State Del. Rae Cousins’ newly introduced measure seeks to expand what local governments can do to encourage affordable and mixed-income housing via zoning ordinance programs, information from the Virginia State House showed.
The measure, noted as HB867 and filed Jan. 14, 2026, during the 2026 regular legislative session, is formally titled: “Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority.”
Our summary below is based on bill language and may interpret key provisions for clarification.
Essentially, the legislation lets any locality in Virginia adopt zoning ordinance programs to foster affordable housing, which previously applied only to specific areas. The bill authorizes communities to use tools such as voluntary density increases, reduced lot sizes, flexible housing design, accessory units, multifamily conversions, transit-oriented options, financial incentives, and manufactured homes, as long as projects aren’t subject to further housing fund contributions. Localities that adopt these programs starting July 1, 2027, must create an advisory group including residents and stakeholders from housing, development, planning, finance, and preservation sectors to review incentives and project feasibility. Existing ordinances put in place before Jan. 1, 2026, are not impacted.
The bill lists Rep. Rae Cousins (Democrat-79th District), Rep. Bonita G. Anthony (Democrat-92nd District), Rep. Elizabeth R. Guzman (Democrat-22nd District), and two other co-sponsors as chief patrons.
Since the session’s start, Cousins has introduced 18 additional bills.
Cousins earned a BA from College of William and Mary in 2001 and a JD from Howard University School of Law in 2010.
The Democrat began serving in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2024 representing the 79th District, succeeding Nadarius Clark as state representative.
In Virginia, the legislative process launches when a measure is filed in either the House of Delegates or the Senate. It then proceeds to one or more relevant committees, where members discuss changes and potential amendments. Should a bill pass out of committee, it is brought to the floor of each chamber for debate and a final vote. When a bill clears both chambers, it goes to the governor to be signed, vetoed, or passed into law without a signature. The General Assembly opens each regular session annually on the second Monday in January, during which lawmakers file hundreds of measures—though just a fraction ultimately become law.
| Patron(s) | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Marty Martinez, and Patrick A. Hope | HB867 | 01/14/2026 | Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority. |
| Rae Cousins, Katrina Callsen, and Virgil Thornton | HB845 | 01/14/2026 | Unlawful detainer; bifurcation of case, contested rent and damages. |
| Rae Cousins, Charlie Schmidt, Debra D. Gardner, Delores L. McQuinn, Jackie H. Glass, and Karen Keys-Gamarra | HB848 | 01/14/2026 | Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; material noncompliance by landlord, rent escrow, relief. |
| Rae Cousins and Charlie Schmidt | HB849 | 01/14/2026 | Public school employees; suspension, notice and opportunity for a hearing. |
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Jackie H. Glass, Marty Martinez, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nadarius E. Clark, Patrick A. Hope, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Virgil Thornton | HB852 | 01/14/2026 | Indigent defendant; abolition of fees, legal representation, jury trial costs, report. |
| Rae Cousins | HB853 | 01/14/2026 | Petition for modification of a sentence; eligibility, procedures, report. |
| Rae Cousins | HB854 | 01/14/2026 | Real property tax; local classification or designation for property, nonprofit organizations. |
| Rae Cousins, Kathy K.L. Tran, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Briana D. Sewell, Charlie Schmidt, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nicole Cole, and Virgil Thornton | HB855 | 01/14/2026 | Medicaid; estate recoveries. |
| Rae Cousins, Delores L. McQuinn, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Holly M. Seibold, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Jeion A. Ward, Kathy K.L. Tran, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Michelle Lopes Maldonado | HB857 | 01/14/2026 | Home/electronic incarceration program; court shall assign pregnant/postpartum persons to program. |
| Rae Cousins, Paul E. Krizek, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Gretchen M Bulova, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Joshua G. Cole, Karrie K. Delaney, M. Keith Hodges, Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Nadarius E. Clark, Nicole Cole, Patrick A. Hope, Rodney T. Willett, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Sam Rasoul | HB858 | 01/14/2026 | Legal holidays; replaces Columbus Day, the second Monday in October, with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. |
| Rae Cousins, Amy J. Laufer, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Nicole Cole | HB859 | 01/14/2026 | Farm to School Program Task Force; membership requirements. |
| Rae Cousins, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Irene Shin, Jackie H. Glass, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, and Mark C. Downey | HB860 | 01/14/2026 | Local & Reg. Jails, St. Bd.; standards, etc., regarding lactation policies for incarcerated persons. |
| Rae Cousins, Bonita G. Anthony, and Holly M. Seibold | HB861 | 01/14/2026 | Pregnant & postpartum inmates; reporting requirements of state, regional, & local correctional fac. |
| Rae Cousins | HB862 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP), Commission on; structure and responsibilities. |
| Rae Cousins | HB863 | 01/14/2026 | Offenses, certain; elimination of mandatory minimum sentences. |
| Rae Cousins, Adele Y. McClure, Atoosa R. Reaser, Bonita G. Anthony, Charlie Schmidt, Destiny LeVere Bolling, Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker, Elizabeth R. Guzman, Jessica L. Anderson, John Chilton McAuliff, Karen R. “Kacey” Carnegie, Kathy K.L. Tran, Katrina Callsen, Kimberly Pope Adams, Laura Jane Cohen, Leslie Chambers Mehta, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marty Martinez, Michael B. Feggans, Nadarius E. Clark, Patrick A. Hope, Rozia A. Henson, Jr., and Stacey Annie Carroll | HB865 | 01/14/2026 | Workers’ compensation; presumption of compensability for certain cancers. |
| Rae Cousins | HB868 | 01/14/2026 | Political campaign advertisements; synthetic media, penalty. |
| Rae Cousins | HB869 | 01/14/2026 | Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase programs for local farm or food products. |
| Rae Cousins, Lamont Bagby, Marcia S. “Cia” Price, Marty Martinez, and R. Lee Ware | HB872 | 01/14/2026 | Portable electronic devices; possession in district or circuit court, policies set by chief judge. |
Details in this article come from the Virginia State House. The underlying source data can be accessed here.
