RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Legal aid attorneys and affordable housing advocates from across Virginia have formed a coalition to try to figure out why Richmond and several other cities in the state have some of the highest eviction rates in the country.
The new group comes in response to data published last week by The New York Times showing that in 2016, landlords were given the legal right to remove at least one in nine renter households in Richmond. Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Chesapeake also had high eviction rates.
The Campaign to Reduce Eviction will hold its first meeting in Richmond on May 22.
Christie Marra, a lawyer with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, said a shortage of affordable rental housing and state laws favoring landlords contribute to the high number of evictions.