Virginia HB 4: Affordable housing; preservation, definitions, civil penalty.

Bill Text

2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26100154D

HOUSE BILL NO. 4

Offered January 14, 2026

Prefiled November 17, 2025

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 36 a chapter numbered 13, consisting of sections numbered 36-176 through 36-180, relating to preservation of affordable housing; definitions; civil penalty.

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Patrons—Bennett-Parker, Bulova, Callsen, Carnegie, Clark, Cohen, Convirs-Fowler, Cousins, Downey, Feggans, Franklin, L.V., Franklin, M.A., Gardner, Glass, Guzman, Henson, Keys-Gamarra, LeVere Bolling, Maldonado, Martinez, McClure, McGuire, Mehta, Nivar, Pope Adams, Price, Reaser, Sewell, Sullivan and Tran

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Referred to Committee on General Laws

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Title 36 a chapter numbered 13, consisting of sections numbered 36-176 through 36-180, as follows:

CHAPTER 13.

PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

§ 36-176. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Affiliate" means the same as that term is defined in § 13.1-725.

"Affordability restriction" means a limit on the amount of rent that an owner may charge at publicly supported housing as set forth in a contract.

"Bona fide offer to purchase" means a signed purchase agreement made in good faith.

"Day" means calendar day unless clearly specified as business day.

"Locality" means the same as that term is defined in § 15.2-102.

"Owner" means a person, firm, partnership, corporation, trust, organization, limited liability company, or other entity, or its successors or assigns, that holds title to publicly supported housing.

"Publicly supported housing" means any building, structure, or combination of related buildings and structures operated as a single entity that a landlord provides for a consideration (i) consisting of 10 or more rental dwelling units; (ii) with an affordability restriction in a contract requiring that such rent be affordable for persons and families of low or moderate income; and (iii) that receives benefits from the following programs, grants, or credits: (a) § 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, 42 U.S.C. § 1437(f), as it applies to new construction, substantial rehabilitation, moderate rehabilitation, property disposition, and loan management set-aside programs or any other program providing project-based rental assistance; (b) the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, 26 U.S.C. § 42; (c) § 101 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965, 12 U.S.C. § 1701s, as it applies to programs for rent supplement assistance; (d) § 202 of the Housing Act of 1959, 12 U.S.C. § 1701q; (e) the Below Market Interest Rate program codified in § 221(d)(3) of the National Housing Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1715 l(d)(3) and (5); (f) § 236 of the National Housing Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1715z-1; (g) §§ 515 and 538 of the Housing Act of 1949, 42 U.S.C. § 1485; (h) tax-exempt private activity mortgage revenue bonds as codified in § 142(d) of the Internal Revenue Code or its predecessors; (i) the Community Development Block Grant Program, 42 U.S.C. § 5301 et seq.; (j) the HOME Investment Partnership Program, 24 C.F.R. § 92; (k) the National Housing Trust Fund, 24 C.F.R. § 93; (l) the Virginia Housing Trust Fund created in Chapter 9 (§ 36-141 et seq.); and (m) the Virginia housing opportunity tax credit established in § 58.1-439.30.

"Qualified designee" means any organization or association, including a nonprofit organization, for-profit organization, public housing authority, or tenant association that enters into an agreement with the locality enabling such organization or association to evaluate or exercise the locality's right of first refusal to purchase publicly supported housing.

"Sale" or "sell" means an act by which an owner conveys, transfers, or disposes of publicly supported housing by deed or otherwise, through a single transaction or a series of transactions, within a two-year period, provided that a transfer of ownership interest alone shall not constitute a sale. "Sale" or "sell" does not mean the disposition of publicly supported housing by an owner (i) to an affiliate of such owner, (ii) to a person or entity that owns a portion of the publicly supported housing at the time of sale or listing, (iii) to a member of the owner's family by blood or marriage, (iv) that occurs in the event of the owner's death or divorce, (v) to a purchaser of the publicly supported housing in a foreclosure sale, (vi) to a purchaser of the publicly supported housing by a deed in lieu of foreclosure provided that the contract restrictions are subordinate to the purchaser's interest eligible for foreclosure, or (vii) to a government entity that exercises the power of eminent domain to acquire the publicly supported housing or negotiates a purchase in lieu of eminent domain.

"Tenant association" means any association established by the tenants of publicly supported housing for the pu