'Folks are struggling': Henrico delegates are laser-focused on affordability for the 2026 legislative session

During the past year, delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling (D-80th District) has gotten a number of desperate calls from her Eastern Henrico constituents, some who work two or three jobs, saying that they cannot afford to pay their utility bills and are at risk of eviction.

“I’ve got folks that call me and say, ‘I’m going to be evicted on Friday, because I chose to get my child’s asthma pump rather than pay my bill, or I chose to get groceries,’” she said. “We are the United States of America. No one should be choosing over access to water and electricity, or a roof over their head.”

State senator Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-16th District) has heard similar challenges from school teachers and other middle-class workers in Western Henrico who are being priced out of the area. 

“I’m very afraid that for people with middle-class, public employee-type jobs – let alone our service workers and more vulnerable communities – that the days of them being able to afford a home in Western Henrico are gone,” he said.

With the Virginia General Assembly session kicking off this week, the seven Democratic legislators who represent the majority of Henrico County (two Republicans – Del. Buddy Fowler and Sen. Luther Cifers III – represent small sections) are gearing up to address major issues of affordability, mainly in two areas: housing and energy.

After November’s elections, with Democrat May Nivar (D-57th District) ousting Republican David Owen, all seven legislators are Democrats. And several are carrying key bills and amendments that are among Governor-Elect Abigail Spanberger’s top priorities this year for her “affordability agenda.”

Bolling, who was appointed as the whip for the Democratic caucus this session, has introduced several Spanberger-endorsed initiatives that aim to bring energy costs down for homeowners and renters. Her bills would establish a grid utilization standard for Dominion Energy and create a task force to help identify barriers for Virginians in accessing the state’s energy efficiency programs.

A bill proposed by VanValkenburg would aim to incentivize Dominion Energy to invest more into renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power by removing changing certain state requirements.

“We have a bigger energy deficit than any state in the county,” he said. “We need more energy, and the cheapest and quickest way to get that is to build solar.”

On the housing side, senator Lashrecse Aird (D-13th District) hopes to address Henrico’s high rate of evictions by giving localities more authority to enforce tenants’ rights when landlords have failed to properly upkeep a property. 

In recent talks with several Henrico County judges, Aird said she learned that many families will stop paying rent when the property owner is not making necessary repairs, prompting eviction risks.

“I’ve heard that for people who are renting in Henrico, the conditions of properties can be subpar and the need for increased tenant protections is just significant,” she said. “We’re hoping that if we can give local government more power, we can put families in a position where they don’t feel like they have to stop paying their rent because there’s a hole in their roof or there’s mold forming.”

VanValkenburg also hopes to push through initiatives that would allow more housing to be built in commercially-zoned areas. After seeing Henrico’s success at redeveloping old commercial areas such as Regency and West Broad Village into new housing, VanValkenburg hopes to spur other localities to do the same in order to increase the state’s housing supply.

Along with rising housing prices, Western Henrico also has a childcare problem, said delegate Rodney Willett (D-58th District). Many families in the area spend 15-20% of their income just on childcare – which is “like another mortgage” for families, Willett said. 

The delegate, who was recently appointed as the chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, said that while progress has been made in expanding childcare subsidies, legislators need to address the 13,000 families that are still on the waiting list.

Willett also is carrying a notable constitutional amendment that would allow the General Assembly to change the state’s congressional districts outside of the standard redistricting cycle. While the amendment would not require redistricting, it would give legislators the option, he said.

“The pressure is still there with the other states that are still doing President Trump’s bidding, and it really did leave us no choice but to have our own option here in Virginia,” Willett said.

Willett’s redistricting amendment has already been passed by the House and will now face a vote in the Senate.

After recent news that several nursing homes in Henrico have been found to have concerning conditions – including one center that was identified as one of the worst long-term care facilities in the country – Nivar has proposed a statewide public portal that would allow families to see how nursing homes have done on inspections and information on incidents involving emergency calls.

Other bills from the Henrico delegation

Other bills pre-filed or anticipated to be filed by Henrico delegates and senators this session include:

• Increasing teacher salaries to the national average – Aird: requires the 2027 and 2028 budget bills to increase the average teacher salary in Virginia to at least the national average teacher salary by the end of fiscal year 2029.

• Retirement benefits for members of law enforcement – Nivar: adds corrections officers and other law enforcement members to membership in the Virginia Law Officers’ Retirement System.

• Restorative disciplinary practices in schools – Del. Delores McQuinn (D-81st District): prevents public schools from suspending or expelling a student without implementing at least one evidence-based restorative disciplinary practice, except in cases involving drugs or firearms.

• Alternative pathway to a standard diploma for students with disabilities – Bolling: establishes an alternative pathway to a standard diploma for high school students with individualized education plans that includes test modifications.

• More oversight of casinos and gaming facilities – Aird: establishes the Virginia Gaming Commission to oversee and regulate all forms of legal gambling in Virginia except for the state lottery.

• African American Studies graduation requirement – Sen. Lamont Bagby (D-14th District): allows students to take African American History or AP African American Studies to fulfill the history and social studies graduation requirement for high schools.

• Loan program for medical students – Willett: establishes the Medical Education Loan-for-Service Fund and Program for eligible medical students in higher education institutions.

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s government and education reporter. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.