Streets of suburban homes in in Manassas, Virginia. A new law being introduced into the state legislature would allow for duplexes across the state, effectively upzoning the entire Commonwealth. | Getty Images/Glowimages RF

A bill to allow duplexes statewide shows housing policy fights carry more weight as suburbs shift and housing crisis worsens A proposed plan in Virginia to allow extra housing units on single-family lots has become the latest example of local zoning igniting partisan debate, underscoring how housing laws are becoming a bigger and bigger political issue in the midst of the nation?s affordable housing crisis.
Floated last week by Ibraheem Samirah, a member of the state?s new progressive Democratic majority, the proposal has already been attacked by Republicans, who say it will increase sprawl and traffic congestion, and conservative media. The Virginia proposal would not, as critics claim, make single-family homes illegal or mandate any particular type of construction. It would deregulate housing rules and allow property owners to build duplexes in areas where they currently aren?t allowed, a move Samirah and his supporters believe will increase density in a state suffering from the nation?s affordable housing crisis. As CityLab writer Kriston Capps notes in a story about idea, ?local governments may still set restrictive setbacks, height limits, and parking requirements for properties,? meaning they still maintain significant control over the si...