Spanberger: “This Plan is a Blueprint for How My Administration Will Get to Work on Day One to Put Virginians First”
RICHMOND, Va. — Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger outlined her plan to lower Virginians’ housing costs in a new Richmond Times-Dispatch op-ed.
On Friday, Spanberger announced her plan to lower Virginians’ housing costs at a housing development construction site in eastern Henrico County.
Click here to read her op-ed from Sunday’s edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and the full text is below.
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Richmond Times-Dispatch: Abigail Spanberger: Virginia can make housing affordable. Here’s how
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Virginians deserve a governor who is focused on responding to the most pressing issues that impact our communities and our commonwealth’s growth. And across Virginia, high costs at the pharmacy counter, in our energy bills and in the housing market are impacting families, business owners and Virginia’s long-term strength.
As a candidate for governor, I’ve been laying out my plans to make Virginia more affordable. Last month, I announced my priorities to lower health care and prescription drug costs. And last week, I announced a straightforward agenda to increase the supply of housing Virginians can actually afford. This plan is a blueprint for how my administration will get to work on day one to put Virginians first.
This plan responds to what I’m hearing on the ground. Everywhere I travel across the commonwealth, I hear about the high cost of housing — from our cities to our suburbs to our rural communities. Virginians describe how the housing shortage and Virginia’s varied housing supply are driving up prices, locking some Virginians into homes that cannot accommodate their families and locking others out of homeownership. The status quo isn’t working.
The shortage of available and affordable homes is driving up prices for everyone. Whether they’re a first-time home buyer or a business looking to come to Virginia, they’re impacted. Whether they’re a family looking to put down roots in our commonwealth or a retiree trying to downsize, they’re impacted. Whether they’re young professionals facing high rent prices, they’re impacted. And whether they’re a senior looking to remain at home or a police officer just wanting to live in the community they serve, they’re feeling the sting.
Virginia leaders need to listen to these stories — and they need to pursue an agenda that addresses the roots of this chronic problem. And as Virginia’s next governor, that’s exactly what I’ll do — I’ll take commonsense steps to increase the availability of homes Virginians can afford.
As the next governor of Virginia, I’ll work with Virginia’s counties and cities to find solutions that make sense for them, so that they can take more active roles in making housing more available — and more affordable.
The commonwealth must give our localities the flexibility they need to build enough homes to meet local demand and address the unique challenges facing their residents. The same policy reforms that bring down costs in Richmond City may not go far enough in Richmond County, or vice versa.
I believe that the commonwealth of Virginia shouldn’t be mandating one-size-fits-all solutions. Rather, it should be focused on doing what works best in each individual community for the buyers and renters who live there — or want to live there. Virginia needs a governor who is a partner.
Come January, we’ll also target investments to incentivize new construction of homes that first-time homeowners and middle-class families can afford. We will protect existing affordable housing. And we will invest in unused or underutilized properties that can be redeveloped into affordable places to live.
Additionally, my administration will reduce burdensome red tape and regulations that are slowing down housing construction in Virginia. Right now, regulatory requirements are driving up Virginians’ housing costs for no good reason — compounding production costs without actually improving quality or safety. Both at the state and local level, the commonwealth can make the planning and permitting processes more efficient, speed things up, and get more families their keys and deeds.
As governor, I will also make sure we are protecting our neighbors who need us. I will extend the amount of time between when Virginia renters are given notice and when their landlords can file for eviction. And I will enforce Virginia’s fair housing laws to make sure Virginians are given equal opportunity to find affordable housing. All Virginians deserve a safe place to sleep at night.
At this moment, Virginians need a governor who seeks to bring stability to Virginia — especially amid both widespread instability at the federal level and the Trump administration’s tariffs, which are a massive tax on Virginia families and businesses. I’ll be a governor who will put Virginia families first, with a real plan to bring down housing costs.
While we may not ease all of the economic impacts of knee-jerk decisions in Washington, here in Richmond we can take concrete steps to make sure more Virginians can afford a home.
That starts by removing hurdles to construction, not just talking about them. That starts with making it easier for communities to meet housing demand, not making it harder. And that starts with real plans to govern, not grandstand.
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BACKGROUND
Additionally, Spanberger last month announced her plan to lower healthcare and prescriptions costs for seniors and working families.
At a family-owned pharmacy in Hanover County, Spanberger made clear how as the next Governor of Virginia, she will crack down on bad actors who inflate the cost of Virginians’ prescription drugs, improve access to affordable healthcare options in Virginia’s rural and underserved communities, and make sure no Virginian goes bankrupt because of a medical emergency. She also discussed her plan at an event in Norfolk.
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