RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia joins a growing number of states and cities across the nation halting evictions in response to potential lost wages during the new coronavirus crisis.

Christie Marra, the Virginia Poverty Law Center's director of housing advocacy, said the Commonwealth's three-week ban will protect tenants in a state known for some of the highest eviction rates in the country. She said hundreds of Virginians are evicted every day, which is especially dangerous during a pandemic.

"If those people continue to have to go to court right now, with the public health crisis that we are experiencing, the ability of Virginia to contain or mitigate this crisis will be severely compromised."

She said the temporary ban is only for new eviction cases. A spokesman with the Central Virginia Apartment Association urged renters to communicate with their landlords and housing managers during the coronavirus outbreak if they think they can't make rent by April 1.

Richmond's eviction rate was more than 11%, three to four times the national average, according to a 2018 study, and five Virginia cities are on the top 10 list for most evictions in the nation, Marra said. She pointed out that housing is a critical issue when state and federal governments are ordering folks to practice social distancing.

"There are already homeless folks in the state of Virginia," she said. "If in fact they are infected, it could be really catastrophic to add to that population all of the people who may be evicted."

The Commonwealth joins North Carolina, Maryland and many U.S. cities -- including New York and Los Angeles -- in delaying eviction actions until the COVID-19 crisis subsides. Virginia's delay is part of a "judicial emergency" declared by the state Supreme Court to ease courthouse traffic during the pandemic.

The Eviction Lab study is online at evictionlab.org, and the Supreme Court of Virginia Judicial Emergency notice is at courts.state.va.us.


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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Millions of Americans soon could find eviction notices on their front doors, but New Mexico renters will not be among them - as long as they file the appropriate paperwork to receive financial assistance.

New Mexico has local and state eviction moratoriums in place, even as the federal eviction moratorium is set to expire tomorrow.

Brie Sillery - communications strategist with the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness - said it's a good thing there's no immediate change in the state, because most homeless shelters are at capacity.

"We are operating with a homeless response system already inundated," said Sillery, "and, because of the financial implications of the pandemic, we have seen an increase in people that are living on the street."

The pandemic caused many to lose their jobs and fall behind on rent and utility payments. Sillery estimates 60,000 to 80,000 New Mexico households would be facing eviction without the state and local moratoriums.

Renters or landlords facing financial difficulties can find help through "renthelpnm.org" - but must apply by August 30.

Sillery said New Mexico has about $150 million available in federal aid for rent and utility assistance to households experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.

"What we want to do now is ensure that, as New Mexicans are seeing the federal moratorium come to an end, that both tenants and landlords know that they are still protected," said Sillery.


The Biden administration said Wednesday it lacks the authority to require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to extend the moratorium past this weekend, and called on Congress to pass legislation to do so.

DENVER -- When people experiencing chronic homelessness in Denver received free housing along with mental and behavioral health services, they were able to stay housed and saw improved health outcomes, according to a new Urban Institute report.

Cathy Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said the upfront investment in housing resulted in significant savings by reducing encounters with safety-net services.

"Housing with appropriate services is going to not only improve the lives of those people being housed, and the communities in which they are housed, but it's also going to be a benefit to the taxpayers," Alderman asserted.

More than half of the program's cost was offset by reductions in public services, such as jail, detox and other emergency care.

Alderman pointed out the report contradicts claims people choose to become and remain homeless. When participants were able to access housing through the Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond initiative, launched in 2016, they remained stably housed.

Participants also saw overall health benefits, in part because they were able to access preventive care.

Alderman contended helping people address behavioral and mental-health issues is an important step toward re-entering the community in a meaningful way.

"Oftentimes people who are suffering from a behavioral or a mental-health issue, they may not realize that that is the impediment to staying stably housed, or entering the workforce, or obtaining an educational outcome," Alderman explained.

With housing costs exploding in Colorado, Alderman emphasized the time for targeted investments in homelessness prevention and resolution have never been more critical.

She sees the report as a call to action as the state continues to become less affordable for even those with moderate incomes.

"This is a model that can be used at the local level," Alderman urged. "In cities, the state could adopt it, the federal government could adopt it, and we could probably make significant changes in the number of people experiencing homelessness today."

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota is reaching out to those who have fallen behind on their rent due to the pandemic and may not know there's help.

Application counselors are seen as a bridge in getting funds to those who need it. Most of the $352 million the state received this year in federal emergency rental aid is still unclaimed.

The nation's eviction moratorium expires July 31, creating concerns about a wave of people being forced from their homes.

Carmel Froemke, statewide outreach coordinator for the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota (CAP-ND), said her staff is getting new training to handle urgent cases, and those who still might see their situation worsen.

"We know that the effects of COVID aren't just going to go away. There's long-term effects of that," Froemke explained. "And so, we're hoping to be able to provide a more sustainable assistance over the course of time."

CAP-ND is contracted with the state through next February to carry out application assistance, with 30 counselors to provide one-on-one help from agency offices, to those unsure about navigating the online portal.

They can help vulnerable populations who don't have access or experience with technology. State officials say eligibility has been expanded to ensure program recipients have a less-rocky recovery from their hardship.

Eligibility was boosted to 80% of area median income, and a person can now receive rental aid for up to 12 months.

Andrea Olson, executive director of the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota, said it suggests part of the issue in reaching households is people who have never relied on aid programs before may now need it, but do not know they exist.

"They make just enough to survive," Olson explained. "But when there's something that happens like a global pandemic, they don't have sufficient savings to carry them through."

Froemke added once people get through the initial application stage, there is a lot of information to submit, including details from the landlord.

"Once the rent is approved, the landlord will be paid directly through a vendor service process," Froemke confirmed.

She added that is why counselors will follow up with applicants, so aid is not pulled back over a key detail. They can also assist if a recipient is renewed for more funds.

Nationwide, Census Pulse Survey data show more than 6 million households are behind on rent. It is estimated the updated North Dakota program could serve up to 25,000 households.