Virginia Beach's CZO Article 21 Workforce Housing Program offers density bonuses up to 30 percent for residential projects setting aside units affordable to households earning 80 to 120 percent of area median income.
Under City Zoning Ordinance Article 21, qualifying multifamily and townhome projects in eligible districts can receive bonus residential density, reduced parking minimums, and expedited review when at least 17 percent of units are deed-restricted as workforce housing for 30 years. Bonus tiers scale with the share of affordable units and target AMI. The program is administered by the Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation and was strengthened in 2023 to apply citywide rather than only in select corridors. Virginia Dillon's Rule limits the City from imposing mandatory inclusionary zoning, so the program remains incentive-based.
Failing to record the 30-year affordability covenant or renting bonus units above approved AMI rents constitutes a zoning violation up to $1,000 per unit per month plus loss of permits.
See how Virginia Beach's density bonus law rules stack up against other locations.
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