Committee reports SB 388, the ‘Faith and Housing’ bill, with reenactment clause after mixed testimony

Senate Bill 388, known in the hearing as the "Faith and Housing" bill, was reported by the Counties, Cities and Towns committee with amendments and an added reenactment clause on a 13-8 vote after roughly an hour of debate and public testimony.

Sen. McPike, the bill’s patron, told the committee the adopted Senate amendments addressed environmental compliance and adjusted parking‑ratio calculations to account for nonresidential-to-residential conversions. The committee then added a reenactment clause—matching language on a related House bill—to allow additional work before the measure would take effect.

Housing advocates who testified in support described the bill as the product of extensive negotiation. Barrett Hardeman of the Commonwealth Housing Coalition thanked patrons and stakeholders for the work to reach the amended language. Sheila Hurley Hennessy of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy said, “We strongly support this bill,” and urged swift implementation so congregations and nonprofit property owners could begin supporting affordable housing in their communities.

Supporters also included Emily O’Brien of the Housing Solutions Coalition, who expressed appreciation for compromises made in the amendment process.

Local‑government and municipal groups raised objections. Joe Lurch of the Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) said the bill’s by‑right component risks “writing a zoning code for the whole state” and could create problems for local flexibility. Brent McKenzie of the City of Virginia Beach argued the bill lacked a required ownership tie to property and warned that private developers could exploit the statute in ways he said were not intended; he also described the bill’s 20‑units‑per‑acre density as “far, far too extreme” for many neighborhoods. Michelle Gowdy of the Virginia Municipal League and David Westcott of the City of Chesapeake asked the committee to keep the reenactment clause so further work could continue.

After the testimony and floor amendments, a committee member moved to report SB 388 as amended; the clerk recorded the vote and announced the bill "reports" on a vote of 13-8. With the reenactment clause included, the bill was sent forward in the legislative process.

The committee’s next procedural step was to place the reported bill on the docket for subsequent consideration by the full chamber; no final effective date was adopted on the committee floor beyond the reenactment language added in committee.