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Official Photo by Kaitlyn DeHarde, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin. Full event photo coverage can be accessed here.
Energized after leaving the podium in a warm warehouse in North Chesterfield, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin shared a special moment with staff and leaders of the Home Builders Association (HBAV).
“Let’s build some homes!” Youngkin enthusiastically shared with the team. Almost on cue, the group presented him with the association’s newly designed navy-blue t-shirt that declares, “Virginia is for Builders.”
“He thanked us for being a partner and for the dialogue necessary to move forward,” said Craig Toalson, CEO of HBAV. That moment took place at 84 Lumber, where contractors, developers, dignitaries, tradespeople, and HBAV leaders gathered on July 8 for what was billed as “a celebration of results.”
The event was organized to share the administration’s work to eliminate regulatory burdens, reduce development costs, and improve housing access in Virginia.
“Today is a moment for me to say thank you. Thank you to so many people. Today is about celebrating putting money back in your pocket. Today is about unleashing opportunity,” Youngkin told the crowd.
Cutting Through Barriers
Youngkin emphasized that regulatory reform was a strategy to enable job growth and expand housing capacity. He celebrated what he called a breakthrough moment: achieving his original goal of reducing Virginia’s regulatory burden by 25%.
“Twenty-five percent was broken through, and I’m convinced we can get to 35,” he said. That target, Youngkin noted, was set in Executive Directive One when he took office. It led to the creation of the Office of Regulatory Management (ORM) — a new cabinet-level office tasked with cutting red tape and accelerating business growth. He credited the work of Reeve T. Bull, director of ORM, and Andrew Wheeler, former EPA administrator and senior advisor who helped launch the effort and attended the event. Both spoke at the celebration, in addition to Del. Mike Webert, R-Fauquier.
“Virginia’s government has now streamlined nearly 89,000 regulations,” Youngkin said, noting that 11.5 million words had been eliminated from guidance documents.
The results, he added, are measurable: $1.2 billion in annual savings for Virginians, $24,000 in cost savings per new home, and significantly shortened permitting timelines across multiple agencies.
“There is a pedal on the floor of a car called an accelerator. There’s another one that’s a brake, and we’re using the accelerator every single day,” he said.
HBAV President Cites Real Impact of Regulation Cuts
Invited to speak at the event was Hans Klinger, president of HBAV and a builder with HHHunt Communities. “In both these roles, I spend a lot of time focused on what it takes to build strong communities — places where teachers, first responders and working families can afford to live near the people they serve,” Klinger said.
He took time to credit Youngkin and his team for turning a campaign promise into action, noting the results builders are seeing.
“Three and a half years ago, Governor Youngkin set a clear goal: reduce unnecessary regulatory requirements by 25%,” he said. “And that just wasn’t a headline — it was a call to action. And what followed wasn’t talk. It was follow-through.”
Klinger also pointed to more than 48,000 regulatory requirements streamlined by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and 2 million words removed from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) guidance documents, as examples of tangible progress. “It improves clarity and efficiency without sacrificing safety,” he said. “That’s important.”
He added that in many cases, proposed changes could have increased “$25,000 to $35,000 to the cost of a single home.” “This is what happens when government focuses on outcomes, not processes — when it clears the way instead of getting in the way,” Klinger said. “Approvals are getting faster. Projects are becoming more predictable. And families at every income level have a better shot at finding a home they can afford.”
Stormwater Reform in Focus
The event’s most technical — but arguably most consequential — policy highlight was the overhaul of Virginia’s stormwater regulations.
Governor Youngkin referenced it as a symbol of burdensome and overlapping rules, asking, “Why in the world do we have a stack of over 24 inches of stormwater regs?”
“Stormwater, just like most land development regs, adds cost up front,” Andrew Clark, vice president of government affairs for HBAV, explained. “Stormwater retention, stormwater regulations — they’re the things that really set the bar so high.”
He described how Virginia’s stormwater rules had become “a collection of probably 12 to 18 different guidance documents” that were often outdated or contradictory.
The lack of a clear, unified set of expectations slowed down projects and created unnecessary uncertainty for developers, engineers, and localities. Under the Youngkin administration and with the leadership of DEQ Director Mike Rolband, a major overhaul was launched. “We had a group of probably 50 to 60 stakeholders get together and say, ‘How do we make this document more of a living document?’” Clark said.
And HBAV played a central role. “Our team works with our members. We compile a lot of the input that we hear on a daily basis about the challenges,” Clark said. “When opportunities like this pop up, that’s when you realize all that data and information you get from your members is really critical.”
That institutional memory helped HBAV enter the process with concrete ideas and stay engaged throughout. The result is a new permanent technical review committee, one that includes HBAV representation, giving the industry a direct and ongoing voice.
“We were brought in on the front end, stayed involved, were heavily engaged,” Clark said. “We now have a connection to that document to make sure that the industry’s voice is constantly heard and reflected.”
For HBAV, the morning was a reminder of why the work matters, and of what’s possible through collaboration. “It shows that the governor is truly connected to the business community,” Toalson said. “That the government works for Virginians.”
And, he added: “HBAV is in constant communication with elected leaders and regulators, voicing your concerns to cut unnecessary costs and regs — to help you stay in business, to help you provide for your families and your employees.”