YIMBY Action Launches New State Legislator Housing Scorecards, Starting with Virginia

RICHMOND, VA - YIMBY Action announced the release of its first-ever state legislator housing scorecard in Virginia, giving voters a clear picture of how their elected officials are performing on an issue of top economic concern: housing.

The scorecards, which will launch in Virginia this year and expand to additional states in 2026, highlight how state lawmakers are showing up on housing affordability and supply. By grading legislators on their records, YIMBY Action and its chapters are making it easier for residents to hold their representatives accountable.

“Voters want action on housing because it touches every part of their lives,” said Laura Foote, Executive Director of YIMBY Action. “Whether they can afford to stay in their communities, whether their kids can buy a home one day, or whether rents are rising faster than their paychecks – it all comes back to housing. These scorecards give voters a transparent way to see whether their representatives are delivering on the promise to bring housing prices down and make their communities more affordable.”

The Virginia Legislative Scorecard evaluated legislators based on how they voted in 2025 on key housing-focused bills that legalize more homes, fix broken incentives, and streamline permitting.

“As housing advocates, we expect legislators to do the job they were elected to do,” said Gillian Pressman, Managing Director of YIMBY Law and YIMBY Action. “That means supporting efforts to build more housing so that it becomes more affordable to live in great communities. These scorecards will help pro-housing voters make informed decisions at the ballot box in 2026 and beyond.”

Methodology

YIMBY Action volunteer leaders from the RVA, NoVA, and Hampton Roads chapters categorized each bill’s level of importance by evaluating factors like impact on the number of new homes to be created and chances of passing. They then ranked the legislation as:

• High Priority - These bills were the proposals that had the potential to produce the most new homes.
• Priority - These bills were the proposals that would produce new homes, but would not have as significant an impact as High Priority bills.
• Support - These bills were the proposals that would create opportunities for new homes or streamline existing approval processes.

Lawmakers earned points for every yes vote on these pro-housing bills, with the most points scored for the highest priority legislation. YIMBY Action also recognized leadership: legislators who sponsored or co-sponsored key bills received bonus points for stepping up to drive change.

Votes against housing cost legislators points. Abstentions didn’t result in a penalty of points being taken away from overall scores. This methodology included only substantive committee and floor votes and not those in fiscal “money committees” that focus on budget impacts rather than policy.

Each legislator’s score reflects how often they voted for or opposed more homes, more opportunity, and a stronger Virginia. Scores were converted into A–F grades for each chamber, so it’s easy to see who’s leading the way toward a more affordable, inclusive future. This year, YIMBY Action is publishing grades for legislators who earned grades of A or B, but will monitor and prioritize pro-housing bills in the upcoming session, with a full scorecard to be released next spring.

YIMBY Action’s scorecard launch marks a new chapter in the pro-housing movement’s efforts to bring transparency and accountability to state legislatures across the country.

Check out the Virginia scorecard here.