Legal Aid Group Says Eviction Helpline Slow To Start, But Working To Curb Some Evictions

"A new hotline for tenants seeking legal help for a possible eviction has helped about 130 tenants since the beginning of the year. Legal aid attorneys say they’ve found about a quarter of those cases have a strong legal defense to fight the eviction.

The Virginia Poverty Law Center rolled out the helpline at the beginning of the year to combat Virginia’s notoriously high eviction rate . Tenants rarely have an attorney to advise them when they get a notice from their landlord that they’ve violated their lease agreement or have failed to pay their rent.

And yet studies show they’re more likely to avoid an eviction if they can get legal advice before the eviction process even begins. That advice could include informing tenants of their rights and whether there’s room for them to negotiate with a landlord..."

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