Revision History: Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27
2026-05-27 12:42:44
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
= Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27 = == Virginia Housing Affordability Talking Points, May 2026 == * '''Virginia’s housing affordability crisis is a household-budget crisis, not just a housing-sector issue.''' <blockquote> * Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. - * In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) + * In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. ([https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/ Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report]) - * Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + * Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. ([https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile]) - * NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + * NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. ([https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile]) - * A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + * A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. ([https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile]) </blockquote> * '''House and Senate Democrats made housing affordability a major 2026 priority and passed a real package of housing reforms.''' <blockquote> - * The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + * The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. ([https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/ Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update]) - * Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) + * Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. ([https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release]) * The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. </blockquote> * '''We acted on supply because Virginia cannot solve affordability while making it too hard to build homes.''' <blockquote> * Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. - * SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) + * SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. ([https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531 Virginia LIS, SB531]) * This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. - * HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) + * HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. ([https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212 Virginia LIS, HB1212]) * This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. - * SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) + * SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. ([https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 Virginia LIS, SB388]; [https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026 LegiScan summary]) </blockquote> * '''We reduced unnecessary local barriers that quietly raise the cost of housing.''' <blockquote> * Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. - * HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) + * HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. ([https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888 Virginia LIS, HB888]) * The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. </blockquote> * '''We acted on preservation because the cheapest affordable home is often the one we do not lose.''' <blockquote> * Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. - * HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) + * HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. ([https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4 Virginia LIS, HB4]) * HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. - * Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + * Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. ([https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates WVTF, February 2, 2026]) </blockquote> * '''We strengthened renter stability because eviction prevention is housing policy.''' <blockquote> * A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. - * HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) + * HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. ([https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 LegiScan bill text]; [https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/ Virginia REALTORS explanation]) - * SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + * SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. ([https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/ Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update]) - * HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + * HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. ([https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 Virginia LIS, SB273]; [https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/ Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update]) * The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. </blockquote> * '''We also addressed affordability from the income side.''' <blockquote> * Housing affordability is not only about housing prices; it is also about whether working people earn enough to pay rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, and childcare. - * HB1/SB1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, with future indexing beginning in 2029. (Governor’s Office, April 9, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116004-en.html ; Virginia LIS, HB1: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1) + * HB1/SB1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, with future indexing beginning in 2029. ([https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116004-en.html Governor’s Office, April 9, 2026 release]; [https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1 Virginia LIS, HB1]) * This does not solve housing affordability by itself, but it recognizes that Virginians cannot afford housing if wages remain too low. </blockquote> * '''This work built on years of Democratic efforts that were blocked, delayed, or vetoed before 2026.''' <blockquote> * Democrats had advanced some housing affordability ideas before 2026, including preservation tools, but several measures faced vetoes or opposition under the prior administration. - * The right-of-first-refusal preservation concept passed in 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin; it returned in 2026 as HB4 and became law. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + * The right-of-first-refusal preservation concept passed in 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin; it returned in 2026 as HB4 and became law. ([https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates WVTF, February 2, 2026]) * Democrats can fairly say: “We have been pushing these housing affordability tools for years. In 2026, with Democratic majorities and a governor willing to sign them, we finally got many of them across the finish line.” </blockquote> * '''We still need to scale up deeply affordable housing.''' <blockquote> * Zoning reform and market-rate supply are necessary, but they will not, by themselves, house the lowest-income Virginians. - * Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + * Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. ([https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile]) * The state still needs stronger, recurring investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and nonprofit affordable housing development. * The talking point: “The private market alone will not house people with the lowest incomes. That requires public investment.” </blockquote> * '''We still need to make sure local implementation matches the intent of the 2026 laws.''' <blockquote> * State law can create rights and tools, but local governments still control permitting speed, staff review, local rules, infrastructure coordination, and how welcoming they are to actual housing production. * ADUs, small-lot zoning, parking reform, and faith-based affordable housing will matter only if localities implement them in good faith. * Democrats should be prepared to say: “We passed the tools. Now we have to make sure they produce homes.” </blockquote> * '''We still need stronger preservation capacity.''' <blockquote> * HB4 creates an important tool, but a right of first refusal only works if localities, nonprofits, and mission-driven housing partners have financing and technical capacity to act quickly. * Virginia should continue building acquisition funds, preservation funds, nonprofit capacity, and early-warning systems for expiring affordability restrictions. * The talking point: “Preservation is not passive. We need the money and partners to move when affordable properties are