Housing (Property Development)

Zoning; manufactured housing. Amends existing provisions that require localities to permit manufactured homes in areas zoned for agriculture by expanding such requirement to all zoning districts where site-built housing is allowed, with certain conditions. The bill provides that localities shall not adopt or enforce any zoning, land-use, or development regulation that treats manufactured homes differently or more restrictively than a single-family site-built dwelling allowed in the same zoning district. The bill also removes the authority of localities without a zoning ordinance to designate the areas within the locality in which manufactured homes may be located. This bill is identical to HB 655.

Zoning for Housing Production Pilot Program created; affordable dwelling unit policy incentives; report. Creates the Zoning for Housing Production Pilot Program to be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. To be eligible for a grant from the Program, an eligible locality, as named in the bill, is required to make a change to its zoning policies to allow for by-right development that is expected to further the goal of creating and maintaining mixed-income communities, affordable housing, and moderately priced housing, as those terms are defined in the bill. The Department is required to establish certain guidelines for the Program and to notify eligible localities of the existence and purpose of the Program no later than February 1, 2027. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2029.

Industrial development authorities; housing. Allows industrial development authorities to exercise their powers with respect to facilities used primarily for single or multi-family residences in order to promote safe and affordable housing in the Commonwealth. Under current law, such powers may be exercised only in a locality where a housing authority has not been activated. The bill also grants industrial development authorities the power to issue bonds associated with the construction of affordable housing.

Zoning; manufactured housing. Amends existing provisions that require localities to permit manufactured housing in areas zoned for agriculture by expanding such requirement to all zoning districts where site-built housing is allowed. The bill provides that manufactured housing shall be subject to development standards that are equivalent to those applicable to site-built single-family dwellings but that such standards shall not have the effect of excluding manufactured housing. The bill also removes the authority of localities without a zoning ordinance to designate the areas within the locality in which manufactured housing may be located. This bill was incorporated into HB 655.

Zoning; adequate public facilities. Allows a locality to determine the timing of development by considering the adequacy of public facilities when making zoning decisions. The bill provides that a locality that makes a determination of inadequate facilities may reject or defer a rezoning application based solely on that determination.

Public funding for multifamily residential housing; Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; common household pets. Requires any multifamily residential housing development receiving an investment of public funds to allow occupants to own or otherwise maintain within the occupant's dwelling unit at least one common household pet, defined in the bill, without restrictions on breed or weight below 65 pounds. The bill additionally requires any landlord subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to provide a disclosure with any application for a rental agreement containing a written copy of any terms and conditions of the rental agreement regarding an applicant's ability to own or otherwise maintain a common household pet within the dwelling unit. If such landlord maintains a website regarding the property, such terms and conditions shall additionally be published to such website. The provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2027 Session of the General Assembly.

Virginia Human Rights Act; unlawful discrimination. Prohibits any state agency or political subdivision in the Commonwealth from supporting, implementing, recognizing, or utilizing any program, process, or procedure that conveys or denies a benefit, advantage, or privilege to an individual based solely on such individual's race, sex, or ethnicity.

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.

Department of Housing and Community Development; powers and duties of director; accessory dwelling unit construction guide. Requires the director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop an accessory dwelling unit construction guide that provides (i) an overview of the accessory dwelling unit construction process; (ii) a review of ordinances, permits, fees, programs, and incentives related to accessory dwelling unit development by locality; and (iii) a catalog of model accessory dwelling unit designs suitable for various local restraints. Such guide shall be updated at least every five years.

Statewide housing targets for localities. Requires localities to increase their total housing stock by at least 7.5 percent over the five-year period beginning January 1, 2028. The bill provides that in order to meet such 7.5 percent growth target, a locality shall develop a housing growth plan that best meets the needs of the locality while meeting the growth target rates. The bill provides that such plan may include any strategy deemed appropriate by the locality; however, for purposes of demonstrating a good faith effort to meet growth targets, a locality shall include modeling that demonstrates that the plan will result in the permitting of the required number of units and either (i) a zoning ordinance that includes provisions allowing for the by-right development and construction of multifamily residential uses 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 or (ii) at least three of the housing growth strategies enumerated in the bill. The bill further provides that after January 1, 2033, an applicant that seeks local government approval for a residential development site plan or rezoning that will have the effect of increasing the supply of housing in a locality and has that application rejected may, in addition to other remedies, appeal such decision to the board of zoning appeals.