Jennifer Carroll Foy Announces Plan to Make Housing Affordable, Extend Eviction Moratorium, and More

From the Jennifer Carroll Foy for governor campaign:

Jennifer Carroll Foy Announces Plan to Make Housing Affordable, Extend Eviction Moratorium, and More

(Woodbridge, VA) – Today, Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy released a comprehensive housing plan to tackle the housing affordability crisis that too many Virginians face and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her plan calls for extending the eviction moratorium signed last year, increasing state funding for public housing, implementing stronger protections for renters, and more.

“Housing insecurity was an unfortunate reality for many in my community. When I was a girl, my grandmother opened up our home to folks looking to get back on their feet, and as a public defender and Legal Aid volunteer, I worked to secure housing for clients and protect Virginians from eviction,” said Del. Carroll Foy. “Ever since then, the housing crisis in the Commonwealth has gotten worse, not better. And the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown new challenges our way, putting even more people one step closer to houselessness.

“My housing plan starts by extending the eviction moratorium until 2022, which is the most important thing we can do right now to support Virginians facing housing struggles because we know that the impact of the pandemic will exist long after the virus is gone. As governor, I’ll also implement zoning reform to increase housing affordability, and ensure more state funding for houseless programs to get people back on their feet. I’ll make sure that vulnerable Virginians have the resources they need to have a roof over their head.”

Carroll Foy’s plan would do the following:

• Extend the eviction moratorium until 2022 and provide more support for Virginians trying to make rent.
• Expand access to affordable housing by increasing the number of inclusionary zoning programs and funding for public housing.
• Work to end LGBTQIA+ houselesness by bringing together local governments, nonprofits, and LGBTQIA+ centers.
• Work to end veteran houselessness by increasing funding for providers of community-based mental health care, developmental and intellectual disabilities services, and substance use disorder treatment.
• Provide stronger protections for renters and homeowners including by:
  • Ensuring information is accessible for Virginians for whom English is a second language.
  • Strengthen tenants’ rights, especially in times of hardship, and codify laws requiring landlords to maintain fit premises.
  • Extend Governor Northam’s moratorium on utility disconnections.

Read her full plan here.