Change is the Only Constant

Change is the Only Constant
By Tommy Herbert

Virginia’s Rent and Mortgage Relief Program is now transitioning to just the Virginia Rent Relief Program. A raft of imperfect housing bills that have passed the Virginia House of Delegates floats into less certain waters in the Senate of Virginia. Over 500 million dollars of federal rent relief are flowing into Virginia, and with them new strings attached to the money. It seems that the only thing that can be counted on lately when it comes to government affairs is constant, unpredictable change.

Virginia’s legislators, in their rush to aid struggling renters, have enacted a crippling tangle of eviction protections, and are attempting to make permanent some policies that were intended to be temporary responses to the pandemic. The new political realities that face the apartment industry and housing providers as a whole threaten dangerous unintended consequences; among them housing production shortages, more risk-averse screening terms, and a weakening of housing stability, not only for residents but for housing providers themselves, who have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VAMA continues to combat the politically expedient stereotype of housing providers that has emerged throughout the pandemic. A small sample of bad actors, a slow recovery of the labor force, and the increasing pressure of pandemic policies on the economy have created a financial crunch at both ends of the landlord/tenant relationship. As residents struggle to pay rent and housing providers in turn struggle to meet their financial obligations, “greedy landlords,” emerge as a convenient political scapegoat. This problem is compounded by slow initial ramp-ups in relief programs and continuing, sometimes contradictory layers of eviction moratoria that severely limit our members’ abilities to maintain their communities.

As VAMA’s legislative team continues to work hard to fight industry-averse legislation, we are also making an impact more than ever to create good policy for our residents as well as housing providers. A bill that VAMA proactively put in to increase resident awareness of their rights is making its way unanimously out of the House and over to the Senate. Bills to combat NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard) and to help support affordable housing developments also provide highlights. These are just a few of the bills that we are monitoring, speaking with legislators on, and working to negotiate with stakeholders.  

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.” While I must promise more change to come, what I can promise is that myself, the Legislative Team, and everyone here at VAMA is committed to making it positive change. If you ever have questions about VAMA and government affairs at the state or local level, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at tommy@vamaonline.org.