The Movement for Statewide Zoning Reform Takes Shape in Virginia
Slowly but surely...
Happy Friday all.
This week I published an article in Greater Greater Washington with the great Joh Gehlbach of YIMBY Action that I thought I’d share here. The post explains the important work of the Commonwealth Housing Coalition (CHC), a coalition of organizations throughout Virginia dedicated to ending the state’s housing shortage. Because many of my followers on this platform are from Virginia, I thought I’d share here for your attention.
You can read the full article here.
To my knowledge, CHC is the first ever statewide coalition with a dedicated focus on reforming zoning laws to make it easier to build housing statewide. Many other states around the country have budding zoning reform movements, and 2025 was a record year. Although Virginia may be a little late to the party, momentum is growing quickly, and CHC is the organization leading the charge. Among other proposals, CHC hopes to:
Allow housing in commercial zones statewide
Allow accessory dwelling units statewide
Give faith organizations and other non-profits the freedom to build affordable housing on their land
The article also gives our theory of the case for why the state ought to take back some zoning authority from localities. From the post:
“The status quo of locally controlled zoning falls short. Currently, the Virginia Code designates the power of zoning to local governments. However, most local governments lack oversight or incentives to zone for more housing, as the state code includes very few provisions for ensuring adequate housing. In northern Virginia, it is estimated that 71% of developable land is zoned exclusively for detached single-family homes. This makes it extremely difficult to build more affordable housing types, such as duplexes or small apartment buildings, in most places
Housing markets transcend local boundaries. Although localities set the zoning rules within their boundaries, housing markets are regional and cut across multiple cities and counties. For example, if Richmond fails to build enough housing for its workforce, more people are forced to live outside in neighboring jurisdictions like New Kent County or even as far away as Louisa County. Yet every worker in Richmond who can’t afford a home there also lacks a voice in the local democratic process setting the zoning rules that keep them out. With few exceptions, local governments have ignored the housing needs of Virginians outside of their boundaries by making it difficult or impossible to build new affordable housing types. In response, the Virginia General Assembly should reclaim the state’s zoning authority to set reasonable rules that protect housing access and economic opportunity for all Virginians.
Local governments can’t do it alone. The same state laws that give localities zoning authority are increasingly being used against them in the rare instances they choose to zone for more housing. In 2023 and 2024, Arlington, Alexandria, Charlottesville, and Roanoke all passed reforms to allow for more diverse housing types after years of public meetings and tireless work by local advocates. In each case, opponents have succeeded in delaying or striking down these zoning changes by claiming, among other things, that these localities failed to follow proper procedures in the Virginia state code. This reveals a troubling precedent: Even if localities can zone for more housing in theory, in practice opponents can block these changes by claiming violations of state law. As a result, if we want to legalize more housing at scale and avoid costly county-by-county litigation, we need to reform state laws.
CHC is currently prepping our legislative agenda for the 2026 General Assembly, where we expect to see a record number of pro-housing bills. If you’re someone who lives or works in Virginia and want to help end the state’s housing shortage, please reach out or visit commonwealthhousingcoalition.org to get involved.