Alexandria leaders will join more than 600 people Sunday afternoon at a major gathering aimed at launching a statewide movement to address Virginia’s housing shortage and affordability crisis.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, and City Council members Canek Aguirre and Jacinta Greene are expected to attend the assembly organized by VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith and Community Engagement) and the Commonwealth Housing Coalition, according to organizers.
State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who represents parts of Alexandria, also plans to attend the 3:30 to 5 p.m. event at Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon.
The coalition of more than 50 organizations will urge candidates for state office to support three pro-housing bills in the upcoming General Assembly session:
- A “Yes in God’s Backyard” measure to streamline affordable housing development by faith congregations and nonprofits on their properties
- Legislation expanding access to accessory dwelling units
- A “housing near jobs” bill allowing multifamily housing in commercial zones
The rally comes as Virginia faces what organizers describe as a severe housing shortfall. A statewide housing study found that only about 30,000 homes have been built in Virginia recently — half the annual rate during the early 2000s — while the state needs more than 300,000 additional homes to meet demand.
“We hear from young people, seniors, working families, and many others in our communities who are being priced out,” said Laura Dobbs, director of policy at HOME of Virginia. “Increasingly, they despair of being able to afford a home, and more and more of them are considering moving out of state.”
A July YouGov poll commissioned by the coalition showed Virginians across party lines support state action on housing affordability, according to organizers.
The housing crisis has particularly affected public employees, said Emily VanDerhoff, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.
“We have teachers commuting long distances and leaving their own families to be at school by 7:30 in the morning because they can’t afford to live where they work,” VanDerhoff said.
Rev. Dr. Michael Sessoms, VOICE co-chair and pastor of Little Union Baptist Church in Dumfries, said faith communities face significant financial barriers when trying to develop affordable housing on their land.
“Recent history shows congregations can expect to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars just to move past the first stage of rezoning,” Sessoms said.
Both gubernatorial candidates have been invited to the event, along with House of Delegates candidates and other state and local officials.
Housing reform movements inspired the bipartisan campaign in California, Texas, Massachusetts, Montana, Oregon, Maryland, Minnesota, and Florida, organizers said.
More information and registration for the event are available at https://secure.everyaction.com/js82cwd78EmBPtJTMlq9Bg2.
