Commentary: Virginia Needs to Empower Localities to Build Healthier Communities

We are mid-way through the 2025 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly, and we have an important opportunity to address health inequities and promote resilience in our communities through thoughtful, health-conscious planning. HB 1827, introduced by Del. Shelly Simonds (D-Newport News), is a common-sense bill allowing localities to incorporate social determinants of health into their comprehensive planning processes.

Access to fresh food can help determine a community’s health and is something that long-term comprehensive planning can help localities achieve when they incorporate community concerns in their planning process.

This initiative can transform how we think about the future of community health in Virginia.

This piece of legislation, which has passed the House but awaits action in the Senate, empowers Virginia localities to assess and preserve clean air and drinking water for our families while encouraging meaningful community engagement with our neighbors most affected by adverse social determinants like poverty, senior safety, and access to fresh food.

The bill will accomplish this by allowing localities to address community concerns in their comprehensive plan, a foundational document of long-term planning, land use, and zoning that captures the vision of what a community will be in the future.

The legacy of pollution and environmental abuses has disproportionately affected low-income communities and communities of color across Virginia. As a result, these communities also often face higher rates of chronic illnesses such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other pollution-related health issues.

Considering community health during the comprehensive planning process is an essential step toward addressing these injustices. For Virginians serving on city and town planning committees, this strategy can provide guidance and empower them to advocate for health-conscious policies.

HB 1827 supports a comprehensive approach to improving health outcomes. A healthy communities strategy could include:

Reducing exposure to pollution and improving air and water quality.Increasing access to essential resources such as broadband Internet, healthy foods, and job training.  Promoting aging in place and emergency preparedness.Enhancing resilience to climate challenges like flooding and extreme heat.Ensuring access to public facilities, safe housing, and opportunities for physical activity.Creating opportunities for the community to participate in their city’s or town’s comprehensive planning process to have a say in their community’s future. Weighing the impact of current pollution sources in communities when considering new developments from polluting industries, especially in disadvantaged communities.

The Virginia chapter of the American Planners Association’s 2025 Legislative Agenda includes support for “state policies that promote resiliency enabling communities to better plan for, withstand, and recover from hazardous events due to climate change.”

Using already available social determinants of health data aligns with this goal by equipping localities with tools to address immediate and long-term community challenges. This integration of health and resilience is a forward-thinking approach that can prepare Virginia’s communities for a healthier future.

At its core, the House bill is about giving communities a voice in shaping their future. By encouraging localities to seek input from those directly impacted, the bill fosters collaboration and ensures that solutions are inclusive and equitable. Community engagement has always been a cornerstone of progress in Virginia, and this bill strengthens that tradition.

As we meet the challenges of a changing climate, increasing health disparities, and the need for more inclusive policies, HB 1827 represents a crucial step forward. By supporting this legislation, we can empower localities to address health inequities and build more resilient communities for generations.

Community health is a nonpartisan issue and some lawmakers are taking note. HB 1827 passed in the House on a bipartisan, 58-39 vote. Now that the legislation is sitting in the Senate’s Local Government Committee awaiting action we hope that more lawmakers will also recognize that community health truly has no partisan affiliation.

Let’s seize this moment to prioritize health and equity in our planning processes. Together, we can build a healthier, more equitable future.

by Kim Sudderth, Virginia Mercury

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