at risk.” </blockquote> * '''We still need stronger tenant protections and eviction prevention.''' <blockquote> * The 14-day notice period, eviction diversion reforms, and habitability defenses are meaningful steps, but many tenants still lack legal representation or the ability to navigate court processes. * Virginia should keep working on civil legal aid, fair notice requirements, habitability enforcement, junk-fee prevention, and reducing serial eviction filings. * The talking point: “Eviction prevention is not just compassion. It is cheaper than homelessness, shelter stays, school disruption, and family instability.” </blockquote> * '''We still need to address infrastructure costs that block housing.''' <blockquote> * Housing cannot be built without water, sewer, roads, schools, utilities, and local public services. * When local infrastructure costs are pushed entirely onto new homes, the result is often higher prices or fewer homes. * Virginia should help localities finance infrastructure in ways that support housing growth without making each new unit unaffordable. * Source note: This is a policy recommendation based on the general infrastructure-cost barrier to housing production; do not present it as a claim about a specific 2026 bill unless paired with a specific bill source. </blockquote> * '''We still need a rural housing strategy, not just an urban and suburban strategy.''' <blockquote> * Rural Virginia often faces different affordability issues: aging housing stock, low incomes, manufactured housing needs, limited rental supply, infrastructure gaps, and fewer nonprofit or private developers. * Rural areas may need rehabilitation funding, manufactured housing protections, water and sewer support, targeted tax credits, and capacity-building for local housing partners. * Source note: This is a policy recommendation; use local data or DHCD regional data if tailoring to a specific rural district. </blockquote> * '''We still need to connect housing affordability to transportation, jobs, and schools.''' <blockquote> * Housing costs are not isolated from transportation costs. If people can only afford homes far from work, they pay in longer commutes, gas, car maintenance, lost family time, and traffic. * Housing near jobs, schools, transit, and services is part of economic development. * The talking point: “Housing affordability is workforce policy. It is transportation policy. It is education policy. It is economic development.” </blockquote> * '''Core message for public remarks:''' <blockquote> * “Virginia families are doing everything right and still getting squeezed by rent, mortgages, utilities, and the cost of living.” * “In 2026, House and Senate Democrats passed a serious housing package: more housing supply, more preservation, fewer unnecessary barriers, and stronger renter stability.” * “We made real progress, but we should not pretend the crisis is solved.” * “The next step is making sure these new laws produce real homes, protecting existing affordable housing before it disappears, and investing in housing that the lowest-income Virginians can actually afford.” </blockquote> <hr> [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]]
2026-05-27 03:48:19
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
= Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27 = - * '''Virginia’s housing affordability crisis is a household-budget crisis, not just a housing-sector issue.''' + == Virginia Housing Affordability Talking Points, May 2026 == - : Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. + - : In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) + * '''Virginia’s housing affordability crisis is a household-budget crisis, not just a housing-sector issue.''' - : Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + <blockquote> - : NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + * Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. - : A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + * In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) - + * Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - * '''House and Senate Democrats made housing affordability a major 2026 priority and passed a real package of housing reforms.''' + * NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - : The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + * A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - : Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) + </blockquote> - : The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. + - + * '''House and Senate Democrats made housing affordability a major 2026 priority and passed a real package of housing reforms.''' - * '''We acted on supply because Virginia cannot solve affordability while making it too hard to build homes.''' + <blockquote> - : Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. + * The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - : SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) + * Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) - : This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. + * The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. - : HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) + </blockquote> - : This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. + - : SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) + * '''We acted on supply because Virginia cannot solve affordability while making it too hard to build homes.''' - + <blockquote> - * '''We reduced unnecessary local barriers that quietly raise the cost of housing.''' + * Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. - : Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. + * SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) - : HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) + * This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. - : The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. + * HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) - + * This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. - * '''We acted on preservation because the cheapest affordable home is often the one we do not lose.''' + * SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) - : Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. + </blockquote> - : HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) + - : HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. + * '''We reduced unnecessary local barriers that quietly raise the cost of housing.''' - : Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + <blockquote> - + * Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. - * '''We strengthened renter stability because eviction prevention is housing policy.''' + * HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) - : A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. + * The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. - : HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) + </blockquote> - : SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + - : HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + * '''We acted on preservation because the cheapest affordable home is often the one we do not lose.''' - : The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. + <blockquote> - + * Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. - * '''We also addressed affordability from the income side.''' + * HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) - : Housing affordability is not only about housing prices; it is also about whether working people earn enough to pay rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, and childcare. + * HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. - : HB1/SB1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, with future indexing beginning in 2029. (Governor’s Office, April 9, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116004-en.html ; Virginia LIS, HB1: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1) + * Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) - : This does not solve housing affordability by itself, but it recognizes that Virginians cannot afford housing if wages remain too low. + </blockquote> - * '''This work built on years of Democratic efforts that were blocked, delayed, or vetoed before 2026.''' + * '''We strengthened renter stability because eviction prevention is housing policy.''' - : Democrats had advanced some housing affordability ideas before 2026, including preservation tools, but several measures faced vetoes or opposition under the prior administration. + <blockquote> - : The right-of-first-refusal preservation concept passed in 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin; it returned in 2026 as HB4 and became law. