REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT TO HB1279 I am writing to urge a NO vote on HB1279 (and sister bill SB388) as currently written. While I support the mission of our religious institutions to provide aid and housing solutions, this legislation is concerning because it creates a "fast-track" for high-density development that bypasses the rights of Virginia homeowners. By removing local oversight, the Commonwealth risks choosing institutional preference over the due process rights of its taxpaying citizens. This issue is deeply personal to me. My husband and I own a home that borders a local church in an R3-zoned neighborhood. The church has expressed interest in building a large-scale apartment complex on their property, with density possibly exceeding R20. Rather than the beautifully quiet wooded property we purchased for our growing family, we are now facing the realization that we could border an apartment complex hosting over 100 units. Thankfully, the current County approval process has served as a necessary "pressure valve" for this project. It has ensured the development process is transparent, allowing for traffic studies, density reviews, and meaningful community dialogue between the church and the neighbors. Without these existing local protections: - A massive construction project would be automatically greenlit in the middle of a quiet, low-density residential neighborhood with zero recourse for the people who live there. - The fundamental character of an R3 zone—the environment homeowners invested in with the expectation of stability—could be permanently altered without a public hearing. It is deeply heartbreaking to think that a lifetime of investment in a home can be undermined without any opportunity for a constructive conversation. Or that our only recourse to such a project would be to sell our property. Zoning laws ensure that new developments are compatible with existing infrastructure. When you bypass the Planning Commission, you don't just "cut red tape"—you cut out the neighbors and irrevocably damage the community. As currently written, this legislation is a recipe for creating friction between religious institutions and the families that surround them. I respectfully request that the Legislature amend HB1279 to include language that: - Provides for local officials to review proposals to ensure they meet safety, utility, and infrastructure standards; - Requires community hearings and participation for these proposed real estate developments to ensure transparency and neighborly dialogue; and - Maintains local zoning compatibility to ensure projects remain consistent with the density and character of the surrounding residential area. Compassionate housing policy should not come at the cost of the rights of Virginia’s homeowners. Effective policy requires a seat at the table for everyone. I ask that you report these bills "unfavorably" until language is added that guarantees the neighbors and surrounding community a voice in the process. Thank you for your time and for your service to our Commonwealth.

I stand with VCDL on these bills.

I request that you vote no on this proposal. Religious and non-profit organizations in Arlington (where I live) mostly inhabit low-density areas and these do not allow large-scale or even medium scale property development, i.e. currently you may only build up to a six plex on any lot. So this is not a practical way to add affordable housing, as it either requires you to 1) drastically upzone the area where the property is located, and REMOVE it from the "social" purpose of the community. Even with 60% CAF's and 50 years affordability, the property transitions from non-profit and community focused to a "for profit" status over the long term, changing the purpose of that land use. Affordable units make more sense in higher density areas, which Arlington has four approved medium to high density corridors. Or it requires you to get only minimal numbers of units on the subdivided lots, again promoting inefficient land use. Further, these projects, of which Arlington has already had a numbere approved via Special GLUP processes, have involved upzoning and they require very high density, up to 100 units per acre, to qualify for LIHTC credits in Virginia. These projects introduce high density into low density areas, and Arlington has shown that it does not provide the adequat services and infrastructure for such upzoned projects, meaning that the project backfires fiscally on the community in the outyears. Given our current fiscal situation, that is very poor governance. This is not a solution for what we need, which is preservation of low-cost housing, nor more market rate units, with projects converting back to all market rates and churches being sidelined at the end of the affordability period. It also entails significant loss of natural resources as these sites are often homes to large trees and landscaped areas. Arlington has done its part for housing; with montlhy densification projects for more housing, including affordable housing; it does not need to density AGAIN and PERSISTENTLY to remove the little community owned lands still extant in our very small, fully developed jurisdiction

As a member of Charlottesville City Council, I write in full support of HB1279. It will provide a practical, impactful path for faith organizations to more easily build desperately needed affordable housing throughout Virginia

Our historic, urban core member cities are acutely aware of the need for housing and land use tools. Please help us preserve the historic nature of some of America’s oldest cities and neighborhoods. Where it has made sense, many of our cities have done away with parking minimums, allowed ADUs by right, and have welcomed manufactured and modular housing that helps solve affordable housing options and increase housing stock. However, a mandated housing policy such as found in HB 1279 does not serve the greater community, nor does it preserve all that makes our historic older cities great.

