Private activity bonds; allocation of state ceiling. Increases the housing allocation of the Virginia state ceiling on private activity bonds from 57 to 67 percent by (i) increasing the allocation to the Virginia Housing Development Authority from the current 43 percent to 50 percent and (ii) increasing the allocation to local housing authorities from the current 14 percent to 17 percent. The bill also maintains the current 18 percent for the Governor's state allocation portion and reduces the industrial development bonds for manufacturing and exempt facilities portion of the ceiling from 25 to 15 percent. This bill is identical to HB 1227.
Department of Housing and Community Development; Eviction Reduction Program; report. Establishes the Eviction Reduction Program within the Department of Housing and Community Development to expand the Department's work to (i) promote housing stability, (ii) identify factors that contribute to eviction filings, and (iii) provide interventions to prevent or divert evictions. The bill requires the Department to report annually to the General Assembly regarding the Program. The bill directs the Department to develop and include in its report criteria and guidelines necessary to administer the Program in consultation with stakeholders, including Eviction Diversion Program grantees as identified by the Department. This bill is identical to HB 527.
Zoning; by-right multifamily development. Requires local zoning ordinances to permit, on any parcel with an existing tree canopy coverage of at less than 60 percent, located within a city or town having a population of more than 20,000 or within a designated metropolitan planning area, multifamily and mixed-use residential development as a by-right use on at least 75 percent of all land contained in commercial or business zoning district classifications, including any land contained in commercial or business zoning district classifications that allow for the by-right development and construction of single-family residential uses. The bill stipulates that any application for a proposed development authorized pursuant to the bill shall be reviewed and acted upon administratively by a locality. The bill prohibits a locality from (i) requiring that a special exception, special use, or conditional use permit be obtained for such development or (ii) imposing more stringent land use requirements, enumerated in the bill, for such development than would otherwise be required. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2027.
Transit-oriented housing overlay districts. Requires certain localities to establish one or more transit-oriented housing overlay districts covering qualifying areas, as defined in the bill, within their boundaries. The bill provides that within such overlay districts, the locality shall permit, by right, a minimum height of six stories and a minimum average density of 30 units per acre within one-quarter of a mile of a major transit stop and allow two units per lot and four units per corner lot between one-quarter of a mile and one mile from a such a stop. The bill further provides that applications for such housing development shall be approved ministerially by the zoning administrator or other designated official and that no public hearing is required for approval. The bill allows certain areas within a locality to be excluded from its provisions and sunsets on September 1, 2030. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2027.
County manager plan of government; affordable dwelling unit ordinance. Increases local authority over affordable housing for counties that have adopted the county manager plan of government (Arlington County) by (i) potentially increasing the cash contribution to the county's affordable housing fund by developers in lieu of providing affordable dwelling units and (ii) providing that applications for a special exception approval for a change of use of an existing building from commercial to residential may be subject to an affordable housing requirement. The bill directs the governing body of such counties to appoint an advisory board to advise the governing body regarding the appropriate provisions of an ordinance to amend the cash contribution amounts to such county's affordable housing fund. Certain provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.
Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act; pre-tenancy fees. Prohibits a landlord from charging or collecting any fee that is not a pre-tenancy fee as described in the bill and limits the charging or collection of such pre-tenancy fees to either prior to or upon the execution of a rental agreement. The bill requires a landlord to, prior to requesting or collecting any payment or information about a prospective tenant and prior to exhibiting the dwelling unit to a prospective tenant, notify the prospective tenant of any pre-tenancy fees in writing or by posting in a manner accessible to a prospective tenant. The bill provides that no landlord shall charge any fee to a prospective tenant prior to exhibiting the dwelling unit to the prospective tenant, unless the prospective tenant agrees to waive such requirement.The bill allows a landlord to collect a pet deposit, defined in the bill as separate from a security deposit, from a tenant if a pet is occupying the dwelling unit. The bill provides that no security deposit or pet deposit may be applied by the landlord toward (i) the cost of professional services or (ii) the cost of materials and labor performed by the landlord or an employee of the landlord, unless such costs are (a) reasonably necessary to return the premises to the same condition as the condition of the premises at the start of the rental agreement, less reasonable wear and tear, and (b) the landlord provides a receipt reflecting such costs to the tenant. The bill also reduces from two months of rent to one month of rent the maximum security deposit amount and decreases from 45 days to 30 days the amount of time after the termination date of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates the dwelling unit, whichever occurs last, that the landlord shall provide a written notice to the tenant of the itemized charges deducted from the security deposit and applies the same provisions to pet deposits.The bill also provides that nothing shall be construed to allow an owner, manager, or operator of a residential building to charge a tenant for water, sewer, electrical, natural gas, oil, or other utilities if the utility is supplied directly to the tenant.Finally, the bill applies the provisions of law relating to the rental application process and administrative or renewal fees, as amended by this bill, to the Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act.
