Virginia lawmakers back HB867 to broaden local affordable housing zoning authority

A bill brought forward by State Del. Rae Cousins seeks to increase authority for all Virginia localities to advance affordable and mixed-income housing through enhanced zoning ordinance programs, according to the Virginia State House.

The measure passed both the House and Senate, officially enrolling as of March 13, 2026, with a House vote of 68-30 and a Senate vote of 21-19.

Labeled HB867, the bill was introduced on Jan. 14, 2026, during the regular session, with the legislature summarizing it as: “Affordable housing; local zoning ordinance authority.”

Below is our overview, referencing the actual bill text, with explanation for clarity.

HB867 allows any Virginia locality to adopt zoning ordinance programs supporting affordable housing, extending powers that were formerly available in certain counties and cities. The measure enables local programs to promote moderately priced and mixed-income housing through voluntary density increases, reduced lot sizes, design modifications, accessory dwellings, multifamily conversions, transit-focused development, financial incentives, and the use of manufactured homes, while prohibiting additional housing fund contributions for applicable projects. Localities adopting such programs on or after July 1, 2027, must create an advisory committee of residents and experts in housing, development, planning, finance, and preservation to review incentives and feasibility. Qualifying ordinances approved before Jan. 1, 2026, remain unchanged.

Within the House, 62 Democrats and 6 Republicans voted for the legislation, while 1 Democrat and 29 Republicans voted against it.

For the Senate, the final tally included 21 Democrats in favor and 19 Republicans against.

Chief sponsorship came from Del. Rae Cousins (Democrat-79th District), joined by Del. Bonita G. Anthony (Democrat-92nd District), Del. Elizabeth R. Guzman (Democrat-22nd District), and two additional sponsors.

Cousins received a BA from the College of William and Mary in 2001 and a JD from Howard University School of Law in 2010.

A Democrat, Cousins was elected to the Virginia State House in 2024, taking over representation of the state’s 79th House district following Nadarius Clark.

In Virginia, the legislative process starts with a bill’s introduction in either the House of Delegates or the Senate. The bill is referred to one or more committees for review and amendment. If approved by committee, the proposal moves to the floor of each chamber for debate and a vote. If both chambers approve, the bill is sent to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without signing. The Virginia General Assembly meets yearly in regular session beginning on the second Monday of January. Lawmakers consider hundreds of bills each session, though only some are enacted into law.

Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State House. The source data can be found here.