December 12, 2025
Contact: Debra Freeman, [email protected], 757-452-1143
New Virginia Majority Applauds Richmond City Council For Prioritizing Housing Issue
Richmond, Va. - New Virginia Majority (NVM) and Virginia Organizing’s Richmond chapter will host a press conference on December 16, 2025 at 12 p.m. at the General Assembly Building, Press Briefing Room, second floor (201 N 9th St, Richmond, Va.) to recognize a step towards more affordable housing and stronger tenant protections. In November, Richmond City Council passed the Residential Rental Inspection Program.
As a part of the Richmond Housing Justice Collective, NVM members, organizers, and partners led the charge in highlighting the escalating price of rent throughout the city, and members were at the forefront of advocating for tenants throughout the year by sharing their personal stories of how rising housing costs affected them. City council members are also expected to vote for anti-rent gouging as a part of Richmond’s 2026 statewide policy agenda that will advance to the General Assembly in 2026.
Kwesi Powell, a NVM member said, “There is a need for an inspection program and feel it is important in order to better sustain the housing market. Both of these programs are anti-displacement programs that make sure people can stay housed in safe and affordable housing. Being able to live in a healthy home, near a bus stop, is essential for me being a student with a job to stay afloat.”
Rachel Hefner, lead organizer at NVM said, “City council made two huge steps for creating a more just housing landscape for tenants. While our fight is not over, it has been an honor to work alongside brave and dedicated tenants to see these programs be voted on this week.”
NVM is committed to the continued work necessary to keep these anti-displacement measures moving during the 2026 General Assembly, so Richmond’s tenants have safe, affordable, and dignified housing.
To speak with a NVM member or staff, contact Debra Freeman at [email protected] or 757-452-1143.
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New Virginia Majority builds power in working-class communities of color, in immigrant communities, among LGBTQ people, women, youth, and progressives across the Commonwealth. We organize for racial and economic justice through large-scale political education, mobilization and advocacy around dozens of issues. We fight for a Virginia that is just, democratic and environmentally sustainable. For more information, visit our website.