Richmond, Va. – Today, Mayoral candidate and 1st District City Councilmember Andreas Addison released a comprehensive seven-point plan to address housing affordability, scarcity, homelessness, and the displacement of low-income and legacy residents. 

“Everyone deserves the dignity of having a safe, clean, affordable home. But for many Richmonders, housing costs have risen faster than incomes, especially for low-wage earners and seniors on fixed incomes,” Addison said. “Our broken housing system is pushing an increasing number of Richmonders into financial peril due to the scarcity of affordable housing and the sharp rise in evictions and residents facing homelessness.”

“We’re also dealing with the displacement of legacy residents who can no longer afford to maintain their homes and a lack of coordination within city hall to adequately address these critical issues,” Addison added. “We have incredible potential to transform our citywide approach to housing, but we need to ensure internal stakeholders within City Hall and regional leaders are aligned on adapting housing policies across central Virginia to meet the housing needs of all residents.”

Addison’s plan consists of seven proposals to address these challenges, each accompanied by detailed, policy-driven strategies prepared with input from a wide range of local housing advocates, policy experts, and community leaders. 

1. Creating More Housing Options: Addison’s administration will confront this crisis by realigning the city's development rules to encourage infill development, build and preserve multi-family development, expedite permits for affordable housing development, create affordable housing development along transit corridors, and expand housing options for low and very-low-income households.

2. The Creation of the Richmond Housing Conservancy: Based on a similar concept that is already used in D.C., the conservancy model involves a non-profit partnering with outside investment to acquire and manage apartment buildings to preserve affordable units. The conservancy can target buildings in high-opportunity neighborhoods, aiming to prevent displacement and create stable communities. 

3. Supporting Richmonders Facing Eviction: Addison has been vocal in his support for families facing housing insecurity and pledges to provide critical support for Richmonders facing eviction, guaranteeing Right to Counsel policies that provide attorneys to residents to residents facing eviction. His administration would also provide One-Shot Deal Eviction Diversion, which would provide a one-time grant to Richmonders to cover housing-related expenses and help families stay in their homes.

4. Ensuring Richmonders Can Age in Place: Addison’s housing policy includes efforts to help prevent the displacement of legacy residents, including critical home repair programs, increasing investments in partnerships with advocates like Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), property tax relief, and creating 55+ senior communities within a quarter-mile of high-frequency transit stops.

5. Transforming the Richmond Regional Housing Authority (RRHA): Addison’s administration will take a proactive approach, centering RRHA residents in the process of redeveloping Richmond’s public housing stock to prevent displacement, ensure families have access to safe and dignified housing, and strengthen the community that residents have been building despite neglect from its City government. Addison pledges to work with RRHA to restore Richmond’s public housing stock to its Faircloth Limit.

6. Confronting Homelessness: To stem the sharp rise in Richmonders facing homelessness, Addison’s administration will amend zoning ordinances to allow more emergency shelters, expand partnerships with organizations to provide year-round emergency housing with supportive services, and leverage the housing and funding expertise of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

7. Increasing Citywide Awareness and Collaboration Around Housing Policy: Addison’s administration will engage key stakeholders like the Partnership for Housing Affordability (PHA) to develop and fund a housing policy educational program, increase awareness and improve relationships with landlords on housing voucher rights, and create a center for homeownership that will be a clearinghouse for information on city programs, grants, loans, and education.

Read Addison’s full housing plan.

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About Andreas Addison

Andreas Addison is a public servant, small business owner, and educator serving the Richmond community for over 15 years. Addison represents the 1st District on Richmond City Council, with a proven track record of fighting for affordable housing, greater connectivity in the region, and investments for greater city services. He is the owner of Pure Fitness RVA in Scott’s Addition and is an adjunct professor at UVA in the School of Public Policy. A strong advocate for thriving communities, Addison is committed to a socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, and prosperous Richmond for working families. Addison married his wife, Allison, in 2023, and the couple resides in the Museum District. Join the movement at andreasaddison.com.