Learn your tenant rights at Housing Expo this weekend

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Finding an affordable place to live in Richmond is not for the faint of heart these days. City leaders declared a “housing crisis” as eviction numbers continued to climb while the pandemic receded.

Now the Henrico Chapter of the NAACP is taking on housing instability and hoping to help reach members of the community in need of assistance with a Housing Expo this Saturday, June 10.

“You don't have to be out here without education and without the tools that are right here. But, if you don't know about them, you can't take advantage of them,” said NAACP Housing Chair Tara Adams. “We are bringing them here for you so that you can be aware.”

Organizations like Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Southside Community Center, Habitat for Humanity and more will be on hand at the Housing Expo.

Attendees can learn how to maximize their income and what resources are available in the event of a hardship. There will be information on tenant rights and eviction diversion tactics for renters. The expo will also work to breakdown and explain the process of buying a home.

Adams, also a local realtor, notes a concerning trend in the declining number of African American homeowners, saying there are less now than there were in 1968.

“We are getting evicted more,” said Adams. “We just need education, and we need advocacy. So, we are bringing in nonprofit organizations who have resources and tools. We are letting the community know that these organizations exist.”

The NAACP Housing Expo is open to everyone and will be held at the IBEW Local 666 office located at 1400 East Nine Mile Road in Highland Springs. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. No registration is required.

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