Here comes a THREAD:

@eviction lab released a report on Monday, rating states’ housing policies during the pandemic. Virginia, which has 2.6 million renters, was among the lowest-ranking states, scoring a (.78/5)
https://bit.ly/3cINKxG 

@emilyabenfer, who led legal analysis on the scorecard said, while non emergency eviction proceedings are suspended rn, a looming concern is that landlords can still *file* evictions - leading to “an avalanche of eviction cases”.

Virginians facing eviction aren’t guaranteed legal counsel (another demerit). @VPLC’s Christie Marra said attys are facing 4-5 times the # of eviction cases once courts reopen...if she had to guess, she said providing counsel could cut evictions in HALF

Legal aid societies across Virginia were also supposed to get funding in the state budget to hire 14 new housing attorneys. But the GA put that on pause when it reconvened on Wednesday. More @Dacheslow @wamu885 : https://bit.ly/2Kup3J5 

Moving on...the scorecard dings VA for not having “high-impact” policies in place, like: a rent freeze that extends beyond the emergency period; no late-rent fees; and no report to credit bureaus as a result of nonpayment.

The state legislature did, however, pass new housing protections effective immediately — capped late-rent fees and some measures delaying evictions for renters and homeowners experiencing a loss of income as a result of #COVIDー19 ...

*IN A NUTSHELL due to limited characters* @PriceForDel95’s bill gives renters 60 and homeowners 30 days to catch up on their missed payments before having to face eviction/forclosure. https://bit.ly/2VSYPFH 

“If we had been doing better prior to the pandemic, we would not be in such a dire need of extreme changes to our policies,” @PriceForDel95 said. Adding that substantive change will require a joint effort by the legislature, executive and judicial branches.

Another knock off the scorecard was VA’s inaction to pause late fees. While it’s not a complete wipe, @JeffMBourne’s bill capping late-rent fees at either 10% of a tenant’s monthly rent or the amount they owe their landlord. https://bit.ly/2xb2TsA 

Lawmakers couldn’t introduce new legislation on Wed., but @PriceForDel95 said they may be able to during a #COVIDー19 -related special session in a few months — date TBD. Until then, she’s urging Virginians to reach out to their representatives to make their voices heard.

”That is the violence of poverty. The people that are experiencing the hardship are going to be the ones that have to initiate some work in order to get the changes they need,” @PriceForDel95 said. : Bob Brown @RTDNEWS

She added that, even if lawmakers can propose new bills at the special session, it’s unlikely that Virginians will see a rent moratorium. But topics on the table include funding for legal aid attorneys and the affordable housing trust fund. Deets @MyVPM https://bit.ly/3bCWftX