RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority says as many as 1,000 low-income families are risking eviction in the coming months now that its self-imposed eviction moratorium has expired.
In an update to Richmond City Council on Monday, the housing authority’s Interim Chief Executive Officer detailed efforts RRHA made between November 2019 and the end of 2021 to help its residents “Come Current” on rent payments.
“We went door to door and sent notices. We made phone calls. We worked weekends and we made sure to do what it takes to reach our residents,” Stacey Daniels-Fayson told the council.
RRHA said it assisted 962 households in applying for rent relief or setting up a repayment plan. As of December, 843 of its 3,700 housing units are more than a month behind on payments.
This week, RRHA mailed 30-day lease termination notices to residents with overdue balances ranging from $500 to $5,000. The process to evict residents would take months and unlikely to displace anyone before April. In that time, residents could still make a payment and stop the court proceedings.
Meanwhile, city leaders are very concerned about the impact on everyone if families are forced out of public housing.
“I want to find out what's going to happen to these folks?” asked City Councilor Mike Jones. “What are we going to do as a city and as a council to respond to that?”
The council vowed to continue discussions about how the city could, or would, respond if hundreds of families end up facing eviction.
If you're having trouble paying your rent, there are multiple non-profits in the area that can help.
Homeward Virginia staffs a Housing Resource Line you can call at (804) 422-5061.
HOME of VA also works to prevent homelessness. Their phone number is (877) 315-1200.
