Good afternoon friends!

For most of my career as a public health doc, my charge was to improve the health and wellbeing of communities.  Over time, as we came to better understand what moves the needle on health outcomes, we focused our efforts on addressing the social determinants of health— things like access to quality education, stable living wage employment, family and community support systems, and housing and the built environment.

It was this broader understanding of health that ultimately compelled me to run for office, and on the campaign trail, where i spent 6 months spending every day talking to thousands of Richmond residents about what was important to them— the theme of neighborhoods and housing was central. 

Most pointedly, the challenge of housing affordability, as everyone-- from long-term generational residents of neighborhoods like mine, to college students, to middle aged working class families-- expressed how difficult it is getting for them to stay in the city.

Richmond has undoubtedly been on the rise over the past decade, and as a result, people from all over the country have discovered what we have all known for years about our city—that Richmond is an amazing place to live. 

All of that attention has led us to a housing crisis, as tens of thousands of new residents have found their way to Richmond.  The problem is that we haven’t built tens of thousands of new homes, and that has driven the cost of housing up precipitously.   

Back in January, I announced a comprehensive plan to address Richmond’s housing crisis built around two goals: more homes for more people and helping residents stay in their homes.

And when I look back over the last 7-8 months, I can see how, together, we’ve made some really remarkable progress.

• Working with City Council, we established predictable funding for the affordable housing trust fund, setting aside 2.5% of real estate tax revenue for the construction and preservation of more affordable housing for more people. 
• We continue to strengthen the administration of our anti-displacement tools, from owner-occupied home repair and rehabilitation programs to crisis-response funds to real estate tax relief for older adults and people with disabilities.
• And we are building a stronger, more resident-centered partnership with RRHA, including a new framework for the redevelopment of Gilpin Court that will serve as a template for how we will work together to accelerate redevelopment in ALL of our public housing communities.

Now, it is time to finalize another important piece of the work.  As we plan for the future of our city, it turns out that so much of what contributes to the health and wellbeing of a community-- safe and affordable housing, green space, making neighborhoods more walkable and bikeable, increasing access to mass transit-- is actually baked into the rules that a community creates to define the built environment-- our zoning code.

Our current zoning code was adopted in 1976, over 50 years ago. And for the decades prior to that, the zoning code was used very explicitly to keep people of color OUT of some neighborhoods and IN others. Our zoning code cemented much of the racial and socioeconomic segregation that we see across the city today- concentrating wealth in some communities, and poverty in others.

We’ve also seen how concentrating commercial, automotive and service business zoning to major corridors on the Southside has limited the kind of attractive, walkable, human-scale growth that we’ve seen in other parts of our city, further driving inequity.

The rules that govern how we design and build our city matter tremendously, and we are long overdue to write new ones. 

Listen, I get that the zoning code won’t make anyone’s top ten list of what they love about Richmond, but it is one of the most important tools we have to shape our growing city into a place where everyone can thrive.

It’s why Richmond 300, the city’s master plan adopted by our City Council back in 2020 after award-winning community engagement, explicitly names rewriting our zoning code as the first and most important of the six big moves Richmond must make to ensure that the future development of our city reflects our values and our shared vision.

So today, I am excited to release Version Three of Code Refresh — the update to our outdated zoning code which:

• Helps us build more homes for more people, so that as we welcome new neighbors, we’re protecting opportunities for longtime residents to stay. We have heard people say they want “density that makes sense.” And we totally agree. This version does this by: 
  • Encouraging increased density in nodes and along major transit corridors throughout the city.
  • Improving the existing ADU regulations by increasing the allowed size of ADUs to 1200 sq feet, while also requiring ADUs to better fit the context of the lot,
  • And by evenly distributing zoning districts across the City, spreading new development equitably.
• It helps us build connected, vibrant neighborhoods and a diverse economy by:
  • Allowing neighborhood-appropriate, small-scale office and retail uses to better connect neighbors to goods and services.
  • And by bringing existing homes and businesses into zoning compliance, actually legalizing the unique character that already exists in so many of our neighborhoods
• It helps us build beautiful communities that preserve the character of our existing neighborhoods and the distinct aesthetic that makes so many places in Richmond special by:
  • Maintaining existing City Old and Historic Districts to ensure the longevity of Richmond’s most architecturally significant neighborhoods
  • Establishing contextual heights, setbacks, and step-backs so new development better complements the existing built environment,
  • And by creating a framework for new Design and Demolition overlay districts, giving neighborhoods the ability to set development standards that are important to them.
• finally, it helps us build a sustainable city by:
  • expanding amazing parks and green spaces into every corner, by creating a new designation of open space zoning
  • establishing citywide vegetation space requirements, meaning no new parcel in the City can be developed without some percentage of green space.
  • Setting minimum tree canopy standards, which protects trees that are growing here today, and requires the planting of more trees to improve the city’s overall tree canopy,

