Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia (HOME)

08/31/2026

Please join us on September 2 to learn how you can help shape Chesterfield's future — through PlanMod.

PlanMod is Chesterfield’s new comprehensive plan. It builds on the earlier ZoMod, and it's on track for passage by this December.

To get you familiar with what HOME has learned about PlanMod — and how you can help — please join us on Wednesday Sept 2 at 6:30pm on Zoom:

➡️ Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/62uVias1TF2KYMEZvE4Okw

We will discuss PlanMod's options for affordable housing in Chesterfield, how you can advocate, and upcoming county listening sessions.

We hope you can join us!

08/28/2026

For decades, Regina Chaney has worked for a more just, more equitable housing landscape in Virginia — inspired by her own experience.

And for decades, we've known just how relentless her commitment is. When she retired last year as our longest-tenured staff member, people traveled from far and wide to celebrate her accomplishments.

Now, The Richmonder has honored Regina as one of its Richmonder 25 — a group of remarkable area residents who "take it upon themselves to make Richmond a better place."

➡️ Read: "Regina Chaney fights for fairness in housing"
https://www.richmonder.org/the-richmonder-25-regina-chaney-fights-for-fairness-in-housing/

The Richmonder's Heciel Nieves Bonilla interviewed Regina for an inspiring profile published this week.

The piece traces her arc — from being denied a loan on her own Church Hill home, to a first-in-the-South Community Reinvestment Act challenge she helped launch, to writing the grant that established HOME of VA's down payment assistance program in 1991.

As Regina told The Richmonder, at HOME she directly counseled "hundreds of families." The staff she trained supported thousands more — and the programs she helped lead live on.

Regina retired last year. Her work didn't.

🎉 The Richmonder is holding an event celebrating this year's "Richmonder 25" honorees on Friday, September 25. If you want to be in the room to celebrate with Regina, get your ticket today!
https://www.richmonder.org/the-richmonder-25-event-and-ticket-info/

For 42 years, Regina Chaney has lived and breathed housing advocacy in Virginia.

08/21/2026

Last week, with our partners in the Allies for Housing Action coalition, we told lawmakers what many renters already know: 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Lawmakers could stop them.

Since 2019, 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟯𝟬% 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 — and five of the ten cities with the highest eviction rates in the country are right here in our state.

A 𝟯% 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 could change that.

➡️ 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵: 𝟴 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 — https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/renters-left-puzzled-as-possible-anti-rent-gouging-bill-remains-at-a-standstill/

HOME of VA helps lead Allies for Housing Action with organizations like Legal Aid Justice Center, whose senior organizer Gustavo Espinosa put it plainly to 8 News: the conversation keeps centering landlords, he said, "𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟭 𝗶𝗻 𝟯 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀."

We've backed anti-rent-gouging legislation for years — and we'll push it again when the General Assembly meets in January. If you haven't already told lawmakers you believe in this bill, 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: https://www.keepvirginiahome.com/home

Virginia lawmakers are at a stalemate over a bill that could limit how much rents can increase each year.

08/18/2026

5th Annual Arlington Fair Housing Conference - Virtual Events – September 14th, October 5th, and October 26th

Virginia is under new leadership—and with it comes a renewed commitment to fighting housing discrimination. Join the NAACP Arlington Branch, Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) of Virginia, and the Equal Rights Center for the 5th Annual Arlington Fair Housing Conference, a series of three virtual events. You'll hear about the fair housing work of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General and Arlington County's progress in advancing fair and equitable housing for all.

https://arlingtonnaacp.com/housing

08/07/2026

Four times this year, the federal government has proposed changes that would make it harder for people to access or keep 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴.

HOME of VA submitted formal comments opposing all four proposals, including changes affecting housing discrimination claims, mixed-status immigrant families, housing vouchers, and access to shelter for transgender individuals.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. Federal agencies must respond to substantive public comments, and courts often consider them when regulations are challenged.

📖 Read our formal comments and take a closer look at the issues > https://homeofva.org/press_release/hud-public-comments-proposed-rule-changes/

07/31/2026

We're delighted to introduce you to the 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 of our Board of Directors!

𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗼𝗻 is the Chief Financial Officer for the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, where she directs financial strategy for programs that strengthen communities and expand housing opportunities across the Commonwealth. With nearly 20 years of public-sector finance experience, she previously held leadership roles with other state departments as well as with the City of Richmond. Danielle earned degrees from Virginia State University, Canisius College, and Northcentral University. She is passionate about fiscal stewardship, community development, and expanding opportunity for Virginia families.

𝗔𝗺𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘇 has years of lived experience building partnerships and leading community-centered initiatives. She is deeply committed to creating opportunities that strengthen our neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life for our neighbors.

07/24/2026

Recovery housing is a 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 and stay sober. Substance use disorder is a disability under federal and state fair housing law — and denying people housing because of it is illegal.

Powhatan County had 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲. In 2024, we sued on behalf of Tri-Hope Life Ministries, arguing that violated fair housing law.

This month, the case closed. Under our settlement, the Board of Supervisors granted Tri-Hope a permit to 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟬 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

VPM News told the story this week: https://www.vpm.org/news/2026-07-20/tri-hope-life-ministries-recovery-home-powhatan-joel-wendy-hughes-federal-lawsuit

07/17/2026

Housing discrimination doesn't end when funding to fight it disappears.

During this Fair Housing Week of Action, we're highlighting what's at stake if local fair housing organizations lose the federal funding they rely on to serve communities across the country.

These organizations are often the first place people turn to when experiencing housing discrimination. They help veterans secure reasonable accommodations, support seniors and people with disabilities seeking accessible housing, assist survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and advocate for families and individuals facing unlawful discrimination because of their race, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, or other protected characteristics.

Without these organizations, many people could be left to navigate housing discrimination alone.

Congress must protect local fair housing organizations and preserve critical fair housing enforcement. Nearly 1,000 messages have been sent to Congress so far—join us in reaching our goal of sending 5,000 messages to Congress this Fair Housing Week of Action: https://bit.ly/FairHousingAction2026

07/15/2026

The Homes for All Our Neighbors coalition continued to call for the construction of new housing as a way to alleviate affordability problems.

07/02/2026

This week, 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀 go into effect in Virginia — including crucial protections for renters that HOME of VA fought for alongside many allies.

Hear from these renters in Charlottesville, Norfolk, and Richmond on 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 all across Virginia.

Learn more: https://vadogwood.com/news/housing/a-banner-year-for-tenant-protections-in-virginia/

Very special thanks to…

➡️ Tiara Howard-Eaton in Norfolk (Tenant Organizer in Hampton Roads)

➡️ Moriah Wilkins in Charlottesville (Senior Fair Housing Attorney at Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc.)

➡️ Amoree Speed in Richmond (Tenant Organizer at New Virginia Majority)