# Virginia HB352: Local authority; authorized by ordinance to establish affordable housing performance grant programs. Virginia HB352, Local authority; authorized by ordinance to establish affordable housing performance grant programs., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Joshua E. Thomas (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0386)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB352-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia HB352 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Local authority; authorized by ordinance to establish affordable housing performance grant programs. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-12 - Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0386) - Sponsor: Joshua E. Thomas (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (181 yes, 41 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary Local authority; affordable housing performance grant programs. Allows any locality that has created an industrial development authority or economic development authority (the Authority) to establish, by ordinance, an affordable housing performance grant program. The bill outlines that such ordinance authorizes the Authority to award affordable housing performance grants to qualifying applicants. Such an ordinance must include: (i) a definition of affordable housing; (ii) grant application guidelines and processes, including an identification of the local officer that is designated to receive applications; (iii) criteria for determining whether the construction or improvement of property qualifies for the awarding of the grant; (iv) provisions that require an applicant seeking the award of a grant to acquire appropriate permits and complete the construction or improvement to develop affordable housing before such a grant will be awarded; (v) provisions that require an applicant seeking the award of a grant to present evidence demonstrating that he has filed and recorded a restrictive covenant to provide affordable housing on the property for a set term, as determined by the ordinance, provided that such term shall be no more than 30 years, on the subject qualifying property before such a grant will be awarded; and (vi) a timeline for the Authority to award grants to qualifying applicants, which may be either upon the completion of the construction or improvement of the property, or on January 1 of the year following the completion of the construction or improvement of the property. The bill also limits the total amount of any such grant to being no more than the amount equal to the increase in assessed value resulting from the construction or improvement of a property. Finally, the bill permits a locality that adopts such ordinance to impose a fee, not to exceed $250, to offset the costs of processing an application. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Front Royal projects can include Warren County: benefit, low. The Town of Front Royal can create its own industrial development authority. That authority may include Warren County in its projects for five years, ending July 1, 2025. - Grants for building affordable housing: mixed, medium. Localities with an industrial or economic development authority can create a grant program by ordinance. Property owners can apply after getting permits and finishing the work, confirmed by the local assessor. Applicants must record a covenant to keep the homes affordable for a term set locally, up… - Local authorities expand financing, face limits: mixed, medium. Local industrial or economic development authorities can make loans and grants for economic development and affordable housing using money not pledged to bonds. They may forgive loans when it furthers those goals. Any board meeting where formal action is taken is open to the public. Authorities can… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joshua E. Thomas (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 25 | 15 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-03-02 | Senate | Reported from Local Government | pass | 11 | 4 | | | 2026-01-29 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 78 | 21 | | | 2026-01-23 | House | Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns | pass | 19 | 1 | | | 2026-01-22 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 8 | 0 | | ## Actions (24) - 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0386) (Governor) - 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 386 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (House) - 2026-03-12: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-03-11: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB352ER) (House) - 2026-03-11: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-11: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Passed Senate (25-Y 15-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Read third time (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Reported from Local Government (11-Y 4-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Referred to Committee on Local Government (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Read third time and passed House (78-Y 21-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-01-28: Read second time and engrossed (House) - 2026-01-27: Read first time (House) - 2026-01-23: Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (19-Y 1-N) (House) - 2026-01-22: Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) (House) - 2026-01-20: Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #2 (House) - 2026-01-12: Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (House) - 2026-01-12: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104537D (House) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217783.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217782.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-03-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200562.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200561.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083969.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083968.PDF) ## Related bills - HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed) - SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed) - HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed) - HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed) - HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed) - HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed) ## Sources - [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217783.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217782.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200562.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1200561.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083969.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083968.PDF) ## Related - [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026) - [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026) - [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026) - [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026) - [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026) - [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026) - [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills) - [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB352-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).