Today, Idris O’ Connor, candidate for HD-31, introduced the “Housing First Plan,” to address the Affordable Housing Crisis and homelessness within the district. He released the following statement via press release:

“April is National Fair Housing Month which celebrates the 1968 passage of the federal Fair Housing Act. It prohibits housing discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status. Virginia enacted its own fair housing laws in 1972. The state has a long way to go to ensure the promise of federal and state fair housing programs.

As a long-time advocate to end homelessness, and a supporter of affordable housing, I know that our most vulnerable communities, particularly our Black, Brown and LGBTQ+ neighbors, often experience housing insecurity at higher levels. Therefore, housing policy is not just an economic issue; it’s a human rights issue and our Commonwealth must step up, and take moral leadership, to end the affordable housing crisis and homelessness.”

“An individual working 40-hours a week, at minimum wage, cannot afford to live in the 31st District much less raise a family. Even under the state’s new minimum wage of $11.00, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2022, a working family would not make enough to afford an apartment in Dale City where the average monthly rent is around $1,300 and will most likely increase before this law takes effect. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated homelessness across Virginia, and that’s why we must act swiftly to address our shortage of affordable housing and expand tenants’ rights across the 31st District and beyond.”

O’Connor released his vision to resolve these issues through enactment of the Housing First Plan by doing the following:

Increase the number of dedicated affordable units to combat the statewide shortage of
157,000+ units available to low-income households at 30% or lower of their average area
median income.
● Provide additional funding towards the First Time Home Buyers Grant Program to
support first time home buyers in the Commonwealth
● Invest in homelessness prevention and wrap around services for Virginians facing
housing insecurity
● Increase funding Virginia’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF).
● Extend the state-wide eviction moratoriums and create incentives for landlords and
property managers to actively apply for rent relief for their tenants.
● Enact a statewide “Tenant Bill of Rights” and universal rent control across the
Commonwealth to counteract predatory increases that can be imposed by landlords.
● Increase availability and funding for permanent supportive housing solutions for
Virginians experiencing homelessness through banning subsidies to corporate landlords
and luxury real estate developers.
● Enact zoning reform to increase the amount of inclusionary zoning throughout the
Commonwealth to incentivize developers to designate a fixed percentage of housing units
as below market-rate.
● Provide greater protections for mobile home owners, including rent controls, and
allowing mobile home owners the ability to purchase mobile home parks when the owner
plans to sell to a third-party.

He concludes with the following, “As Delegate, I will work to ensure that housing is a basic human right in Virginia. Every Virginian should have access to a safe, healthy and affordable home to live and thrive in. The Housing First Plan will be a top priority as your Delegate.”