JLARC staff to present reviews of juvenile justice system, affordable housing

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission will meet Monday, Dec. 13 to hear staff present findings and recommendations from the following reports.

• Virginia’s Juvenile Justice System
• Affordable Housing
• Virginia Retirement System Oversight

JLARC will also hear a report from the Study Topic Selection Committee about future JLARC studies.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in the Shared Committee room in the Pocahontas Building (Room E007, Ground Floor, 900 E. Main St.) in Richmond and will be livestreamed at the Virginia House of Delegates’ livestreaming page.

Staff’s reports and presentations will be uploaded to JLARC’s website (jlarc.virginia.gov/calendar.asp) following the meeting.

The studies cover the following topics:

Juvenile justice system

JLARC directed staff to review Virginia’s juvenile justice system, including key trends and outcomes for youth involved in the system. JLARC’s study team assessed rehabilitative services provided to youth at the state’s local and regional juvenile detention centers and the state-operated Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center; due process rights of youth referred to the system; probation and parole; racial and regional disparities in the system; and the number and location of juvenile justice facilities in Virginia.

Affordable housing

JLARC directed its staff to review affordable housing in Virginia and the state’s efforts to address affordable housing needs. The JLARC study team estimated the number of Virginia households that are considered housing cost burdened (spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing) and the state’s supply of affordable housing by region and in the state. JLARC staff also reviewed the state’s resources to encourage the development of affordable rental units; the state’s efforts to make homeownership affordable for low- and middle-income households; and barriers to expanding affordable housing supply, such as local zoning and land use ordinances.

In 2022, JLARC staff will evaluate the operations, performance, and oversight of Virginia Housing, the state’s housing finance agency.

Ongoing oversight: VRS

In addition to studies mandated by the General Assembly, JLARC staff have several ongoing oversight responsibilities. In December, JLARC staff will present their semi-annual oversight review of the Virginia Retirement System.