The process to get to today’s launch of Draft Three of Code Refresh has been an exercise in listening well. This draft is better, because people engaged with it.

Across all nine council districts, through pop-ups, town halls, office hours, work sessions, public meetings, and conversations with everyone from long-time homeowners to renters to neighbors brand new to Richmond, we heard so many diverse perspectives — and that diversity of perspective allowed us to land on a set of thoughtful recommendations found in version 3.

I want to highlight a few really important examples:

• First, we heard residents’ concerns about the number of units that should be permitted by right in residential districts. As a result, this proposal maintains the “1+1” concept: the right for homeowners to have one primary dwelling and one attached or detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU). We are recommending improvements to the effectiveness of our ADU regulation by increasing the allowable size of the ADU to 1200 sq feet and adding contextual requirements. This is a change, but an incremental change that should allay concerns that Code Refresh will dramatically change the character of neighborhoods, while it creates a better solution that provides more housing options
• Second, we heard lots of concerns from Southside residents about new development in a part of our city that has retained more suburban zoning since it was annexed, and it has not received the investment needed to help integrate it into the city. The proposed updates allow more investment on corridors (in accordance with our master plan), while still requiring SUP’s for more intense development in neighborhoods.
• Third, special use permits and community involvement in our land-use decision-making are NOT going away, but they are getting right-sized. We want to make sure we’re not adding time and cost to projects that clearly fit the context of a neighborhood, but have just not yet made their way into our 50-year-old code.
• Fourth, we’ve corrected inequitable overzoning in historically African American communities, like Westwood, protecting some of our most resilient neighborhoods.

Getting here hasn’t been easy, but rigorous debate and challenging compromises are the essence of our democracy, and the hallmark of how I want our administration to lead Richmond forward.

And so, what we are proposing today is a result of listening well, making changes, and finding compromises.   

I am so grateful for the incredible amount of work by our PDR team, the ongoing engagement of our council members, and the time, input, and perspective thousands of residents have brought to the Code Refresh process. This work has been made better by your involvement.

So here it is! Draft 3!

I invite you to explore the code firsthand on our website: rva.gov/coderefresh. There’s been a lot of misinformation out there and this is important enough that you go and see for yourself what’s in the proposal.

We also will be launching our education campaign— there’s a lot of technical stuff in the zoning code, and so our teams will be distributing information, breaking it down, and answering questions at town halls and community events all over the city over the next couple of months.

Richmond, I’m asking for your support as we present this to City Council for their further discussion, consideration, and I hope ultimately, adoption.

Because this is a roadmap for a future Richmond that reflects our values and our shared vision -- more homes for more people, connected neighborhoods, beautiful communities, and a sustainably city built for generations to come.

Thank you.

New initiatives include further restrictions on Flock data sharing  

Richmond, VA — Today Mayor Danny Avula announced a set of actions the City of Richmond is taking to safeguard community trust and draw a clear line between local policing and federal immigration enforcement. These actions, recommended by the Mayor’s Inclusive Communities Preparedness Work Group, formalize and expand upon the administration’s longstanding position that the Richmond Police Department does not enforce federal immigration law and does not coordinate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

“The fear our neighbors are feeling right now is real — the fear of going to work, taking children to school, or even running everyday errands like going to the grocery store,” said  Mayor Danny Avula . “Our city government exists to serve all Richmonders, and we will continue to work to build the trust that is essential to keeping our communities safe.”

The actions include: 

Increased Flock data sharing restrictions. In addition to cutting off all federal agency access to its license-plate reader data, the Richmond Police Department will now prohibit sharing Flock Safety data with any jurisdiction in Virginia that has entered into a 287(g) agreement with ICE. This helps ensure that technology deployed to solve local crimes in Richmond is not used as a tool for immigration enforcement in other localities across the Commonwealth. 

