Virginia housing advocates promote legislation to foster affordable options, end homelessness

Housing advocates and homeless-service professionals gathered at the state capitol Wednesday for Housing Advocacy Day, calling on lawmakers to support legislation that promotes affordable housing and ends homelessness.

The event was planned by the Virginia Housing Alliance, the only statewide organization that represents affordable housing and homelessness organizations. More than 70 people from across Virginia spent their day speaking with lawmakers at the general assembly and observing testimony from the Senate and House galleries.

“Housing Advocacy Day gives our members a chance to connect with state legislators and advocate as a united voice for expanding affordable housing and ending homelessness across the Commonwealth,” said Isabel McLain, VHA’s director of policy and advocacy. 

One in three households in Virginia are cost burdened, meaning that they pay more than 30% of their income on housing costs, according to the HB854 housing study.

The VHA is following over 100 different bills in both the Senate and the House related to housing. 

“I see my job as being the bridge between those on the ground with firsthand experience about our affordable housing needs and policymakers that make decisions about our housing system,” McLain said. 

Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, introduced the groups on the House Floor, saying, “VHA and everyone joining them here today ensure that all Virginians have a safe and affordable place to call home.”

Carr sponsored HB2149 that creates zoning for the housing production pilot program and HB2153 which grants localities to encourage and facilitate the development of affordable housing on property owned by religious organizations or tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. Both bills passed the house.

“Nonprofits and housing is making it a little bit easier for faith organizations and churches that have land and that are interested in building affordable housing on that land,” Marshall said, referring to HB2153. 

Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, highlighted the importance of getting any amount of funding in the budget for pilot programs so solutions could be tested. She cited HB1623 sponsored by Del. Adele McClure, D-Arlington, which removes the expiration for the eviction diversion program that started as a small pilot program. 

“No amount is too small to get us started to show the effectiveness,” Coyner said. “I know once we’re able to collect data and show that this is effective for families, for housing, but also for educational outcomes, there will be a new greater purpose to continue supporting it.”

The FY25 budget allocates only 0.76% of general funds to housing assistance. 

Coyner and Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, are both supporting bipartisan budget amendments in the House and Senate, respectively, that establish the 5000 Families Pilot Program that will provide rent relief to 5,000 low-income families on a monthly basis to keep their rent affordable. 

The housing crisis intertwines with many aspects of life. VHA data highlights the critical role of stable housing in shaping a child’s future and setting them up for long-term success.

“There is an intersectionality of housing and health care and education, all of those things kind of run together in silos so I think it’s important for us to come down here and advocate for all of those,” said Kelly Evans, program manager for Community Health Worker Programs.

A participant raised concerns about federal funding and whether it was being considered in housing appropriations.

The federal government provides significantly more money for housing assistance and programing than the state does, Mclain said. VHA relies on federal funding for their homeless services, rental assistance, housing counseling, down payment assistance, fair housing enforcement and more.

“One of the good things about Virginia is we’ve been very responsible on how we’ve budgeted and how we’ve saved money so we probably have a lot more flexibility than some other states probably have at the moment,” Coyner added.