Del. Katrina Callsen is heading back to Richmond for the General Assembly’s next legislative session, and into her reelection campaign, with her priorities in order.
The 54th District Democrat, former Albemarle County School Board member and Charlottesville deputy city attorney says she knows what her constituents in those two localities want because she asked.
“As part of my December constituent e-newsletter, I sent a survey out to over 8,000 constituents in Virginia’s 54th House District to gauge our community’s priorities,” she told The Daily Progress via email. “Our district continues to rank affordable housing, healthcare, the environment, and public education as core policy priorities, and I’m pleased to be carrying legislation that addresses aspects of each of these issues.”
Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County have been in a self-described housing “crisis” since at least 2009 and combined make up the second-most expensive real estate market in all of Virginia.
Finding ways to boost affordable housing has been top of mind for Callsen since moving to Charlottesville in 2011 to attend law school at the University of Virginia. She said she is working on a bipartisan bill that seeks to regulate corporate landlords’ ability to “artificially inflate rental prices” through the use of private data.
“I’m hopeful that with an exceedingly high one-time surplus, we will make the necessary investments into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and continue to find solutions to increase access to housing,” she said.
The General Assembly established the trust fund in 2013 as a flexible financial resource to create, preserve and support affordable housing projects that cater to Virginia’s low-income residents by offering both loans and grants that prioritize housing for those who need it most. Currently, the trust fund is funded at $87.5 million a year. But, according to the nonprofit Virginia Housing Alliance, “Continued and increased funding is needed to address our statewide shortage of at least 300,000 affordable homes and ensure every Virginian has a safe, stable, and affordable place to live.”
It’s a high hurdle — especially since construction costs have remained high since the pandemic roiled supply chains and builders are reluctant to take on affordable housing projects that do not drive revenue the same way more traditional projects do. But it’s one that Callsen, who was crowned Freshman Delegate of the Year by her fellow first-term delegates — Democrats and Republicans — says she is prepared to clear.
Callsen, who announced her reelection campaign on Dec. 29 at the Virginia Discovery Museum on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall, has already racked up endorsements from Virginia’s Democratic leaders, including Speaker of the House Don Scott, House Majority Leader Charniele Herring and House Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Kathy Tran. State Sen. Creigh Deeds, whose district includes Charlottesville and Albemarle County, made his support known last weekend, stepping away from his home and holidays to appear in person at Callsen’s campaign launch.
While the Democratic primaries this coming June are still months away, Callsen faces no challengers as yet.
When she ran for her first term in 2023, Callsen handily beat former Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris and former Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board Member Bellamy Brown. She ran unopposed for her House of Delegates seat in the general election.
Though she is not likely to ever face a strong Republican challenger in deep-blue Charlottesville and Albemarle County, the recent presidential election made clear that Virginia is still a purple state. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris won the commonwealth by only 5 points last November, half of what sitting Democratic President Joe Biden secured four years prior.
Unlike counties in Northern Virginia, which reddened significantly in the past election, throwing more support behind once and future President Donald Trump, nearly 80% of Callsen’s district voted for Harris.
Still, Callsen acknowledged that the winds of change are blowing across Virginia and the political climate has changed markedly since she took office just two years ago.
“The 2024 election was a reminder to everyone, regardless of affiliation, to remain engaged and listen to the needs of their community,” Callsen said, adding she has made efforts to continue to reach out to constituents even after her and Harris’ races were decided. “Democrats worked hard to hold Virginia and that is a testament to the great candidates we had running in each corner of the Commonwealth.”
With one legislative session already under her belt, the delegate said she’s begun building a foundation that, should she be reelected, will allow her to enter her second term prepared with more resources and relationships at her disposal.
“Politics is about relationships,” said Callsen. “I’ve met many experts, leaders, and advocates this year, building trust and connections. I now have a network of people I can call for support on specific bills.”
She cited a collaboration with the Equity Center at UVa, a group focused on providing research and partnerships directed at social justice advocacy, which assisted her work on an education bill focused on mathematics.
“Charlottesville, a small city with rich knowledge, has inspired me to build more connections with my community and colleagues,” Callsen said.
She will be joining two of those colleagues — Deeds and fellow Del. Amy Laufer, who recently launched her reelection bid in the neighboring 55th District — for a town hall at the Central Library in downtown Charlottesville from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Those interested in attending can RSVP in person or online.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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