Members of the General Assembly are considering ways to create more affordable housing in Virginia.
Senator Saddam Salim is a Democrat from Fairfax County who has a bill that would legalize accessory dwelling units.
"ADUs are for smaller, more affordable options that cater to the needs of young professionals, retirees and families starting out," Salim says.
But the idea that landowners might be able to subdivide their property into additional units is going too far for Republican Senator Richard Stuart of King George County.
"We already have traffic that is just out of control, and now you’re going to literally double the size of the community without adding any new infrastructure, any new roads, any new water, any new sewer, anything like that," Stuart says.
Senator Jeremy McPike is a Democrat from Prince William County who doesn't buy that argument.
"You still have to pull a building permit," McPike says. "And at [the] building permit stage if the capacity of sanitary sewer or water is not available, that building permit would not be approved."
Now that Salim's bill has passed the Senate, members of the House of Delegates are expected to consider the bill in the next few weeks.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