RPD uniform updates. The Richmond Police Department will update officer uniforms to read “RICHMOND POLICE”, making them clearly and visually distinguishable from federal law enforcement agents. Reports from across the region have described ICE agents conducting enforcement operations in dark tactical gear that closely resembles local police, creating confusion and fear in communities. The uniform changes will help residents immediately identify RPD officers from their local police department.   

Prohibiting ICE from staging operations on City property. The City will prohibit federal agencies from using City-owned property — including buildings, parking lots, and public facilities — to stage immigration operations, process detainees, or conduct surveillance related to immigration enforcement. 

Raising concerns directly to ICE. The administration will establish a regular cadence of meetings with ICE’s Richmond field office to raise concerns from residents, communicate the City’s policies and expectations, and ensure open channels of communication. This proactive approach allows the City to advocate directly for the safety and dignity of Richmond residents while still upholding its commitments to resident safety. 

“The Richmond Police Department’s mission is community policing — building trust, strengthening relationships, solving crimes, and keeping neighborhoods safe,” said Chief Rick Edwards . “We understand that some residents may feel uncertainty or concern when they see law enforcement activity in their neighborhoods. That is why it is important that the public can clearly identify our officers and know who we are when we respond to serve the community. We want every resident to feel safe calling us for help, reporting crime, or speaking with an officer. Our focus is, and always will be, protecting the people of Richmond and working in partnership with the communities we serve.” 

Richmond has not entered into a 287(g) agreement with ICE and does not participate in the enforcement of federal immigration law. In January 2026, Mayor Avula established the Inclusive Communities Preparedness Work Group to identify additional steps the City can take to respond to emergent threats and challenges facing immigrant communities. 

The Richmond Police Department’s Hispanic Liaison can be reached at 804-646-5158 or jasmine.perez@rva.gov . 

La Ciudad de Richmond actúa para conservar la confianza de la comunidad y aclarar el papel de su Departamento de Policía

Las nuevas iniciativas incluyen mayores restricciones en el intercambio de datos de las cámaras Flock

Richmond, Virginia — El alcalde Danny Avula anunció hoy un conjunto de medidas que la Ciudad de Richmond está tomando para conservar la confianza de la comunidad y trazar una división clara entre las autoridades policiales locales y las agencias federales de inmigración. Estas acciones, que fueron recomendadas por el Equipo de Trabajo de Preparación de Comunidades Incluyentes del alcalde, formalizan y expanden la posición establecida por la administración desde hace tiempo de que el Departamento de Policía de Richmond (RPD) no lleva a cabo ningún tipo de acción relacionada con las leyes federales de inmigración, ni tampoco se coordina con la Autoridad de Aduanas e Inmigración (ICE) de los Estados Unidos.

Dijo el alcalde Danny Avula : “El miedo que ahora tienen nuestros vecinos es real: el miedo de salir a trabajar, de llevar a sus hijos a la escuela, inclusive de realizar actividades diarias y rutinarias como ir a la tienda a hacer mercado”, y añadió: “El gobierno de nuestra ciudad está aquí para servirle a todos los richmondeses y seguiremos trabajando para establecer la confianza que es indispensable para mantener seguras a nuestras comunidades”.

Las medidas incluyen:

Un aumento en las restricciones de intercambio de datos de Flock. Además de cortar por completo el acceso de las agencias federales a sus datos de los lectores de placas, el Departamento de Policía de Richmond ahora prohibirá compartir los datos del sistema de seguridad Flock con cualquier jurisdicción de Virginia que haya entrado a un acuerdo 287(g) con ICE. Esto ayuda a asegurar que la tecnología que desplegamos para resolver delitos locales en Richmond no sea utilizada como una herramienta de vigilancia de inmigración en otras localidades de la Mancomunidad.

Actualizar los uniformes del RPD. El Departamento de Policía de Richmond cambiará sus uniformes de manera que ahora tengan escrito “RICHMOND POLICE” (“Policía de Richmond”), para hacerlos visualmente diferentes de los utilizados por los agentes de las autoridades federales de inmigración. Existen informes de toda la región que han descrito el vestuario de los agentes de ICE que realizan redadas como “equipo táctico de colores oscuros”, muy parecidos a los de la policía local, lo que crea confusión y temor en las comunidades. Estos cambios en el uniforme ayudarán a la población a identificar inmediatamente a los agentes de policía de Richmond.