Good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee. My name is Tracey Hardney Scott, Housing Chair for the Virginia State Conference NAACP, and I am here in strong support of this legislation advancing affordable housing on land owned by tax-exempt religious and nonprofit organizations. Virginia is facing a severe affordable housing crisis. This bill offers a smart and practical solution by allowing housing to be developed **by right on land already dedicated to serving the public good. By removing unnecessary zoning barriers and discretionary approvals, the bill lowers costs and speeds up the delivery of housing our communities urgently need. We strongly support the requirement that at least 60 percent of units be affordable and that affordability be preserved for **a minimum of 50 years. These provisions ensure long-term stability and help prevent displacement. The bill also balances local interests by subjecting completed developments to local property taxation unless explicitly exempted by the locality. Faith-based and nonprofit organizations have long served as trusted community anchors. This legislation empowers them to be part of the solution while maintaining accountability and public benefit. We respectfully urge your support.

I am the pastor of Community of Faith UMC, located in the Franklin Farm community of Fairfax County. We are actively pursuing using our unused, excess land to build affordable housing based on our long-standing commitment to serving the community through our church and food pantry. For the past 26 years we have continued to witness the growing inability for hard-working individuals and families to live in the communities where they work - and still have enough money for basic necessities. In the early months of our efforts last year, we were met by swift, loud resistance (yard signs, matching t-shirts, angry emails and letters from our POA and closest neighbors) before a concept was even developed! This grass-roots effort came with the threat of expensive lawsuits (the Franklin Farm POA has already spent over $30,000 without willingness to have civil conversations). We need state legislation to streamline the process so that together we can meet the current crisis head on. I implore you to support HB1279 to enable churches and non-profits to efficiently and affordably live out their values while serving the most essential needs of the community without duress or delay. Thank you!

Fairlington Presbyterian Church, where I am pastor, sensed God calling us several years ago to explore how we could better use the large parking lot behind the church that sat empty for most of the week. We eventually entered into an agreement with Wesley Housing, an affordable housing developer who bought a portion of our parking lot to build the Waypoint at Fairlington: 81 apartments with nine set aside for adults with disabilities. The proceeds from the sale of property to Wesley Housing enabled us to renovate the church to make our old building fully accessible for worshippers with disabilities. Now we share space with our neighbors, providing a community daycare, camps and classes for kids, and meeting spaces for support groups. Since that time, other pastors have reached out to me and asked, How can we do what you did? The answer is, you may not be able to. We were blessed - we had the time and resources to navigate a five-year process, with support from local leaders. Many others don’t. Outdated zoning laws and costly rezoning processes often block these efforts - that’s what’s happened to a Presbyterian Church a few neighborhoods away that wanted to build 90 affordable homes for seniors. That's why I am advocating for this legislation. Across Virginia, faith institutions collectively own more than 74,000 acres of land - nearly twice the size of Richmond. At least 30 faith groups have tried to build housing, but fewer than half have succeeded because of local rezoning processes that are lengthy, costly, and unpredictable. We want the state to give the freedom back to faith communities to do what they feel called to do with the land they own, and tell local governments to remove red tape blocking them. The legislation still maintains necessary guardrails for health and safety through administrative approval processes. One researcher estimates that 100,000 American churches may close in the next few decades, based on declining attendance numbers and rising costs of maintaining older buildings. The redevelopment of churches for affordable homes will enable many smaller churches to survive, and continue to benefit their communities. Congregations generate economic value to their communities because they spend locally and hire locally; they host events that bring people to the community who spend money there; they share space in their buildings, at low cost or no cost; and they provide needed resources and services to the community. Statewide zoning reform that makes it easier for congregations to redevelop their properties and keep their doors open will provide multiple benefits to communities, beyond the value of housing.