NVC's economic vision, the NOVA Roadmap, calls on us to build an economy that competes by design, not by default. One of the four main goals is to increase affordability, particularly in housing. Del. Helmer's bill is a market-based solution that would help encourage more housing development in office and industrial areas in need of redevelopment, but where the conversion from the current uses to residential would be too time consuming to undertake. While there are options that exist to convert aging office buildings to residential, those options typically still adhere to long and expensive regulatory processes. Speeding up these conversions by allowing by right development would incentivize developers to add residential options throughout Northern Virginia in areas with valuable amenities including schools and parks, and that are served by major roadways and mass transit. We thank Del. Helmer for his leadership on this issue and ask you report the bill.

Please support HB816. The core idea is to make it easier to build homes where jobs already exist by changing local zoning restrictions. It would legalize residential construction in many commercial, office, and retail zoning districts where housing is typically restricted, especially in high-opportunity areas with strong job markets. The intent is to allow more housing to be built “by right” (i.e., without expensive and uncertain rezoning processes), reducing costs and speeding up development near jobs. This fits into a broader effort to help workers live closer to employment centers and reduce housing cost burdens that hit families in high-demand regions hardest. 📜 Policy Goals Behind the Bill The policy motivation behind the “Housing Near Jobs” bill and related proposals includes: Increasing the housing supply in high-demand job centers so that working families aren’t priced out of areas where they are employed. Cutting red tape and permitting uncertainty that can delay or deter housing development. Addressing housing affordability by enabling more homes to be built quickly and predictably close to employment hubs. Thank you