Prohibir que ICE se reúna para preparar sus operaciones en instalaciones municipales. La Ciudad prohibirá que las agencias federales utilicen propiedades municipales, incluyendo edificios, estacionamientos e instalaciones públicas, para montar sus operaciones de inmigración, procesar a los detenidos o ejercer actividades de vigilancia relacionadas con las redadas de inmigración.

Presentar sus inquietudes directamente a ICE. La administración establecerá una secuencia regular de reuniones con la oficina de campo de ICE en Richmond, con el fin de plantear las inquietudes de los richmondeses, comunicar las políticas y expectativas de la Ciudad y asegurar que existan canales abiertos de comunicación. Este enfoque proactivo permite que la administración municipal abogue directamente por la seguridad y dignidad de los habitantes de Richmond, al tiempo que mantiene su compromiso con la seguridad de la población.

Dijo el jefe de policía Rick Edwards : “La misión del Departamento de Policía de Richmond es proteger a la comunidad, estableciendo confianza, fortaleciendo relaciones, resolviendo delitos y manteniendo las comunidades seguras”, y agregó: “Comprendemos que algunos richmondeses sientan incertidumbre o preocupación cuando ven actividades policiales en sus vecindarios; es por eso que es importante que el público pueda identificar claramente a nuestros agentes y oficiales y sepa quiénes somos cuando respondemos y le servimos a la comunidad. Queremos que cada persona se sienta segura cuando nos llame pidiendo ayuda, informando sobre un delito o al hablar con un agente. Nuestra meta es, y siempre será, proteger a la población de Richmond y trabajar en colaboración con las comunidades a las que servimos”.

Richmond firmado ningún acuerdo 287(g) con ICE, ni participa en la ejecución de las leyes federales de inmigración. En enero de 2026, el alcalde Avula creó el Equipo de Trabajo de Preparación de Comunidades Incluyentes para identificar otras medidas que puede tomar la Ciudad para responder a las nuevas amenazas y desafíos a los que se enfrentan las comunidades inmigrantes.

También pueden comunicarse con la oficina de Enlace Hispano del Departamento de Policía de Richmond llamando al 804-646-5158 o escribiendo al correo jasmine.perez@rva.gov .

Public sector collective bargaining has been working in Richmond since 2022, when we became one of the first localities in the Commonwealth to establish bargaining units across our workforce.  

Collective bargaining has enabled us to strengthen services for residents by working in partnership with our most valued resource, our people. It’s an essential tool, and we are proud of the progress we have made for our workforce and for the communities we serve.   

Our partners in labor, in the General Assembly, and in Governor Spanberger’s Administration are committed to the same principles of giving workers a seat at the table and using collective bargaining to strengthen public services. We know that work will continue and we’re eager to lend our experience to it.  

Meanwhile, in Richmond, our collective bargaining agreements remain in place and our relationships with our bargaining units and workforce leadership are strong.   

I remain committed to collective bargaining as a tool that strengthens public services and supports our workforce. 

“The approved budget reflects not just shared investments, but a new way of working together — with earlier collaboration, clearer public engagement, and a real commitment to partnership between City Council, our administration, and the people of Richmond. Together, we made historic investments in affordable housing, funded Richmond Public Schools at record levels, supported our workforce, and focused our resources on building a thriving Richmond. I'm truly grateful to all who leaned in throughout this process. Now the real work begins: delivering on these investments thoughtfully, effectively, and with accountability to the people we serve.”

— Mayor Danny Avula 

Highlights of the adopted FY27 budget: 

Thriving City Hall  

• Fully funding the City of Richmond’s contractual commitments to unionized City workers, with the largest of those investments being in public safety
• Sworn police and fire personnel will receive an average compensation increase of approximately 6.73%, which includes negotiated pay adjustments and step increases effective July 2026
• Union-represented employees across other collective bargaining units will receive a 3.25% salary increase, consistent with their agreements, effective July 2026
• Fully funding a 3.25% increase for all employees across the organization starting on July 1; this was made possible by a joint Administration-Council reprioritization of previous allocation to GAP grants
• Increased contracted security workers’ pay rate to $20/hour minimum and moved contracted janitorial workers to $18/hour minimum without disrupting their staffing model 

