Richmond group pushes plan to prevent resident displacement
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Victor McKenzie Jr. with the Richmond Planning Commission and members of Homes for All Our Neighbors present their proposal on Monday. Image: Courtesy of Homes for All Our Neighbors
Pro Code Refresh group Homes for All Our Neighbors is calling on City Hall to adopt new measures to help current Richmond residents stay in the city amid rising housing costs and a growing population.
Why it matters: The group says its proposals for targeted "displacement mitigation" can help locals most at risk of being pushed out over housing costs.
- Their proposals are especially critical now, the group says, because the city nixed the duplexes by right provision in its latest Code Refresh draft, which the nonprofit has said is key to housing affordability in Richmond.
State of play: The coalition of local housing nonprofits unveiled its four-part displacement prevention plan this week, which calls for:
Exempting duplex units that are less than 1,500 square feet from the "preservation bonus" outlined in the city's second Code Refresh draft.
- Under the latest draft, a duplex is allowed on a single-family lot if it's one building and if the existing home is preserved.
Establishing an Incentive Zoning Advisory Committee to start work on incentives the city could offer developers to encourage affordable units be built as part of market-rate developments.
- Localities are allowed to create these packages under a new state law that goes into effect in July 2027.
Building a public database of the city's affordable housing options so residents can find and apply for these homes in one place.
- The database would also allow officials to better track affordable units and any incentive packages that could be expiring.
Creating Equitable Development Districts — defined by neighborhoods most at risk for resident displacement based on housing data.
- Residents there would also get access to targeted displacement prevention programs, like tax relief or home repair help.
Zoom out: Homes for All Our Neighbors proposals are urgently needed to help residents stay, the group said, pointing to research that shows more than half of Richmond renters spend more than 30% or more of their income on rent.
- They also cited findings from their recent survey that showed nearly half of Richmonders — and the majority of renters — have considered moving due to high housing costs.
What they're saying: Mayor Danny Avula indicated he's receptive to some of the proposals, telling Axios in a statement that "Richmond needs more homes for more people, and we need to use every tool in the toolbox to get it done."
- Those tools include targeted anti-displacement efforts and the new policies allowed under state law, in addition to the Code Refresh updates, he continued.
Threat level: A Richmond family earning the city's median household income of $62,671 a year could afford a home that costs $188,000, according to local nonprofit PlanRVA's 2026 analysis of the region's housing market.
- The median sale price for a single family home in Richmond last month was $470,000, per the latest stats from the Richmond Association of Realtors.
What we're watching: If City Hall takes up any of the group's proposals as residents await draft three of Code Refresh, which "will drop in a few weeks," Avula says.