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How IKEA is helping Virginia families facing eviction

Posted at 1:08 PM, Aug 31, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-31 18:36:19-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- A $2 million donation from IKEA, combined with $2 million from Virginia’s COVID-19 Relief Fund will be used to help more Virginians facing eviction stay in their homes, according to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.

The governor announced Monday that those dollars would help the Legal Services Corporation of Virginia support 20 Legal Aid attorneys. Those attorneys would advocate for Virginians facing eviction.

Legal Aid attorneys, according to the governor's office, help Virginia families facing eviction 72 percent of the time. Those without Legal Aid support have a 34 percent success rate.

“Our Commonwealth faced an eviction crisis before COVID-19 arrived in early March, and the ongoing global pandemic is making this problem even worse,” Governor Northam said. “In an unprecedented crisis and financial uncertainty, we must be able to get relief to vulnerable populations quickly and efficiently—this additional funding will make that possible.”

IKEA owns two stores in Virginia.

“We are appreciative of the ongoing support from the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the unemployment funds paid to our co-workers who were furloughed in the early weeks of the pandemic,” Javier Quiñones, IKEA Retail U.S. president, said. “We now have a better understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, and we’ve decided to pay it forward to support the ongoing relief efforts in our local communities.”

For more information on seeking help from Legal Services Corporation of Virginia, click here.