CHAPTER 1023

An Act to amend and reenact § 15.2-2209.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to counties, cities, and towns; residential land development and construction fee transparency; local housing development; annual report and database.

[S 666]

Approved April 22, 2026

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 15.2-2209.3 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 15.2-2209.3. Residential land development and construction fee transparency; local housing development; annual report and database.

A. Every locality with a population greater than 3,500 shall submit an annual report no later than March 1 of each year to the Department of Housing and Community Development (the Department) containing the following information from the preceding calendar year:

1. The total fee revenue collected by the locality over the preceding calendar year in connection with the processing, reviewing, and permitting of applications for residential land development and construction activities, including the total fee revenue attributable to any individual residential developments that were approved, under construction, or completed during the preceding calendar year;

2. The total number of applications for new residential developments submitted to the locality;

3. The total number of applications for new residential developments approved by the locality;

4. The total number of new housing units with long-term use restrictions limiting occupancy based on income and the total number of new market rate units;

5. The total number of new housing units with long-term use restrictions limiting occupancy to households with incomes at or below 80 percent, 50 percent, and 30 percent of area median income, respectively;

6. The term and end date of all long-term use restrictions based on income for new residential developments; and

7. The average approval timeline for new single-family and multifamily residential development applications from the date of submission to the date of approval or denial, broken down into each phase of the approval process.

B. Any locality that submits a report pursuant to subsection A shall further submit data for any existing residential development containing:

1. The total number of submitted and approved residential development applications;

2. The total number of housing units with long-term use restrictions based on income;

3. The term and end date of long-term use restrictions based on income; and

4. The average approval timeline for single-family and multifamily residential development applications from the date of submission to the date of approval or denial, broken down into each phase of the approval process.

C. The report reports required pursuant to subsections A and B shall be submitted by the locality in accordance with any guidelines and forms developed by the Department and the Commission on Local Government. The Department shall make the reports publicly available on its website in a centralized, machine-readable, screen reader compatible database. The Department shall maintain and update each datum annually for each locality.