Thriving Neighborhoods  

• More than $40 million for affordable housing, anti-displacement strategies, and neighborhood safety improvements  
• $11.7 million for the redesigned Affordable Housing Trust Fund  
• $1.8 million in Affordable Housing Performance Grants  
• $1,100,000 investment in Family Crisis Funds for residents experiencing acute crises, including but not limited to housing instability, utility disconnection, food insecurity, and other urgent needs 
• $1 million for eviction diversion programs to help tenants stay in their homes, and  
• $7.4 million in tax relief for older adults and residents with disabilities  
• Council amendment ($300,000) to more fully utilize Southside Community Center and better engage youth and older adults  

Thriving Families  

• $257 million proposed for Richmond Public Schools, an $8.2 million increase over FY26 and the largest allocation for RPS ever 
• $9.3 million investment school infrastructure improvements and facility upgrades 
• $500,000 to facilitate students’ and families’ access to critical services, benefits, and programs by supporting Communities in Schools site coordinators in RPS schools
• $500,000 to reduce costs of childcare and support childcare providers through tuition assistance funded by the Early Child Care & Education Trust Fund
• $1 million for after-school programming at all seven RPS zone middle schools through the Middle School Alliance
• $850,000 to Positive Youth Development to provide access to community-based out-of-school time opportunities for youth 11-19 and help prevent youth violence; and
• $625,000 to fund the Children and Families grantmaking process for local nonprofits that support the education, health, and development of children and families
• $483,000 in order to provide transportation and security for RPS students to participate in After School programs; Council amended 

Thriving Economies  

• $4.9 million for Economic Performance Grants to support major economic development projects that create jobs, activate underused spaces, and drive long-term economic growth
• $250,000 for commercial façade improvements to help small businesses invest in storefront upgrades that strengthen neighborhood commercial corridors and attract customers; and
• $125,000 in funding to support a Business Improvement District (BID) in Carytown, strengthening business vitality through cleaner sidewalks, safer streets, and coordinated support for local businesses. 

The FY27 budget takes effect July 1, 2026. 

• For more information about the FY27 budget process, visit FY27 Budget Season 
• Budget in Brief: (A Brief) Roadmap to a Thriving Richmond 

Ordinance modernizes payment reporting to publish key payment information, protect privacy, and build a Thriving City Hall 

Richmond, VA  —  Mayor Danny Avula announced today that he has introduced an ordinance ahead of Richmond City Council’s Monday meeting to fix the City’s payment reporting requirement, following through on a commitment made in March to address a longstanding issue with the existing ordinance that has not functioned as intended, and predates his administration.

While the issue was not among the Administration’s most urgent operational challenges, recent attention along with the Administration's desires to improve processes and systems underscored the need to resolve these longstanding problems. Following a full review, the Administration is advancing reforms. 

The proposed ordinance is the result of a review of City workflows, staffing, technology, and reporting requirements related to the payment registry required under City Code §12-16. The goal of the proposed ordinance is to preserve and support public access to City spending information while ensuring the system is practical, accurate, and compliant with privacy laws. 

“On March 26, I said we were taking a hard look at how the City delivers payment registry data. We did that work, and now we’re acting on it.” said  Mayor Danny Avula. "My ordinance gives the public the information they have a right to have about how taxpayer dollars are spent while creating a system that can actually work the way it was intended."

Under the proposed changes, the City would publish key payment information, including who the City is paying, how much was paid, and which department made the payment. At the same time, the ordinance would remove categories of payments restricted by privacy laws such as certain social services benefits and tax refund payments. 

The revised framework would better align Richmond with state and federal privacy requirements, as well as reporting practices used in neighboring jurisdictions. 

“This is about delivering better, more usable information to the public,” said  Mayor Danny Avula. “It means stronger transparency, smarter operations, and helping residents clearly understand how public dollars are being spent.” 

The ordinance also supports the Administration’s broader effort to make City Hall more accessible to residents. The effort builds on recent actions to modernize City operations and improve accountability, including the launch of TechDesk, updates to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, passage of FOIA Library legislation, and enhancements to the RVA Business Portal. 

• Download the ordinance as introduced
• Download a 1-page explainer on the ordinance