On the 13th, 20 dedicated VOICE leaders joined forces with HOME as part of the Commonwealth Housing Coalition (CHC) for an impactful lobbying trip to Richmond. Our mission? To advocate for bold, pro-housing solutions to address Virginia’s growing housing crisis. Together, we met with 18 state legislators to build support for three critical housing bills currently under consideration in this legislative session.
Here is a summary of the three Bills our group lobbied for on Monday. Getting all three of these pieces of legislation passed is a key part of our ongoing Affordable and Abundant housing campaign.
Yes in God’s Backyard | SB 1351 | Fact Sheet | Video There are 74k acres of land in the commonwealth of Virginia owned by faith institutions. Many of those institutions are eager to use that land to build more affordable housing units. Cumbersome zoning regulations at the local level have impeded this effort. Senator Srinavasan’s (SB1351) bill will help to address those regulatory roadblocks and we urge the Senate to pass this bill.
CHC is also supportive of the goals of the Faith in Housing Bill ( HB 2153 | SB 233 ) However we believe stronger state leadership is needed. We urged a change to line 25, “any locality may by ordinance adapt a faith and housing program that creates an expedited or simplified zoning or approval process”, changing “may” to “shall” would ensure any faith institution in any locality would have the freedom to use their property to build affordable housing units should they wish to.
Allowing Accessory Dwelling Units | HB 1832 | SB 932 | Fact Sheet This legislation would enable homeowners across Virginia to build backyard cottages on their property. Allowing homeowners to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in their backyard, side yard, or within their existing house is an important step to address our housing needs by easily increasing housing density. All Virginians – no matter their age, income or background – deserve a place to call home, and this bill will help to build more backyard cottages across the Commonwealth.
Allowing Homes Near Jobs | SB 839 | Fact Sheet The Commonwealth Housing Coalition proudly supports Housing Near Jobs to provide desperately needed homes near employment centers and commerce by legalizing apartments and mixed-use buildings in commercial areas. This bill is good for workers, business, and the economy by allowing Virginia’s workers to leave near hobs. We urge you to support this critically needed legislation.
Putting “Yes in God’s Backyard” Front and Center
One of the primary focuses of our efforts was the “Yes in God’s Backyard” legislation, a forward-thinking proposal aimed at cutting through the red tape that hinders faith communities from building affordable housing on their land. With over 73,000 acres of faith-owned land statewide, even modest steps toward development could make a substantial impact. This legislation empowers faith communities to answer the call to serve their neighbors by creating desperately needed affordable housing while reducing the years of delays and high costs associated with zoning and permitting.
VOICE leaders have been working tirelessly to advance this key piece of legislation. Across our regions, we’ve met with 20 local elected officials, held listening campaigns in our communities to learn more deeply about the issue and have been building momentum for this transformative initiative. In Richmond, we brought this energy and passion directly to lawmakers, sharing personal experiences from faith institutions trying to convert their land into affordable housing developments and stories from individuals affected by the housing shortage that underscored why this bill matters to our families, our neighbors, and our faith communities.
What’s Next?
We are doing it again! Join us next Monday the 20th for another day of lobbying for pro-housing legislation in Richmond.
Also check out our video we made in collaboration with the Commonwealth Housing Coalition highlighting the housing crisis in Virginia and our proposed solutions!
