07/01/2026
We need more housing that everyday people can actually afford. City leaders must ensure that affordable housing is both built and preserved. They must also ensure that residents can stay in their neighborhoods of choice. We are strong advocates for building more affordable housing while ensuring that corporate landlords don’t rip off tenants and homeowners aren't priced out.
58% of Richmonders are renters, over half of renters are housing cost burdened, and we remain the 2nd highest city for evictions in the country. Homeownership is out of reach for most of us. The city's demographics are changing rapidly because residents are displaced. Politicians acknowledge that we are in the midst of an unprecedented cost of living crisis. Yet, we have not seen serious, transformational solutions to address housing affordability.
As the city contemplates rewriting the zoning code, it should take this into consideration. At present, few residents are aware or involved, and those that are, both for and against, are disproportionately wealthier and whiter than the city as whole. City leaders have not yet meaningfully engaged the public and ensured displacement protections are in place. Additionally, the bodies drafting these plans are captured by developers. We need a people-focused rewrite of the code as we have called for since 2021. The democratic process is the only way to do that.
This is why we are so excited to join the Committee for an Affordable Richmond as founding members and back the referendum that would enable city council to prevent rent gouging by corporate landlords and require a democratic vote on new zoning codes.
We must implement transformational policies to ensure that everyone in our community is stably housed, today. We can’t wait any longer.
