Virginia 2026 General Assembly
The 2026 General Assembly adjourned on March 14th, and we are celebrating legislative wins for affordable housing and thriving children and families.
Many thanks to all of you who sent emails, attended Day for All People, and met with your legislators. Because of your continued support, we will see our priority legislation head to the governor’s desk after gaining wide bipartisan support in both chambers.
PRIORITY LEGISLATION:
Stable housing
The 2026 Virginia General Assembly delivered several important wins for affordable housing, including passage of bills to support housing preservation, allowing local affordable housing performance grant programs, expedite approval of certain affordable housing developments, and expanding the Virginia Housing Trust Fund for mixed-income development. In addition, HB867 is awaiting the Governor’s action, and HB1279/SB388 marks important progress for faith-based affordable housing, although the final version will need to pass again in 2027 before taking effect.
- HB4 – Affordable Housing; preservation, definitions, civil penalty.
- HB143 – Surplus real property; prioritization of disposition for affordable and middle-income housing.
- HB352 – Local authority; authorized by ordinance to establish affordable housing performance grant programs.
- HB594 – Expedited approval for certain affordable housing developments.
- HB804 – Statewide housing targets for localities.
- HB820 – Virginia Housing Trust Fund; mixed-income development.
- HB867 – Affordable Housing; local zoning ordinance authority.
- HB1279 – Affordable Housing; religions organizations and other nonprofit tax-exempt properties.
Food security
Both school breakfast bills, SB4 and HB96, were continued to the 2027 session, so no final action was taken this year. HB610, which would have established the Commonwealth Food Security and Coordination Act, was tabled in committee and did not advance past crossover. There were a few modest wins, but not many major food-security policy victories in the 2026 Virginia General Assembly.
Thriving children & families
The 2026 General Assembly delivered several important wins for children and families, including passage of paid sick days, paid family and medical leave, and legislation to strengthen early childhood care and education planning through childcare access calculations and reporting. Lawmakers also advanced an employee childcare pilot program and minimum wage legislation to the Governor’s desk, reflecting meaningful progress toward greater family stability and support for working parents.
- HB254 /SB20 – Child Care Subsidy Program; income-based eligibility for assistance.
- SB119 /SB3 /HB18 – Employee Child Care Pilot Program; established, report.
- SB134 /HB1208 – Public education; early childhood care and education; childcare access calculation; report.
- HB403 – Income tax, state; credits for childcare-related expenses.
- HB1004 – Child tax credit; Virginia adjusted gross income.
- HB5 – Paid sick days
- SB2 – Paid family and medical leave.
- SB1 HB1 Raising the minimum wage.
For more information or to be added to our email distribution list, email us at advocate@cornerstonesva.org.
Impact Stories and Testimonies
2025 Prepare. Adapt. Thrive: A New Reality
On Monday, November 17, 2025, faith leaders, advocates, and community partners from across Fairfax and Loudoun Counties convened for the first ever Cornerstones Faith Council and Advocacy Forum, “2025 Prepare. Adapt. Thrive: A New Reality.”
Fueled by the courage of our neighbors with lived experience, attendees united with the goal of turning strategy into action – so each of our neighbors can live with dignity, build resilience, and access real opportunities for a healthy, connected life.
“But before we take action, first, we must listen,” encouraged Reverend Stephen Smith-Cobbs, Vice President of the Cornerstones Faith Council. Click the video to the right to listen to real “lived experiences” from neighbors in need.
Virginia General Assembly Recognizes Cornerstones (January 21, 2026)
Cornerstones is grateful to be recognized on the floor of both the Virginia Senate and the Virginia House of Delegates during the 2026 General Assembly. We appreciate our elected officials, Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra and Senator Jennifer Boysko for acknowledging Cornerstones’ work and CEO Kerrie Wilson’s leadership in advancing stable housing, food security, and thriving children and families across our community.
Watch the floor recognition:
Read Cornerstones board member Priscilla Martinez’s testimony at Loudoun County’s FY2027 Public Budget Hearings.
Her remarks lifted up the importance of budget investments that advance our shared priorities of affordable housing, food security, and ensuring children and families can thrive across Loudoun.
Click here to read Priscilla’s testimony.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Public Hearing 2026
Limya Elshazli is a community ambassador of Reston’s Opportunity Neighborhoods program (RestON). She is also a recipient of affordable housing through Cornerstones. During the FY2026 budget meetings this past week, Limya shared personal testimony and spoke on behalf of local residents, urging the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to preserve funding. Limya emphasized the critical nature of these county programs as first line of defense against homelessness, and the potential devasting effects of the programs ending.
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Public Hearing 2025
In a powerful call to action, our CEO, Kerrie Wilson was honored to testify at the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Public Hearing. Standing before county leaders, she passionately urged Loudoun to take bold action by prioritizing investments in homelessness prevention, rental assistance, and essential human services to keep families housed, ensure children have nutritious meals, and support the workforce that sustains the community.
Our Advocacy Committee
Our Advocacy Committee members participate in monthly meetings to develop our advocacy strategies and opportunities for action.
Many thanks to our committee members. Want to get involved or learn more? Email advocate@cornerstonesva.org
- Brian Funaki (Co-Chair)
- Karen Courtney (Co-Chair)
- Roberta Gosling
- Amy Joyce
- Andy Lacher
- Sara Leonard
- Priscilla Martinez
- Radhika Murari
- Ken Plum
- Judith Pollizotti
- Gillian Sescoe
- Monique Sharpe
- Stephen Smith-Cobbs
- Tracey White
Questions?
Contact advocate@cornerstonesva.org.
Cornerstones provides support and advocacy for those in need of food, shelter, affordable housing, quality childcare, and other human services.
We envision a community where all our neighbors in the Dulles corridor have access to affordable homes, in healthy and resilient neighborhoods, where all children, youth and families are thriving.
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