First-time home buyer savings plan; townhouses; principal limits. Includes townhouses in the definition of single-family residence for purposes of the First-Time Home Buyer Savings Plan Act. The bill also increases (i) the aggregate amount of principal that can be contributed to a first-time home buyer savings account from $50,000 to $100,000 and (ii) the limit on the amount of principal and interest or other income on the principal that may be retained in such an account from $150,000 to $200,000.
Single-Family Homebuyer Protection Act established; civil penalty. Establishes the Single-Family Homebuyer Protection Act for the purpose of prohibiting a covered entity from acquiring an interest in more than five single-family homes within the same county, city, or town in the Commonwealth on or after July 1, 2026. The bill provides that no seller of a single-family home shall enter into an agreement with a covered entity for acquisition of such home before publicly marketing such home to natural persons residing in the Commonwealth and first-time homebuyers for at least 10 calendar days. The bill allows the Department of Housing and Community Development to publish aggregated information using existing data, including (i) the number and percentage of single-family homes owned by covered entities, broken down by locality, zip code, and census tract, and (ii) identified trends in the concentration of covered entity interests in single-family homes. The bill allows the Attorney General to seek an injunction and a civil penalty to restrain any violation of its provisions.
Virginia Fair Housing Law; Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; personalized algorithmic pricing disclosures; prohibitions; civil penalties; civil actions. Prohibits, for purposes of the Virginia Fair Housing Law and the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (VRLTA), certain discriminatory uses of protected class data, defined in the bill, in the sale or rental of a dwelling. The bill requires, when applicable, disclosure of the use of personalized algorithmic pricing, defined in the bill, for purposes of the Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act and the VRLTA. Under the VRLTA, the bill prohibits a landlord from facilitating an agreement between or among two or more landlords to not compete with respect to any dwelling unit, including by operating or licensing software, a data analytics service, or an algorithmic device that performs a coordinating function, defined in the bill, on behalf of or between and among such landlords. The bill also prohibits a landlord and a multiple listing service, defined in the bill, from setting or adjusting rent prices, rental agreement terms, occupancy levels, or other rental agreement terms and conditions in one or more of his dwelling units based on recommendations from software, a data analytics service, or an algorithmic device performing a coordinating function. The bill allows the Attorney General to seek an injunction and civil penalties to restrain certain violations of the bill and allows any injured individual to bring a civil action to recover the greater of actual or statutory damages and reasonable attorney fees.
Affordable housing; religious organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties. Allows for the administrative approval of development and construction of housing on land owned by property tax-exempt religious organizations or certain property tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and provides that zoning ordinances shall allow the by-right development and construction of housing on real property owned by such organizations. The bill provides that the review of such developments be completed pursuant to general law and states that localities shall not require a special exception, special use permit, conditional use permit, rezoning, or any discretionary review or approval process. The bill requires that at least 60 percent of the housing development's total units be for affordable housing and that the housing development remain affordable for at least 30 years. The bill also provides that all such housing is subject to local real property taxation following completion, unless explicitly exempted by the locality. The bill has a delayed effective date of September 1, 2026. This bill was incorporated into SB 388.
