BRISTOL, Va. — Lisa Porter, executive director and CEO of the Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority (BRHA) in Bristol, Virginia, has been appointed to the board of the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) by Gov. Ralph Northam.
Her appointment was effective Aug. 9, 2019.
Established in 1972, VHDA was created by the Virginia General Assembly to assist residents with attaining quality, affordable housing. The authority works through public-private partnerships to provide mortgages for first-time homebuyers, as well as financing for apartment communities and neighborhood revitalization efforts. VHDA also offers free homebuyer classes and counseling, and assists people with disabilities and the elderly to make their homes more livable.
“The Virginia Housing Development Authority is dedicated to improving lives and revitalizing neighborhoods by providing quality and affordable housing options,” Porter says. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve on the board and to work alongside Governor Northam and fellow colleagues to help meet the housing needs of residents in communities throughout Virginia.”
A native of Wise, Virginia, and a 27-year veteran of the public housing industry, Porter joined BRHA in 2017 after serving for 15 years as deputy director for the Marion Redevelopment and Housing Authority in Marion, Virginia. Her experience also includes working as grant programs administrator for BRHA, community development coordinator for the Housing Authority of the city of Yuma in Yuma, Arizona, and grants coordinator for the Cumberland Plateau Regional Housing Authority in Lebanon, Virginia.
Porter’s extensive background also includes leadership positions with several industry organizations, including former president of the Virginia Association of Housing and Community Development Officials (VAHCDO), former president of the Little Ten Housing Authorities of Southwest Virginia, Inc., and a former member of the Lick Skillet Housing Rehab Project Advisory Board in Smyth County. She currently serves as chair of the Southeast Regional Council of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (SERC-NAHRO) Small Agency Task Force (SATF), and is a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) SATF, the Housing Virginia Board of Directors, and the Abuse Alternatives Board of Directors.
A NAHRO-certified Public Housing Manager and Section 8 Housing Manager, Porter received a business administration degree from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
For more information, visit www.brha.com.
About BRHA
Located at 809 Edmond St., BRHA is the designated public housing agency in the city of Bristol, Virginia. It is the second-oldest such authority in Virginia, having been founded in 1938 and housing 40 percent of low-income renter families in Bristol. Its mission is to provide safe, attractive, affordable housing and housing assistance, and the opportunity for families and individuals to achieve a higher standard of living. BRHA (www.brha.com) is governed by a five-member board of commissioners that is appointed by the mayor of Bristol, Virginia. The staff is comprised of an executive director and 29 employees. BRHA is a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (www.nahro.org).
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For more information, contact Lisa Porter,
executive director/CEO, BRHA, at 276-821-6251