RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — There is no secret that Richmond has been dealing with an eviction epidemic. In his State of the City address on Thursday, Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney shared his plan to help those who are most vulnerable so they aren’t forced out of their homes.
“There are still an unacceptable number of our residents living on the margins,” Mayor Stoney said in his address.
Thousands of people are forced out of their homes in Virginia every year. According to researchers from Princeton University, Richmond has the second highest eviction rate in the country.
This is why Mayor Stoney announced the creation of an eviction diversion program, the first of its kind in Virginia. The pilot program would allow tenants who are having trouble to get cash assistance, legal aid assistance and financial literacy education.
“These residents have become victims of a punitive and discriminatory state regulatory system. That traps people in a cycle of debt and housing insecurity,” said Stoney. “This cycle often ends in an eviction.”
Landlords would also get the rent owed and avoid the expense of the eviction and having to find a new tenant.
“We cannot expect our families and children to thrive if it takes everything just for them to survive,” Stoney said.
The mayor also plans on helping low-income families by building 1,500 affordable housing units over the next five years.
For a look at Stoney’s full State of the City address, click here.
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