There’s definitely some good stuff in here from VA State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg and Del. Dan Helmer. The key, from an Econ 101 point of view, is to shift the supply curve of housing out – by a lot. Personally, I’d get rid of exclusionary single-family housing, but that’s probably a political “third rail” for politicians, so it’s extremely unlikely to happen. But there’s still a lot that the General Assembly can do, including what VanValkenburg and Helmer propose, below.
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Senator VanValkenburg & Delegate Helmer: Tackling the Housing Crisis in 2026
Richmond, VA – Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, Member of the Senate Committee on Local Government, and Delegate Dan Helmer, Chair of the House Committee on Counties, Cities, and Towns, are championing three pieces of legislation this year to tackle the housing crisis from the bottom up by getting new units on the market now; and to ensure renters and buyers alike can afford to live in the communities they love.
According to an article published by Pew Research, Virginia has an estimated shortage of 105,000 homes, giving landlords and sellers the leverage they need to hike up rent and home prices. The Commonwealth Housing Coalition found that the median home sales price has gone from $258,000 in 2017 to $405,000 in 2025. Home prices continue to soar largely because we do not have the housing supply to keep pace with demand. In 2023, the city of Austin, TX permitted more homes than the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, and subsequently saw a 7% drop in rent.
We know that until housing supply catches up to demand, families will continue to overpay for housing or be forced to move outside of their communities. According to the 2022 HB854 Statewide Housing Study, Virginia has a gaping shortage of over 300,000 deeply affordable rental units. Pew reports that from 2017 to 2023, rent in Virginia has gone up by 25%. This has landed three of our metropolitan regions in the top ten in the nation for rent increases.
Housing ranked as the top concern of voters in 2025, according to a YouGov poll conducted by the Commonwealth Housing Coalition, edging out inflation, jobs, and healthcare. Two thirds of the people surveyed agreed that it is, “better for the state to act on housing than to trust my local government.”
Senator VanValkenburg and Delegate Helmer plan to deliver on their promise of adding new housing units to the market now, and protecting tenants from unnecessary, exorbitant fees.
“Housing is the biggest drain on a hardworking family’s budget, eating up a third to over a half of their monthly income. The shortage in our housing supply drives costs up and forces families to overspend on housing or move outside of their communities,” Senator VanValkenburg stated. “Delegate Helmer and I plan to take action this session to increase the supply of housing across our Commonwealth in order to revitalize communities to attract new businesses and opportunities, and to cut costs for hardworking families.
“Skyrocketing housing costs are driving the affordability crisis for Virginians today. That’s why we are taking aggressive action this session to ensure that working families can rent and own in the Commonwealth, by introducing these bills to dramatically increase our housing supply,” said Delegate Dan Helmer, Chair of the House Committee on Counties, Cities, and Towns. “This package also ensures that we work alongside municipalities and counties to build housing where jobs actually are and Virginians need it most.”
Their first piece of housing supply legislation, SB 454/HB 816, will bring new housing where it’s needed the most – to commercial and business zones overflowing with job opportunities and existing infrastructure. It will require localities to allow for the by-right development of multifamily residential on at least 75% of their commercial and business zones, and incorporates all of the amendments proposed by the Senate Committee on Local Government last session.
Senate Bill 490/House Bill 820, will give the Department of Housing and Community Development the authority to allocate up to five percent of the Virginia Housing Trust Fund to provide lower-interest loans for the construction of mixed-income housing or for infrastructure costs that are necessary to build mixed-income housing.
Their final piece of shared housing supply legislation, SB 488/HB 804, balances local autonomy with state accountability. Their Housing Targets legislation will give localities the flexibility to create a housing growth plan that works for them, and will give the local board of zoning appeals the authority to hold them accountable if they intentionally impede the development of desperately needed housing. Localities that prioritize the construction of affordable units or rehabilitate existing old underutilized housing supply will have extra weight added to the growth target.
