Virginia Efforts to address housing shortages and encourage development in Virginia have been contentious and have not yielded many legislative changes. The discussion around accessory dwelling units (ADUs or granny flats) exemplifies the main disagreements around housing in the state. In February, a Virginia House panel killed a statewide ADU bill. In the meantime, cities and municipalities have made individual decisions around the units. Richmond City Council members were poised to pass a new ordinance in the city that would reduce costs or delays for building ADUs in single-family neighborhoods. In spite of some communities being more hospitable to new housing in the state, other land use changes might be of note to developers. The Virginia Supreme Court made several recent decisions that expanded what kind of alleged harm can form the basis for neighbors to challenge land use approvals. The decisions mean more cases are likely to be heard in front of the court from plaintiffs arguing speculative or more general harm from new development. The shift is likely to make developers working in Virginia more vulnerable to litigation, which can potentially slow down or disrupt project timelines. Key Facts Most Impact Approach Status Suburban areas with Legislation in single-family homes debate or failed Avg. House Price 2023 Population Growth From 2010-2020 $361,000 up 7.9% or 630,369 people 14