New Eviction Moratorium To Begin Next Week In Virginia

VIRGINIA — On Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court announced it approved Gov. Ralph Northam's request for another temporary eviction moratorium as some tenants struggle to pay rent during the pandemic. The moratorium between Monday, Aug. 10 and Monday, Sept. 7, pauses eviction proceedings related to failure to pay rent.

Virginia's last moratorium had expired after June 28, drew protests from tenants in places like Richmond and Alexandria. Northam had requested another moratorium in a letter to Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Lemons on July 24, adding that 6,000 eviction hearings were on court schedules between July 20 and Aug. 7. He said the temporary moratorium will provide time to work with the Virginia General Assembly to pass more relief for tenants and expand the Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program. A special session of the General Assembly will start on Aug. 18.

In a news release announcing the temporary moratorium, Northam cited a stalemate in Congress on a new coronavirus relief bill as a reason to again halt evictions in Virginia. According to the Washington Post, President Trump's administration was looking into executive authority to halt evictions.

"As the ongoing Congressional stalemate leaves hundreds of thousands of Virginians without federal housing protection or unemployment relief, this is a critical step towards keeping families safely in their homes," said Northam. "I am grateful to the Virginia Supreme Court for granting this order, and I look forward to working with the General Assembly this month to develop more permanent legislative protections for Virginia homeowners and tenants."

As eviction proceedings resumed on June 29, the Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program was launched to help households facing eviction and foreclosure. The program is initially funded with $50 million in federal CARES Act funding and prioritizes households with an unlawful detainer hearing. In the July 24 letter to the Virginia supreme court chief justice, Northam said the program is helping 1,880 households and has processed payments to 467 households. The rent relief is paid directly to landlords on behalf of tenants.

Evictions have been problematic in Virginia even before the pandemic left some tenants unable to pay rent. According to Eviction Lab, Virginia has five cities in the top 10 U.S. cities for eviction rates. That includes Richmond, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Chesapeake. Most of these cities are in Hampton Roads, which had recently seen an increase in new coronavirus cases, positive rates of tests, and hospitalizations.

Northam encouraged tenants to pay rent on time if they are able and learn about their rights at www.stayhomevirginia.com/renters.