SB 1178 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Faith and housing; affordable housing on property owned by religious or tax-exempt organizations.

Summary

Faith and housing; comprehensive plan; zoning; Department of Housing and Community Development. Grants authority to localities to adopt a variety of strategies intended to encourage and facilitate the development of affordable housing on property owned by religious organizations or tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. The bill allows localities to request administrative support from the Department of Housing and Community Development in preparation of a faith and housing ordinance.

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Feb 5, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Local Government Substitute · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from its original introduction to a Senate Substitute version, making substantive changes to how localities can support affordable housing on religious and nonprofit property. The substitute version broadens eligibility to include property tax-exempt nonprofits more explicitly, adds community input requirements, extends review timelines, and introduces new zoning flexibility options like alternative standards for building height and lot size.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to more explicitly include property tax-exempt nonprofit organizations alongside religious organizations, and added requirements for community input in planning processes.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded eligibility to explicitly include property tax-exempt nonprofit organizations alongside religious organizations throughout the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that comprehensive plan strategies must be based on community input.

Added new provision allowing alternative zoning standards for building height, bulk, placement, parking, and lot size.

Changed fee incentives from waiving or reducing fees to establishing application incentives that may include fee waivers or expedited processing.

Added requirement for establishing a clear process for developing affordable housing on qualifying property.

Expanded Department of Housing and Community Development responsibilities to include explaining how they can support localities in drafting planning documents and zoning provisions.

TIMELINE

Extended the review timeline for zoning applications from three months to six months after application is complete.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from Local Government with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 3-N)

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Committee

Rereferred from General Laws and Technology to Local Government (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Jan 8, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

upper

1 primary · 4 co-sponsors