§ 2.04.2. Powers relating to housing and community development.

In addition to the powers granted by other sections of this charter and any other provision of law, the city shall have the power:

(a)

To acquire, by purchase, exchange, gift, lease, condemnation or otherwise, land or buildings in the city for the purpose of providing housing for low or moderate income persons or for elderly or handicapped persons, to rehabilitate and dispose of any such land and buildings by lease or sale to low or moderate income persons or elderly or handicapped persons; or to dispose of such land and buildings by lease or sale to a nonprofit or limited profit organization which has as a principal purpose the provision or development of housing for low or moderate income persons or elderly or handicapped persons; to construct residential buildings in the city for lease or sale to low or moderate income persons or elderly or handicapped persons, or for lease or sale to a nonprofit or limited profit organization which has as its principal purpose the provision or development of housing for low or moderate income persons or elderly or handicapped persons; and to make grants and loans of funds to low or moderate income persons to aid in the purchase of any land or building in the city including, but not limited to, land and buildings which have been rehabilitated by the city or by a nonprofit or limited profit organization which has as its principal purpose the development of housing for low or moderate income persons.

(b)

To acquire, by purchase, exchange, gift, lease, condemnation or otherwise, real property in the city which is blighted, deteriorated, deteriorating, a blighting influence on the neighborhood, or in nonconformance with the city's zoning code or master land use plan; to clear, demolish or rehabilitate any such real property; and to dispose of any such real property by lease or sale to any person.

(c)

To make grants of funds to owners of dwellings or dwelling units in the city for the purpose of subsidizing, in part, the rental payments due and owing to any such owner by a low or moderate income person; to acquire, by purchase, exchange, gift, lease, condemnation or otherwise, any dwellings or dwelling units in the city for the purpose of providing housing to low or moderate income persons, and to dispose of such dwellings or dwelling units, by sale or lease, to low or moderate income persons or to a nonprofit organization which has as its principal purpose the provision or development of housing for low or moderate income persons; and to make grants and loans of funds to low and moderate income persons to aid in the purchase of dwellings or dwelling units in the city.

(d)

To issue tax-exempt bonds for the acquisition, rehabilitation and provision of housing for low or moderate income persons; provided, that prior to any action authorizing the issuance of such bonds, the city council finds affirmatively that such action is necessary to provide an adequate supply of such housing in the city.

(e)

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special, the city, in order to ensure competitiveness as an employer, may by ordinance, and subject to such reasonable terms and conditions as set forth in such ordinance, provide for the use of funds, other than state funds, to provide loans or grants to individuals who prior to receiving such funds were employees of the city, local school division, local constitutional officers, and local offices of state government for which employee salaries are supplemented by the city, or any of them, to purchase or rent residences within the city, for use as the employee's principal residence. Individual grants shall not exceed $5,000 per employee, nor shall lifetime cumulative grants exceed $5,000 per employee.

(f)

For purposes of this section, the phrase "low or moderate income persons" has the same meaning as the phrase "persons and families of low and moderate income," as in § 36-55.26 of the Code of Virginia, and shall be applied in the city using the income guidelines issued by the Virginia Housing Development Authority for use in its single family mortgage loan program authorized by § 36-55.33:1.

(g)

In addition to being able to exercise the above-mentioned powers with city funds, the city is authorized to participate in any state or federal program related thereto and use state, federal or private funds in the exercise of such powers.

(h)

The exercise of any of the powers granted in this section is hereby declared to be a public purpose and public use. (Acts 1976, ch. 669; Acts 1982, ch. 480, § 1; Acts 1984, ch. 486, § 1; Act 1995, ch. 782, § 1; Acts 2004, Ch. 511, § 1)