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + * A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. - : Democrats can fairly say: “We have been pushing these housing affordability tools for years. In 2026, with Democratic majorities and a governor willing to sign them, we finally got many of them across the finish line.” + * HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) - + * SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - * '''We still need to scale up deeply affordable housing.''' + * HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - : Zoning reform and market-rate supply are necessary, but they will not, by themselves, house the lowest-income Virginians. + * The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. - : Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + </blockquote> - : The state still needs stronger, recurring investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and nonprofit affordable housing development. + - : The talking point: “The private market alone will not house people with the lowest incomes. That requires public investment.” + * '''We also addressed affordability from the income side.''' - + <blockquote> - * '''We still need to make sure local implementation matches the intent of the 2026 laws.''' + * Housing affordability is not only about housing prices; it is also about whether working people earn enough to pay rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, and childcare. - : State law can create rights and tools, but local governments still control permitting speed, staff review, local rules, infrastructure coordination, and how welcoming they are to actual housing production. + * HB1/SB1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, with future indexing beginning in 2029. (Governor’s Office, April 9, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116004-en.html ; Virginia LIS, HB1: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1) - : ADUs, small-lot zoning, parking reform, and faith-based affordable housing will matter only if localities implement them in good faith. + * This does not solve housing affordability by itself, but it recognizes that Virginians cannot afford housing if wages remain too low. - : Democrats should be prepared to say: “We passed the tools. Now we have to make sure they produce homes.” + </blockquote> - * '''We still need stronger preservation capacity.''' + * '''This work built on years of Democratic efforts that were blocked, delayed, or vetoed before 2026.''' - : HB4 creates an important tool, but a right of first refusal only works if localities, nonprofits, and mission-driven housing partners have financing and technical capacity to act quickly. + <blockquote> - : Virginia should continue building acquisition funds, preservation funds, nonprofit capacity, and early-warning systems for expiring affordability restrictions. + * Democrats had advanced some housing affordability ideas before 2026, including preservation tools, but several measures faced vetoes or opposition under the prior administration. - : The talking point: “Preservation is not passive. We need the money and partners to move when affordable properties are at risk.” + * The right-of-first-refusal preservation concept passed in 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin; it returned in 2026 as HB4 and became law. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) - + * Democrats can fairly say: “We have been pushing these housing affordability tools for years. In 2026, with Democratic majorities and a governor willing to sign them, we finally got many of them across the finish line.” - * '''We still need stronger tenant protections and eviction prevention.''' + </blockquote> - : The 14-day notice period, eviction diversion reforms, and habitability defenses are meaningful steps, but many tenants still lack legal representation or the ability to navigate court processes. + - : Virginia should keep working on civil legal aid, fair notice requirements, habitability enforcement, junk-fee prevention, and reducing serial eviction filings. + * '''We still need to scale up deeply affordable housing.''' - : The talking point: “Eviction prevention is not just compassion. It is cheaper than homelessness, shelter stays, school disruption, and family instability.” + <blockquote> - + * Zoning reform and market-rate supply are necessary, but they will not, by themselves, house the lowest-income Virginians. - * '''We still need to address infrastructure costs that block housing.''' + * Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - : Housing cannot be built without water, sewer, roads, schools, utilities, and local public services. + * The state still needs stronger, recurring investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and nonprofit affordable housing development. - : When local infrastructure costs are pushed entirely onto new homes, the result is often higher prices or fewer homes. + * The talking point: “The private market alone will not house people with the lowest incomes. That requires public investment.” - : Virginia should help localities finance infrastructure in ways that support housing growth without making each new unit unaffordable. + </blockquote> - : Source note: This is a policy recommendation based on the general infrastructure-cost barrier to housing production; do not present it as a claim about a specific 2026 bill unless paired with a specific bill source. + - + * '''We still need to make sure local implementation matches the intent of the 2026 laws.''' - * '''We still need a rural housing strategy, not just an urban and suburban strategy.''' + <blockquote> - : Rural Virginia often faces different affordability issues: aging housing stock, low incomes, manufactured housing needs, limited rental supply, infrastructure gaps, and fewer nonprofit or private developers. + * State law can create rights and tools, but local governments still control permitting speed, staff review, local rules, infrastructure coordination, and how welcoming they are to actual housing production. - : Rural areas may need rehabilitation funding, manufactured housing protections, water and sewer support, targeted tax credits, and capacity-building for local housing partners. + * ADUs, small-lot zoning, parking reform, and faith-based affordable housing will matter only if localities implement them in good faith. - : Source note: This is a policy recommendation; use local data or DHCD regional data if tailoring to a specific rural district. + * Democrats should be prepared to say: “We passed the tools. Now we have to make sure they produce homes.” - + </blockquote> - * '''We still need to connect housing affordability to transportation, jobs, and schools.''' + - : Housing costs are not isolated from transportation costs. If people can only afford homes far from work, they pay in longer commutes, gas, car maintenance, lost family time, and traffic. + * '''We still need stronger preservation capacity.''' - : Housing near jobs, schools, transit, and services is part of economic development. + <blockquote> - : The talking point: “Housing affordability is workforce policy. It is transportation policy. It is education policy. It is economic development.” + * HB4 creates an important tool, but a right of first refusal only works if localities, nonprofits, and mission-driven housing partners have financing and technical capacity to act quickly. - + * Virginia should continue building acquisition funds, preservation funds, nonprofit capacity, and early-warning systems for expiring affordability restrictions. - * '''Core message for public remarks:''' + * The talking point: “Preservation is not passive. We need the money and partners to move when affordable properties are at risk.” - : “Virginia families are doing everything right and still getting squeezed by rent, mortgages, utilities, and the cost of living.” + </blockquote> - : “In 2026, House and Senate Democrats passed a serious housing package: more housing supply, more preservation, fewer unnecessary barriers, and stronger renter stability.” + - : “We made real progress, but we should not pretend the crisis is solved.” + * '''We still need stronger tenant protections and eviction prevention.''' - : “The next step is making sure these new laws produce real homes, protecting existing affordable housing before it disappears, and investing in housing that the lowest-income Virginians can actually afford.” + <blockquote> - <hr> + * The 14-day notice period, eviction diversion reforms, and habitability defenses are meaningful steps, but many tenants still lack legal representation or the ability to navigate court processes. - + * Virginia should keep working on civil legal aid, fair notice requirements, habitability enforcement, junk-fee prevention, and reducing serial eviction