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A nearly decade-long path to build 10 affordable townhouses on church property in Fairfax City is fueling a push to remove a major approval hurdle for similar projects across Virginia.
Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read testified in support of legislation that would allow religious organizations to develop housing on their land by right, without seeking a special exception, special-use permit, conditional-use permit or rezoning that requires public hearings and votes.
State Sen. Jeremy McPike’s Senate Bill 388 would require at least 60% of homes in an eligible development to remain committed affordable units for at least 30 years.
The Senate Committee on Local Government advanced the bill Monday on a 9-4 vote, with one abstention, sending it to the full Senate. If approved, the measure would have a delayed effective date of Sept. 1, 2026.
A companion measure in the House, HB 1279, was amended in committee and would need approval again during the 2027 General Assembly session before taking effect.
Fairfax project took years to reach construction
In supporting both bills, Read highlighted Glebe View, a 10-townhouse project that Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia is building on Fairfax Presbyterian Church property at 10723 Main Street.
Read said she testified as an affordable-housing advocate, not in her official role as mayor. The Fairfax City Council remained neutral on the legislation.
The rezoning process can be among the costliest and most time-consuming stages of affordable-housing development, Read said. Glebe View underwent a full rezoning that included five public hearings, extensive testimony, neighborhood outreach and other public meetings.
Read said those proceedings gave project opponents repeated opportunities to dominate discussions in a way she did not believe reflected the overall views of city residents.
Nearly 10 years passed between the church’s initial housing discussions and the project’s 2024 groundbreaking. The homes were originally intended for households earning 40% to 60% of the area median income, but construction costs rose during the prolonged approval process. Developers ultimately increased the eligibility threshold to 80% of area median income.
“Every time you delay something, the market forces themselves simply make it more expensive to build,” Read said. “And this is happening in my city.”
Other development rules would remain
Read emphasized that the legislation would remove only the rezoning requirement. Projects would still need administrative approval for site plans, design reviews and other permits.
Glebe View, for example, remained subject to height and setback limits, site-plan review and approval of improvements to the church’s street entrance.
“This is not a blank check at all for them to build whatever they want,” Read said. “There are height restrictions, there are density restrictions. They are subject to all the same restrictions as any other housing being built in the city. The only thing that is going to be by right is the ability to build housing.”
McPike said the legislation also includes protections intended to prevent new owners from quickly flipping properties.
Fairfax County supervisors were divided over allowing affordable housing by right on religious properties. Some supported reducing bureaucratic barriers, while others were wary of removing public hearings. The Board of Supervisors did not take a position on the specific bill in its 2026 legislative program, although it supports state incentives and funding for affordable housing.
Arlington County Board member Julius D. “JD” Spain Sr. and Manassas Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger also registered to testify before the Senate committee.
Read called the proposal one tool for confronting a housing-affordability crisis, while acknowledging that it would not solve the problem on its own.
Other housing measures advance
The Senate Committee on Local Government also advanced bills that would:
- Allow multifamily housing by right in most commercial or business districts.
- Expand the number of localities permitted to establish affordable-housing dwelling-unit programs.
- Remove a cap on home-purchase grants for local government employees.
- Require localities to create transit-oriented districts permitting up to 10 homes by right on any lot.
- Allow manufactured housing in agricultural zones.
A proposal from state Sen. Saddam Salim, whose district includes Fairfax City, to eliminate minimum parking requirements did not pass. Legislation from state Sen. Jennifer Boysko that would let localities adopt anti-rent-gouging ordinances was postponed until the 2027 General Assembly session.