Northam announces $4 million in funding to support Virginia residents facing eviction

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced $4 million in new funding for the Legal Services Corporation of Virginia. This will support 20 legal aid attorneys in providing services to Virginians facing eviction over the next two years.
Northam is matching a $2 million donation from IKEA U.S. Community Foundation. The governor’s contribution is coming from the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 relief fund from taxes on skills games.
“There is no good time for a family to lose their home but a pandemic is the worst time,” Northam said.
Gov. Northam says legal aid makes a real difference when families are facing eviction. According to Northam, 72 percent of the time families who have access to legal aid often have successful outcomes.
Although $1.5 million per year for Legal Aid was unallotted from Virginia’s biennial budget, this $4 million in funding will allow for additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic, Northam’s administation said in a release.
The urgency for legal aid has grown since the pandemic began. 10,000 eviction cases were docketed from mid-July to August.
The Virginia Rent and Mortage Relief Program, established at the end of June, has already served 3,100 households in Virginia. Over 60 percent of the homes served have children.
The Virginia Poverty Law Center estimates that more than 200,000 eviction cases could be filed by the end of the year.