filings. - [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]] + * The talking point: “Eviction prevention is not just compassion. It is cheaper than homelessness, shelter stays, school disruption, and family instability.” + </blockquote> + + * '''We still need to address infrastructure costs that block housing.''' + <blockquote> + * Housing cannot be built without water, sewer, roads, schools, utilities, and local public services. + * When local infrastructure costs are pushed entirely onto new homes, the result is often higher prices or fewer homes. + * Virginia should help localities finance infrastructure in ways that support housing growth without making each new unit unaffordable. + * Source note: This is a policy recommendation based on the general infrastructure-cost barrier to housing production; do not present it as a claim about a specific 2026 bill unless paired with a specific bill source. + </blockquote> + + * '''We still need a rural housing strategy, not just an urban and suburban strategy.''' + <blockquote> + * Rural Virginia often faces different affordability issues: aging housing stock, low incomes, manufactured housing needs, limited rental supply, infrastructure gaps, and fewer nonprofit or private developers. + * Rural areas may need rehabilitation funding, manufactured housing protections, water and sewer support, targeted tax credits, and capacity-building for local housing partners. + * Source note: This is a policy recommendation; use local data or DHCD regional data if tailoring to a specific rural district. + </blockquote> + + * '''We still need to connect housing affordability to transportation, jobs, and schools.''' + <blockquote> + * Housing costs are not isolated from transportation costs. If people can only afford homes far from work, they pay in longer commutes, gas, car maintenance, lost family time, and traffic. + * Housing near jobs, schools, transit, and services is part of economic development. + * The talking point: “Housing affordability is workforce policy. It is transportation policy. It is education policy. It is economic development.” + </blockquote> + + * '''Core message for public remarks:''' + <blockquote> + * “Virginia families are doing everything right and still getting squeezed by rent, mortgages, utilities, and the cost of living.” + * “In 2026, House and Senate Democrats passed a serious housing package: more housing supply, more preservation, fewer unnecessary barriers, and stronger renter stability.” + * “We made real progress, but we should not pretend the crisis is solved.” + * “The next step is making sure these new laws produce real homes, protecting existing affordable housing before it disappears, and investing in housing that the lowest-income Virginians can actually afford.” + </blockquote> + + <hr> + + [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]]
2026-05-27 03:46:32
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
= Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27 = * '''Virginia’s housing affordability crisis is a household-budget crisis, not just a housing-sector issue.''' - • Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. + : Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. - • In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) + : In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) - • Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + : Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - • NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + : NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - • A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + : A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) * '''House and Senate Democrats made housing affordability a major 2026 priority and passed a real package of housing reforms.''' - • The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + : The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - • Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) + : Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) - • The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. + : The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. * '''We acted on supply because Virginia cannot solve affordability while making it too hard to build homes.''' - • Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. + : Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. - • SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) + : SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) - • This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. + : This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. - • HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) + : HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) - • This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. + : This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. - • SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) + : SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) * '''We reduced unnecessary local barriers that quietly raise the cost of housing.''' - • Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. + : Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. - • HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) + : HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) - • The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. + : The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. * '''We acted on preservation because the cheapest affordable home is often the one we do not lose.''' - • Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. + : Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. - • HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) + : HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) - • HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. + : HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. - • Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + : Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) * '''We strengthened renter stability because eviction prevention is housing policy.''' - • A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. + : A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. - • HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) + : HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) - • SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + : SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - • HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + : HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - • The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. + : The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. - <hr> + * '''We also addressed affordability from the income side.''' - + : Housing affordability is not only about housing prices; it is also about whether working people earn enough to pay rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, and childcare. - [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]] + : HB1/SB1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, with future indexing beginning in 2029. (Governor’s Office, April 9, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116004-en.html ; Virginia LIS, HB1: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1) + : This does not solve housing affordability by itself, but it recognizes that Virginians cannot afford housing if wages remain too low. + + * '''This work built on years of Democratic efforts that were blocked, delayed, or vetoed before 2026.''' + : Democrats had advanced some housing affordability ideas before 2026, including preservation tools, but several measures faced vetoes or opposition under the prior administration. + : The right-of-first-refusal preservation concept passed in 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin; it returned in 2026 as HB4 and became law. