🚨BREAKING: Governor Ron DeSantis says he will allow Florida voters to vote to ABOLISH PROPERTY TAXES. Do it EVERYWHERE! "If you own your home, to truly OWN it, you have to own it FREE and CLEAR of the government - you shouldn't have to pay rent to the government!" "We're gonna place a question on the BALLOT that is gonna allow Floridians to vote themselves relief from property tax." "Your personal home, we really believe, should not be subject to tax. It's an unrealized gain." "People say, 'that can't be done.' My question is, why can't it be done? [Broward] County, Florida. 1.9 million people. NO net population growth over the last 5 years, but the budget has increased 60%!" Democrats and Socialists are taxing us to death and destroying our country. Virginia will suffer just like Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington State, Colorado, and California.

Chair Askew, and Members of the Subcommittee: My name is Samuel Hooper, Legislative Counsel for the Institute for Justice (IJ), a Virginia-headquartered nonprofit law firm that works to protect civil and economic liberties, including property rights. Through strategic litigation in courthouses and advocacy in statehouses, IJ’s Zoning Justice Project seeks to reform restrictive zoning and land-use regulations that limit housing supply, drive up costs, and infringe upon private property rights. For too long, restrictive zoning laws have artificially constrained housing supply in Virginia cities, driving up costs and limiting options for both homeowners and renters. HB 611 tackles this problem by legalizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in residential single-family districts. This bill restores basic fairness to land use regulation by allowing homeowners to make reasonable, low impact use of their property while still adhering to clear rules. ADUs provide a market-driven solution to the housing shortage in Virginia, offering lower-cost rental housing without the need for government subsidies or taxpayer funding. By making it easier to build ADUs, HB 611 will help to alleviate pressure on housing markets and reduce rental costs across the state. When homeowners can create additional living spaces on their property, it provides more housing opportunities. Families will have greater flexibility to accommodate aging relatives, provide independent living spaces for young adults, or generate rental income to offset rising housing costs. Virginia has long been a leader in protecting property rights and limiting government overreach. HB 611 continues that tradition by ensuring that regulations do not stand in the way of homeowners who wish to build ADUs on their own property. The Institute for Justice urges the committee to advance this important legislation. Sincerely, Samuel Hooper Legislative Counsel Institute for Justice Telephone: 202-956-8390 shooper@ij.org

The North Virginia Beach Civic League (NVBCL) opposes any state legislation that: - Compels localities to allow Short-Term Rentals (STRs) or Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), - Limits the ability of localities to regulate STRs or ADUs, or - Overrides local authority for land use or planning as pertains to STRs or ADUs. NVBCL supports state legislation that gives incentives, authority, and/or funding to localities to increase housing inventory, including with ADUs and other affordable or attainable housing, without pre-empting local authority for land use or planning.

Comments Document

The North Virginia Beach Civic League (NVBCL) requests amendments to this bill. We support expanded availability of ADUs, including in our neighborhood, within a reasonable framework that preserves authority of localities to regulate zoning and land use and that does not needlessly pre-empt local authority. We would support this bill with the following amendments: 1. Modify paragraph B to encourage (rather than require) localities to allow ADUs in more single family districts as one of multiple strategies to increase housing inventory and affordability, as would be accomplished by HB804 and SB488 (which we support), without requiring localities to make ADUs a permitted use in all single-family districts - some of which are already densely developed and/or do not have sufficient infrastructure (e.g. water/sewer/stormwater management) for increased density. 2. Modify paragraph E.5 to strike “only at the time that an application is submitted to construct or convert an accessory dwelling unit.” 3. Strike paragraph F.1, or at least modify it, so that localities can require dedicated parking in districts where on-street parking is already limited, such as in districts with smaller lot sizes that are already densely developed. 4. Strike paragraph F.2 which conflicts with the allowable rear or side setback requirement in F.3. This is a fire safety issue, particularly in already densely developed neighborhoods. 5. Modify paragraph F.3 to allow localities to restrict ADU height to 75% of what would be allowed for the primary dwelling.