the Home Builders of Virginia to address concerns and promote the industry on a statewide level. During the General Assembly’s legislative sessions, PHBA members support the legislative agenda of the Home Builders Association of Virginia.

In 2005, HBAV legislative agenda includes two measures related to the so-called proffer system in Virginia. One of which, HB 2888, has been labeled as “Proffer Accountability,” while the other, HB 2456, has been labeled “Proffer Reform.”

Both measures, after being amended, have been passed by the House of Delegates and the state Senate, and they now await the Governor’s signature.

House Bill 2888’s chief patron is Delegate Scott Lingamfelter of Prince William County. It will require localities to begin construction or cause construction to begin on the improvements for which a cash proffer was paid, within seven years of receiving full payment of the cash proffer, or disburse the same to the Commonwealth Transportation Board for direct allocation to the Secondary Road System (counties) construction program or the Urban System (cities) construction program for the locality.

House Bill 2456, patroned by Virginia Beach Delegate Terrie Suit, will prohibit localities from requiring a proffer that requires the payment of a cash proffer from landowners prior to the issuance of a building permit. The measure would also prohibit localities from seeking or accepting a cash proffer that includes an escalator clause tied to any index other than a nationally recognized independent index.

Efforts in Local Counties and Cities
The Peninsula Housing And Builders Association also monitors how local governments regulate residential development and home building. PHBA works with local government to remove regulations that no longer serve a useful purpose and to modify and adapt existing or new regulations to minimize regulations’ impact on the cost of new housing. Through these efforts, we work to keep housing affordable for all residents of the Peninsula. In 2009, our efforts include:

• The City of Hampton
  PHBA members are working closely with Hampton elected officials and city staff as the city undertakes the first major overhaul of its zoning ordinance in decades. This process will take the better part of the year. We hope that this revision will make it easier for Hampton to attract high quality development and continue the revitalization of the city’s downtown core. PHBA members will provide their input on how the city can streamline the development process, while ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the environment and maintain aesthetically pleasing construction.
• The City of Newport News
  The Peninsula Housing And Builders Association is participating in the city’s planning for the Southeast Community Plan, and our members continue to monitor efforts to revitalize the East End area and develop the Endview Plantation area.
• The City of Williamsburg
  As Williamsburg reviews and updates its Comprehensive Plan this year, PHBA members have provided their input on how the city can best use its few remaining sections of open land and on how the city can best promote quality redevelopment of existing parcels.
• James City County
  The Peninsula Housing And Builders Association is fighting to keep housing affordable in this county. In 2009, we have opposed the county’s efforts to put in place proffer policies that would raise the cost of a new home by $10,000 and also substantially raise the cost of multi-family housing. We also have opposed efforts by the county that would impose greater restrictions on the ability of landowners to use their land as they see fit.
• York County
  York County this year will begin to revise its Comprehensive Plan, and the Peninsula Housing And Builders Association will provide its input on the plan, as the county seeks to attract high-quality residential development for its few remaining large parcels of land, and as the county seeks to revitalize sections of Rt. 17.
• Isle of Wight County
  PHBA has provided input to Isle of Wight County as the county proposed significant revisions to its zoning ordinance. Thanks to the input of PHBA members, the county agreed to remove or modify sections of the ordinance that would have substantially affected residential and commercial development.
• Gloucter County & Mathews County
  In two counties that look to attract “smart” economic growth, PHBA is making contact with county elected officials and staff to lend our members’ expertise to the counties.

Promote a Sane Smart Growth Agenda
The Peninsula Housing And Builders Association supports “Smart Growth” policies. Smart Growth touches on choices that Americans hold close to their hearts — where they live, work and play, the education of children, commute times to work, and the economic and job opportunities created by new growth. It is an idea that addresses the questions of how best to plan for and manage when and where new residential and commercial development, schools and major highways should be built and located, how and where to preserve meaningful open space and protect environmentally-sensitive areas, and how to pay for the infrastructure required to serve a growing population.

How well we plan for projected and inevitable increases in households, changing demographics and lifestyles and an expanding economy will have a major impact on the quality of life in years ahead. When used properly as a planning tool, Smart Growth can help expand homeownership opportunities and allow Americans to obtain the home and lifestyle of their dreams in new suburban as well as in older suburban and city infill markets. When used improperly, growth management becomes a tool to stop or slow growth. Such a move would penalize and put at greatest risk those living at the edge of housing affordability — the young, minorities, immigrants and moderate-income families who are just now taking advantage of today’s economic prosperity and low interest rates and are entering the homeownership market in record numbers.

Residential and commercial growth is fluid - meaning that when it is stopped in one place, it will inevitably occur somewhere else. No growth approaches are, in part, responsible for the leapfrog development patterns of the past. Attacking past development patterns and blaming builders does not recognize the fact that public policy and the housing preferences of Americans dictate where development occurs. Notwithstanding that revitalization of older suburban and inner city markets and infill development is good public policy, even under the best of conditions, infill development will satisfy only a small percentage of a community’s demand for new housing.

PHBA works with locally elected governments to balance these competing interests and assure that the realities of the housing marketplace are a part of local decision-making. PHBA encourages decisions based on direct citizen input that best reflect the needs, desires, and priorities of our communities.