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + : Democrats can fairly say: “We have been pushing these housing affordability tools for years. In 2026, with Democratic majorities and a governor willing to sign them, we finally got many of them across the finish line.” + + * '''We still need to scale up deeply affordable housing.''' + : Zoning reform and market-rate supply are necessary, but they will not, by themselves, house the lowest-income Virginians. + : Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + : The state still needs stronger, recurring investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and nonprofit affordable housing development. + : The talking point: “The private market alone will not house people with the lowest incomes. That requires public investment.” + + * '''We still need to make sure local implementation matches the intent of the 2026 laws.''' + : State law can create rights and tools, but local governments still control permitting speed, staff review, local rules, infrastructure coordination, and how welcoming they are to actual housing production. + : ADUs, small-lot zoning, parking reform, and faith-based affordable housing will matter only if localities implement them in good faith. + : Democrats should be prepared to say: “We passed the tools. Now we have to make sure they produce homes.” + + * '''We still need stronger preservation capacity.''' + : HB4 creates an important tool, but a right of first refusal only works if localities, nonprofits, and mission-driven housing partners have financing and technical capacity to act quickly. + : Virginia should continue building acquisition funds, preservation funds, nonprofit capacity, and early-warning systems for expiring affordability restrictions. + : The talking point: “Preservation is not passive. We need the money and partners to move when affordable properties are at risk.” + + * '''We still need stronger tenant protections and eviction prevention.''' + : The 14-day notice period, eviction diversion reforms, and habitability defenses are meaningful steps, but many tenants still lack legal representation or the ability to navigate court processes. + : Virginia should keep working on civil legal aid, fair notice requirements, habitability enforcement, junk-fee prevention, and reducing serial eviction filings. + : The talking point: “Eviction prevention is not just compassion. It is cheaper than homelessness, shelter stays, school disruption, and family instability.” + + * '''We still need to address infrastructure costs that block housing.''' + : Housing cannot be built without water, sewer, roads, schools, utilities, and local public services. + : When local infrastructure costs are pushed entirely onto new homes, the result is often higher prices or fewer homes. + : Virginia should help localities finance infrastructure in ways that support housing growth without making each new unit unaffordable. + : Source note: This is a policy recommendation based on the general infrastructure-cost barrier to housing production; do not present it as a claim about a specific 2026 bill unless paired with a specific bill source. + + * '''We still need a rural housing strategy, not just an urban and suburban strategy.''' + : Rural Virginia often faces different affordability issues: aging housing stock, low incomes, manufactured housing needs, limited rental supply, infrastructure gaps, and fewer nonprofit or private developers. + : Rural areas may need rehabilitation funding, manufactured housing protections, water and sewer support, targeted tax credits, and capacity-building for local housing partners. + : Source note: This is a policy recommendation; use local data or DHCD regional data if tailoring to a specific rural district. + + * '''We still need to connect housing affordability to transportation, jobs, and schools.''' + : Housing costs are not isolated from transportation costs. If people can only afford homes far from work, they pay in longer commutes, gas, car maintenance, lost family time, and traffic. + : Housing near jobs, schools, transit, and services is part of economic development. + : The talking point: “Housing affordability is workforce policy. It is transportation policy. It is education policy. It is economic development.” + + * '''Core message for public remarks:''' + : “Virginia families are doing everything right and still getting squeezed by rent, mortgages, utilities, and the cost of living.” + : “In 2026, House and Senate Democrats passed a serious housing package: more housing supply, more preservation, fewer unnecessary barriers, and stronger renter stability.” + : “We made real progress, but we should not pretend the crisis is solved.” + : “The next step is making sure these new laws produce real homes, protecting existing affordable housing before it disappears, and investing in housing that the lowest-income Virginians can actually afford.” + <hr> + + [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]]
2026-05-27 03:44:39
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
= Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27 = * '''Virginia’s housing affordability crisis is a household-budget crisis, not just a housing-sector issue.''' - ** Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. + • Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. - ** In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) + • In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) - ** Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + • Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - ** NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + • NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - ** A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + • A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) * '''House and Senate Democrats made housing affordability a major 2026 priority and passed a real package of housing reforms.''' - ** The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + • The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - ** Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) + • Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) - ** The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. + • The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. * '''We acted on supply because Virginia cannot solve affordability while making it too hard to build homes.''' - ** Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. + • Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. - ** SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) + • SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) - ** This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. + • This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. - ** HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) + • HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) - ** This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. + • This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. - ** SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) + • SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) * '''We reduced unnecessary local barriers that quietly raise the cost of housing.''' - ** Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. + • Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. - ** HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) + • HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) - ** The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. + • The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. * '''We acted on preservation because the cheapest affordable home is often the one we do not lose.''' - ** Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. + • Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. - ** HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) + • HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) - ** HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. + • HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. - ** Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + • Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) * '''We strengthened renter stability because eviction prevention is housing policy.''' - ** A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. + • A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. - ** HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) + • HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) - ** SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + • SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - ** HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + • HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) - ** The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. + • The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. - * '''We also addressed affordability from the income side.''' + <hr> - ** Housing affordability is not only about housing prices; it is also about whether working people earn enough to pay rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, and childcare. + - ** HB1/SB1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, with future indexing beginning in 2029. (Governor’s Office, April 9, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116004-en.html ; Virginia LIS, HB1: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1) + [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]] - ** This does not solve housing affordability by itself, but it recognizes that Virginians cannot afford housing if wages remain too low. - - * '''This work built on years of Democratic efforts that were blocked, delayed, or vetoed before 2026.''' - ** Democrats had advanced some housing affordability ideas before 2026, including preservation tools, but several measures faced vetoes or opposition under the prior administration. - ** The right-of-first-refusal preservation concept passed in 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin; it returned in 2026 as HB4 and became law. