First, we will invest $100 million in housing in the next four years. This money will go towards eviction prevention and incentives for the building of new homes that are genuinely affordable. Let’s create a housing fund that attracts hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. This has been done in other cities and we can do it here. 

Second, we will create a tenant advisory board and hold bad actors accountable. 

Together we can:

• Invest $100 million in housing in the next four years. This money will go towards eviction prevention and incentives for the building new homes that are genuinely affordable.
   
• Create a tenant advisory board and hold bad actors accountable. The board will be comprised of residents representing a diverse cross section of renters.

   

• Incentivize the revitalization of blighted or vacant properties. We must explore financial incentives to address blight and reintroduce vacant buildings into the housing supply, particularly as affordable housing, including grants, tax incentives, and loans for preventative maintenance and repairs.

   

• Create public-private partnerships with flexible capital, including municipal dollars, that support the growth of affordable housing. This has proven to be in cities across the country and it has the potential to attract significant private dollars.

   

• Coordinate with other localities in our region to develop an actionable strategic plan for investments in affordable housing. The rising costs of homeownership and renting is not an issue isolated solely to the housing within the city limits, but rather is a regional issue that requires regional collaboration to address. My administration will be committed to partnering with our neighboring localities, increasing our investments in affordable and deeply affordable housing, dedicating funds to better address the needs of those who are unhoused or housing insecure, and identifying opportunities for pursuing additional state and federal grants that can be used to tackle these challenges.

   

• Enact less restrictive zoning policy that will improve the supply of affordable housing, such as increasing the number of possible units by moving from “single family” zoning to residential zoning that allows for more units.

   

• Engage directly with the neighborhoods and Richmonders. Richmond will have to increase the density and supply of housing availability in order to address the housing crisis. However, it is vital that we hear direct input from affected communities and have an open dialogue about how we can increase density while also balancing preservation efforts. As we make policy changes and investments to address this housing crisis, we can work with communities across Richmond to ensure that we are doing so in a manner that also considers the history of our neighborhoods and without displacing long term residents of these communities.

   

• Improve the efficiency of the permitting process and institute a “shot clock.” In order to help grow the supply of housing across Richmond, City Hall must be responsive and timely in permitting and review of proposed projects. Identifying and addressing organizational inefficiencies, instituting a “shot clock” in the permitting process, and increasing the administrative support needed to meet those targets will help accelerate permitting processes for home builders and businesses alike.

   

• Continue to fund the Eviction Diversion Program as well as increase tenants’ access to free eviction mediation and legal counsel resources in order to reduce the amount of evictions.