ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – As the national debate over affordable housing continues, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a package of housing bills Monday aimed at expanding access to affordable housing options and strengthening protections for residents of manufactured homes.
Speaking at Cavco Industries in Rocky Mount, Spanberger said the legislation addresses Virginia’s housing shortage through several approaches, including increasing housing supply, protecting tenants and improving transparency.
“Virginia is taking concrete steps to tackle our housing crisis from several different angles — expanding supply, protecting tenants, increasing transparency and making sure that manufactured housing has the same standing under Virginia law as any other home,” Spanberger said.
The legislation focuses heavily on manufactured housing, which is often a more affordable option for homebuyers. Manufactured homes are built in factories and transported to their final location, but they have historically faced zoning restrictions that can limit where they are allowed to be placed.
Spanberger said those restrictions have reduced housing options for many Virginians.
“This has left families with fewer options and a housing market that just doesn’t work for Virginia,” she said.
One of the new laws requires local zoning ordinances to treat manufactured homes the same as site-built single-family homes. Other measures create a two-year pilot program through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and the Virginia Housing Development Authority to provide loan origination and servicing for mixed-income housing developments.
Another law requires landlords of manufactured home communities to clearly disclose all fees associated with leasing a lot.
Spanberger said increasing access to housing is critical for Virginia’s economic growth.
“When workers can’t find available housing options near their jobs, businesses struggle to grow,” she said.
Bobby Canipe, CEO of Fostering Champions, said affordable housing remains one of the biggest challenges for young adults aging out of the foster care system. The nonprofit helps connect former foster youth with housing and other resources as they transition to independent living.
“That housing is providing all their resources and even training and hope for the future,” Canipe said. “So for us, affordable housing is everything.”
Canipe said expanding affordable housing opportunities can help young adults establish roots and build support networks within their communities.
“We want our foster kids in the community building relationships with the people in the community,” he said. “Affordable housing allows this to happen in communities around us.”
The new laws are scheduled to take effect July 1.