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) - ** Democrats can fairly say: “We have been pushing these housing affordability tools for years. In 2026, with Democratic majorities and a governor willing to sign them, we finally got many of them across the finish line.” - - * '''We still need to scale up deeply affordable housing.''' - ** Zoning reform and market-rate supply are necessary, but they will not, by themselves, house the lowest-income Virginians. - ** Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) - ** The state still needs stronger, recurring investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and nonprofit affordable housing development. - ** The talking point: “The private market alone will not house people with the lowest incomes. That requires public investment.” - - * '''We still need to make sure local implementation matches the intent of the 2026 laws.''' - ** State law can create rights and tools, but local governments still control permitting speed, staff review, local rules, infrastructure coordination, and how welcoming they are to actual housing production. - ** ADUs, small-lot zoning, parking reform, and faith-based affordable housing will matter only if localities implement them in good faith. - ** Democrats should be prepared to say: “We passed the tools. Now we have to make sure they produce homes.” - - * '''We still need stronger preservation capacity.''' - ** HB4 creates an important tool, but a right of first refusal only works if localities, nonprofits, and mission-driven housing partners have financing and technical capacity to act quickly. - ** Virginia should continue building acquisition funds, preservation funds, nonprofit capacity, and early-warning systems for expiring affordability restrictions. - ** The talking point: “Preservation is not passive. We need the money and partners to move when affordable properties are at risk.” - - * '''We still need stronger tenant protections and eviction prevention.''' - ** The 14-day notice period, eviction diversion reforms, and habitability defenses are meaningful steps, but many tenants still lack legal representation or the ability to navigate court processes. - ** Virginia should keep working on civil legal aid, fair notice requirements, habitability enforcement, junk-fee prevention, and reducing serial eviction filings. - ** The talking point: “Eviction prevention is not just compassion. It is cheaper than homelessness, shelter stays, school disruption, and family instability.” - - * '''We still need to address infrastructure costs that block housing.''' - ** Housing cannot be built without water, sewer, roads, schools, utilities, and local public services. - ** When local infrastructure costs are pushed entirely onto new homes, the result is often higher prices or fewer homes. - ** Virginia should help localities finance infrastructure in ways that support housing growth without making each new unit unaffordable. - ** Source note: This is a policy recommendation based on the general infrastructure-cost barrier to housing production; do not present it as a claim about a specific 2026 bill unless paired with a specific bill source. - - * '''We still need a rural housing strategy, not just an urban and suburban strategy.''' - ** Rural Virginia often faces different affordability issues: aging housing stock, low incomes, manufactured housing needs, limited rental supply, infrastructure gaps, and fewer nonprofit or private developers. - ** Rural areas may need rehabilitation funding, manufactured housing protections, water and sewer support, targeted tax credits, and capacity-building for local housing partners. - ** Source note: This is a policy recommendation; use local data or DHCD regional data if tailoring to a specific rural district. - - * '''We still need to connect housing affordability to transportation, jobs, and schools.''' - ** Housing costs are not isolated from transportation costs. If people can only afford homes far from work, they pay in longer commutes, gas, car maintenance, lost family time, and traffic. - ** Housing near jobs, schools, transit, and services is part of economic development. - ** The talking point: “Housing affordability is workforce policy. It is transportation policy. It is education policy. It is economic development.” - - * '''Core message for public remarks:''' - ** “Virginia families are doing everything right and still getting squeezed by rent, mortgages, utilities, and the cost of living.” - ** “In 2026, House and Senate Democrats passed a serious housing package: more housing supply, more preservation, fewer unnecessary barriers, and stronger renter stability.” - ** “We made real progress, but we should not pretend the crisis is solved.” - ** “The next step is making sure these new laws produce real homes, protecting existing affordable housing before it disappears, and investing in housing that the lowest-income Virginians can actually afford.” - - <hr> - - [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]]
2026-05-27 03:43:25
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
- == Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27 == + = Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27 = - + - Start writing your article here using '''Wikitext'''. + * '''Virginia’s housing affordability crisis is a household-budget crisis, not just a housing-sector issue.''' + ** Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. + ** In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) + ** Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + ** NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + ** A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + + * '''House and Senate Democrats made housing affordability a major 2026 priority and passed a real package of housing reforms.''' + ** The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + ** Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) + ** The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. + + * '''We acted on supply because Virginia cannot solve affordability while making it too hard to build homes.''' + ** Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. + ** SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) + ** This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. + ** HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) + ** This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. + ** SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) + + * '''We reduced unnecessary local barriers that quietly raise the cost of housing.''' + ** Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. + ** HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) + ** The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. + + * '''We acted on preservation because the cheapest affordable home is often the one we do not lose.''' + ** Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. + ** HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) + ** HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. + ** Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + + * '''We strengthened renter stability because eviction prevention is housing policy.''' + ** A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. + ** HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) + ** SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + ** HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + ** The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. + + * '''We also addressed affordability from the income side.''' + ** Housing affordability is not only about housing prices; it is also about whether working people earn enough to pay rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, and childcare. + ** HB1/SB1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, with future indexing beginning in 2029. (Governor’s Office, April 9, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116004-en.html ; Virginia LIS, HB1: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1) + ** This does not solve housing affordability by itself, but it recognizes that Virginians cannot afford housing if wages remain too low. + + * '''This work built on years of Democratic efforts that were blocked, delayed, or vetoed before 2026.''' + ** Democrats had advanced some housing affordability ideas before 2026, including preservation tools, but several measures faced vetoes or opposition under the prior administration. + ** The right-of-first-refusal preservation concept passed in 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin; it returned in 2026 as HB4 and became law. