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To declare evictions without legal representation as a public crisis and to support right-to-counsel programs and programs increasing access to counsel for residents of the city of Richmond facing eviction as a critical necessity.
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WHEREAS, according to the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (the "Society"), the city of Richmond is facing an eviction crisis; and
WHEREAS, according to the Society, tenants who have been evicted do not just lose their immediate housing, they also suffer from a loss of mental and physical health, child custody, education, employment, public benefits, and personal property; and
WHEREAS, the Society has found that, according to a report dated November 2021, from the RVA Eviction Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University, tenants in the city of Richmond and the Counties of Henrico and Chesterfield who have representation receive a more favorable outcome in 18.4 percent of cases versus 2.4 percent of the time for those in which tenants are not represented; and
WHEREAS, the Society has also found that, according to a 2023 analysis performed by the RVA Eviction Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University, there were 13,767 eviction filings in the General District Court of the City of Richmond in 2023 and, of this number, 24 percent resulted in default judgments against tenants who did not appear in court and 76 percent involved tenants who could potentially benefit from being represented by an attorney through a right-to-counsel program; and
WHEREAS, the Council believes that it is in the best interests of the residents of the city of Richmond that the Council declare that evictions without legal representation is a public crisis and support right-to-counsel programs and programs increasing access to counsel for residents of the city of Richmond facing eviction as a critical necessity;
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND:
That the Council hereby declares t...
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