RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- In an attempt to help Virginians struggling to afford the cost of housing, Virginia Democrats have passed a bill in the House of Delegates to increase the amount of time a tenant has to pay back rent before a landlord can move to evict them from five days to 14 days.  Plus, the House greenlit a measure to expand Virginia’s Eviction Diversion Program.  “Because we expand that criteria, we can prevent unnecessary evictions, keep landlords whole, and give families the stability they need during difficult times,” said Delegate Adele McClure (D-Arlington). Plus, Democrats said they’ve passed bills that will require localities to increase their housing supply, and they hope to include additional money in the budget to expand a program that supports affordable housing projects in Virginia. “These bills lower housing costs, protect renters, and keep Virginians in their homes by banning junk fees and capping excessive attorney costs when tenants are trying to catch up,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Delegate Kathy Tran (D-Fairfax) at a press conference Tuesday. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Glen Sturtevant (R-Colonial Heights) said he also had an idea to make housing more affordable, but Democrats killed his measure that would have prevented large corporations from buying up single-family homes in Virginia. “Wall Street hedge funds come in and buy up single-family homes in certain localities, which ends up driving up the price for everybody else. It makes it impossible for somebody who's on a budget to be able to negotiate and win a bidding war when you’ve got a Wall Street hedge fund on the other side,” Sturtevant told 8News.  The House-passed bills not head to the Senate, where they will be heard after crossover.  ...read more read less