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + ** Democrats can fairly say: “We have been pushing these housing affordability tools for years. In 2026, with Democratic majorities and a governor willing to sign them, we finally got many of them across the finish line.” + + * '''We still need to scale up deeply affordable housing.''' + ** Zoning reform and market-rate supply are necessary, but they will not, by themselves, house the lowest-income Virginians. + ** Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + ** The state still needs stronger, recurring investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and nonprofit affordable housing development. + ** The talking point: “The private market alone will not house people with the lowest incomes. That requires public investment.” + + * '''We still need to make sure local implementation matches the intent of the 2026 laws.''' + ** State law can create rights and tools, but local governments still control permitting speed, staff review, local rules, infrastructure coordination, and how welcoming they are to actual housing production. + ** ADUs, small-lot zoning, parking reform, and faith-based affordable housing will matter only if localities implement them in good faith. + ** Democrats should be prepared to say: “We passed the tools. Now we have to make sure they produce homes.” + + * '''We still need stronger preservation capacity.''' + ** HB4 creates an important tool, but a right of first refusal only works if localities, nonprofits, and mission-driven housing partners have financing and technical capacity to act quickly. + ** Virginia should continue building acquisition funds, preservation funds, nonprofit capacity, and early-warning systems for expiring affordability restrictions. + ** The talking point: “Preservation is not passive. We need the money and partners to move when affordable properties are at risk.” + + * '''We still need stronger tenant protections and eviction prevention.''' + ** The 14-day notice period, eviction diversion reforms, and habitability defenses are meaningful steps, but many tenants still lack legal representation or the ability to navigate court processes. + ** Virginia should keep working on civil legal aid, fair notice requirements, habitability enforcement, junk-fee prevention, and reducing serial eviction filings. + ** The talking point: “Eviction prevention is not just compassion. It is cheaper than homelessness, shelter stays, school disruption, and family instability.” + + * '''We still need to address infrastructure costs that block housing.''' + ** Housing cannot be built without water, sewer, roads, schools, utilities, and local public services. + ** When local infrastructure costs are pushed entirely onto new homes, the result is often higher prices or fewer homes. + ** Virginia should help localities finance infrastructure in ways that support housing growth without making each new unit unaffordable. + ** Source note: This is a policy recommendation based on the general infrastructure-cost barrier to housing production; do not present it as a claim about a specific 2026 bill unless paired with a specific bill source. + + * '''We still need a rural housing strategy, not just an urban and suburban strategy.''' + ** Rural Virginia often faces different affordability issues: aging housing stock, low incomes, manufactured housing needs, limited rental supply, infrastructure gaps, and fewer nonprofit or private developers. + ** Rural areas may need rehabilitation funding, manufactured housing protections, water and sewer support, targeted tax credits, and capacity-building for local housing partners. + ** Source note: This is a policy recommendation; use local data or DHCD regional data if tailoring to a specific rural district. + + * '''We still need to connect housing affordability to transportation, jobs, and schools.''' + ** Housing costs are not isolated from transportation costs. If people can only afford homes far from work, they pay in longer commutes, gas, car maintenance, lost family time, and traffic. + ** Housing near jobs, schools, transit, and services is part of economic development. + ** The talking point: “Housing affordability is workforce policy. It is transportation policy. It is education policy. It is economic development.” + + * '''Core message for public remarks:''' + ** “Virginia families are doing everything right and still getting squeezed by rent, mortgages, utilities, and the cost of living.” + ** “In 2026, House and Senate Democrats passed a serious housing package: more housing supply, more preservation, fewer unnecessary barriers, and stronger renter stability.” + ** “We made real progress, but we should not pretend the crisis is solved.” + ** “The next step is making sure these new laws produce real homes, protecting existing affordable housing before it disappears, and investing in housing that the lowest-income Virginians can actually afford.” + + <hr> + + [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]]
Initial version (2026-05-27 03:41:56)
Created by: 74.110.224.58
Created by: 74.110.224.58
- == Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27 == + = Affordable Housing Panel Talking Points - 2026-05-27 = - + - Start writing your article here using '''Wikitext'''. + * '''Virginia’s housing affordability crisis is a household-budget crisis, not just a housing-sector issue.''' + ** Virginians are facing high rents, high home prices, higher borrowing costs, rising utility costs, and wages that have not kept pace with basic living costs. + ** In April 2026, the statewide median sold price for a home in Virginia was $439,945, up 3.5% from April 2025. (Virginia REALTORS, April 2026 Home Sales Report: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/21/key-takeaways-april-2026-virginia-home-sales-report/) + ** Extremely low-income renters face the deepest shortage: Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + ** NLIHC estimates Virginia needs roughly 160,000 more homes affordable to extremely low-income households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + ** A full-time worker in Virginia needs to earn about $33.64 per hour, or nearly $70,000 per year, to afford a modest two-bedroom rental home without being cost-burdened. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + + * '''House and Senate Democrats made housing affordability a major 2026 priority and passed a real package of housing reforms.''' + ** The 2026 General Assembly passed more than a dozen housing-related bills addressing zoning reform, tenant protections, housing preservation, and affordable housing production. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + ** Governor Spanberger signed multiple bills intended to increase housing supply and lower housing costs. (Governor’s Office, April 8, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1115949-en.html) + ** The core message: Democrats did not pass one silver-bullet bill; they passed a package aimed at supply, preservation, renter stability, and affordability. + + * '''We acted on supply because Virginia cannot solve affordability while making it too hard to build homes.''' + ** Accessory dwelling units, small-lot homes, townhomes, duplexes, and affordable housing on nonprofit or faith-owned land are practical ways to add housing without relying only on large apartment towers. + ** SB531 requires localities to allow accessory dwelling units in single-family residential zones, subject to local permitting. (Virginia LIS, SB531: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB531) + ** This matters for seniors, caregivers, young adults, extended families, homeowners with extra space, and people who need smaller or lower-cost housing options. + ** HB1212 requires certain localities to adopt and maintain small-lot residential zoning districts. (Virginia LIS, HB1212: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1212) + ** This matters because overly large lot requirements can block starter homes, townhomes, duplexes, and smaller homes that working families are more likely to afford. + ** SB388/HB1279, the “Faith in Housing” legislation, makes it easier for qualifying faith communities and nonprofits to build affordable housing on land they already own. (Virginia LIS, SB388: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB388 ; LegiScan summary: https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB388/2026) + + * '''We reduced unnecessary local barriers that quietly raise the cost of housing.''' + ** Parking mandates can force projects to build more parking than residents need, increasing costs and reducing the number of homes that fit on a site. + ** HB888 limits certain local minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, and mixed-use development, and requires localities to provide administrative parking-reduction processes in certain cases. (Virginia LIS, HB888: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB888) + ** The talking point is simple: every unnecessary mandate that adds cost to a home makes that home less affordable. + + * '''We acted on preservation because the cheapest affordable home is often the one we do not lose.''' + ** Virginia cannot build its way out of the housing crisis if existing affordable homes are being lost at the same time. + ** HB4 creates a framework for localities to preserve publicly supported affordable housing through a right of first refusal. (Virginia LIS, HB4: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB4) + ** HB4 is especially important because affordability restrictions on publicly supported housing can expire, allowing rents to rise or properties to be sold without preserving affordability. + ** Advocates warned that Virginia cannot afford to lose existing affordable units, including units with expiring affordability restrictions. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + + * '''We strengthened renter stability because eviction prevention is housing policy.''' + ** A family should not lose their home because they were a few days late after a medical bill, car repair, delayed paycheck, or temporary emergency. + ** HB15 extends the nonpayment notice period from 5 days to 14 days before a landlord may terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment. (Virginia LIS / LegiScan bill text: https://legiscan.com/VA/text/HB15/id/3416210 ; Virginia REALTORS explanation: https://virginiarealtors.org/2026/05/19/new-law-notice-of-unpaid-rent-will-soon-be-14-days/) + ** SB373 allows evidence of uninhabitable living conditions as a defense in eviction cases. (Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + ** HB837/SB273 improves access to the Eviction Diversion Program by expanding eligibility and reducing burdensome requirements. (Virginia LIS, SB273: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB273 ; Virginia Housing Alliance, April 16, 2026 update: https://vahousingalliance.org/fwd-ga-signed-bills-2026/) + ** The message: keeping people housed is cheaper, more humane, and more stable than allowing avoidable evictions to push families into crisis. + + * '''We also addressed affordability from the income side.''' + ** Housing affordability is not only about housing prices; it is also about whether working people earn enough to pay rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, and childcare. + ** HB1/SB1 raises Virginia’s minimum wage to $13.75 per hour on January 1, 2027, and $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2028, with future indexing beginning in 2029. (Governor’s Office, April 9, 2026 release: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/april-releases/name-1116004-en.html ; Virginia LIS, HB1: https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB1) + ** This does not solve housing affordability by itself, but it recognizes that Virginians cannot afford housing if wages remain too low. + + * '''This work built on years of Democratic efforts that were blocked, delayed, or vetoed before 2026.''' + ** Democrats had advanced some housing affordability ideas before 2026, including preservation tools, but several measures faced vetoes or opposition under the prior administration. + ** The right-of-first-refusal preservation concept passed in 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin; it returned in 2026 as HB4 and became law. (WVTF, February 2, 2026: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-02-02/two-spanberger-backed-housing-bills-get-out-of-virginia-house-of-delegates) + ** Democrats can fairly say: “We have been pushing these housing affordability tools for years. In 2026, with Democratic majorities and a governor willing to sign them, we finally got many of them across the finish line.” + + * '''We still need to scale up deeply affordable housing.''' + ** Zoning reform and market-rate supply are necessary, but they will not, by themselves, house the lowest-income Virginians. + ** Virginia has only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2026 Virginia Housing Profile: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/SHP_VA.pdf) + ** The state still needs stronger, recurring investments in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and nonprofit affordable housing development. + ** The talking point: “The private market alone will not house people with the lowest incomes. That requires public investment.” + + * '''We still need to make sure local implementation matches the intent of the 2026 laws.''' + ** State law can create rights and tools, but local governments still control permitting speed, staff review, local rules, infrastructure coordination, and how welcoming they are to actual housing production. + ** ADUs, small-lot zoning, parking reform, and faith-based affordable housing will matter only if localities implement them in good faith. + ** Democrats should be prepared to say: “We passed the tools. Now we have to make sure they produce homes.” + + * '''We still need stronger preservation capacity.''' + ** HB4 creates an important tool, but a right of first refusal only works if localities, nonprofits, and mission-driven housing partners have financing and technical capacity to act quickly. + ** Virginia should continue building acquisition funds, preservation funds, nonprofit capacity, and early-warning systems for expiring affordability restrictions. + ** The talking point: “Preservation is not passive. We need the money and partners to move when affordable properties are at risk.” + + * '''We still need stronger tenant protections and eviction prevention.''' + ** The 14-day notice period, eviction diversion reforms, and habitability defenses are meaningful steps, but many tenants still lack legal representation or the ability to navigate court processes. + ** Virginia should keep working on civil legal aid, fair notice requirements, habitability enforcement, junk-fee prevention, and reducing serial eviction filings. + ** The talking point: “Eviction prevention is not just compassion. It is cheaper than homelessness, shelter stays, school disruption, and family instability.” + + * '''We still need to address infrastructure costs that block housing.''' + ** Housing cannot be built without water, sewer, roads, schools, utilities, and local public services. + ** When local infrastructure costs are pushed entirely onto new homes, the result is often higher prices or fewer homes. + ** Virginia should help localities finance infrastructure in ways that support housing growth without making each new unit unaffordable. + ** Source note: This is a policy recommendation based on the general infrastructure-cost barrier to housing production; do not present it as a claim about a specific 2026 bill unless paired with a specific bill source. + + * '''We still need a rural housing strategy, not just an urban and suburban strategy.''' + ** Rural Virginia often faces different affordability issues: aging housing stock, low incomes, manufactured housing needs, limited rental supply, infrastructure gaps, and fewer nonprofit or private developers. + ** Rural areas may need rehabilitation funding, manufactured housing protections, water and sewer support, targeted tax credits, and capacity-building for local housing partners. + ** Source note: This is a policy recommendation; use local data or DHCD regional data if tailoring to a specific rural district. + + * '''We still need to connect housing affordability to transportation, jobs, and schools.''' + ** Housing costs are not isolated from transportation costs. If people can only afford homes far from work, they pay in longer commutes, gas, car maintenance, lost family time, and traffic. + ** Housing near jobs, schools, transit, and services is part of economic development. + ** The talking point: “Housing affordability is workforce policy. It is transportation policy. It is education policy. It is economic development.” + + * '''Core message for public remarks:''' + ** “Virginia families are doing everything right and still getting squeezed by rent, mortgages, utilities, and the cost of living.” + ** “In 2026, House and Senate Democrats passed a serious housing package: more housing supply, more preservation, fewer unnecessary barriers, and stronger renter stability.” + ** “We made real progress, but we should not pretend the crisis is solved.” + ** “The next step is making sure these new laws produce real homes, protecting existing affordable housing before it disappears, and investing in housing that the lowest-income Virginians can actually afford.” + + <hr> + + [[Category:2026 Miscellaneous Pages]]