Mayor Stoney’s new partnership has prevented 76 evictions and is on pace to meet its annual goal

In its first three months, the City of Richmond’s Eviction Diversion Program has diverted 76 evictions and is on track to meet its goal to divert 300-500 evictions in its first year.
 
The program, which launched last October, provides Richmond tenants with pro bono legal assistance, financial counseling and literacy services and referrals to supportive services while ensuring landlords receive past-due rent payments.
 
As of January, the program is over one third of the way towards its goal of providing 300 tenants with financial literacy and money management education.
 
Studies show that housing instability can impact school outcomes, employment and mental health. Evictions particularly affect families with children, who are evicted at twice the rate of families without children. Single parent, female-led homes and communities of color are disproportionately impacted.
 
The Richmond Eviction Diversion Program provides a holistic solution to the city’s eviction challenges, having established goals to not only reduce the displacement of low-income individuals and families but also to address the social inequity, chronic school absenteeism and lingering financial burden that accompany an eviction.
 
“We still have a long way to go in ensuring everyone has access to quality, stable housing, but the Eviction Diversion Program has already allowed 76 families and individuals to stay in their homes,” said Mayor Stoney. “That’s a huge step in the right direction.”
 
The city’s Eviction Diversion Program partners include:
 
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
City of Richmond Circuit Court Judges
City of Richmond General District Court Judges and Clerks
Firms in Service
Greater Richmond Bar Foundation
Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia
McGuire Woods
Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia
Office of Mayor Levar Stoney
Office of the City’s Chief Administrative Officer
Richmond City Council
Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities
Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
Virginia Housing Commission
Virginia Legislative Black Caucus
Virginia Poverty Law Center
 
For background information on the Eviction Diversion Program, click here.
 
For more information on the Eviction Diversion Program, contact Osita Iroegbu, Mayor’s Senior Policy Advisor, at Osita.Iroegbu@richmondgov.com.

##

The City of Richmond is scheduled to be closed through May 17, 2020 due to COVID-19. However, the Office of the General Registrar will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays for in person absentee voting for the June primary starting May 8, 2020. Until city offices open to the public, voters should come to the Broad Street side of City Hall (900 East Broad Street) to vote in person. Persons who need handicapped accessibility may enter through the 9th Street side but must ask to be escorted to the voting area. Curbside voting for persons 65 and older or disabled will be available from the 9th Street side of 900 East Broad Street. Voters needing curbside voting should pull up to the curb and ring the call bell that will be there.  

Persons wishing to file candidate campaign documents for the November election may e-mail VoterRegistration@richmondgov.com and request an appointment. They should specify the date and time they wish to file. Please visit www.elections.virginia.gov for filing requirements and forms.
The Office of the General Registrar will be closed to the public for other business so long as the City of Richmond is closed. Voters who have a valid Virginia DMV ID may register to vote or apply for an absentee ballot online and paperlessly at www.elections.virginia.gov. 

Those that do not have a valid Virginia DMV ID can print the forms out from that website and mail them to P.O. Box 61037, Richmond, Virginia 23261. Persons who do not have printers may e-mail us at VoterRegistration@richmondgov.com and we will mail you a form upon request.  If you do not have email, please call Richmond 311 at (804) 646-7000 and they will send us a message that you need assistance.
The next election in the City of Richmond will be a Democratic Party Primary election for U.S. House of Representatives, 4th District, and a Republican Party Primary election for U.S. Senate. Voters may only vote in one primary or the other; they may not vote in both primaries. The purpose of these elections is to nominate candidates to appear on the ballot in November. These primary elections will be in all City precincts.

The original date for the primary elections was June 9, but that date was changed by order of the Governor to June 23, 2020. The polls will be open 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM on June 23, 2020. The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot through the mail is 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 16, 2020. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot in person (with limited exceptions) is 5 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020. Virginia will require an excuse to vote absentee through June 2020. However, the state has granted liberal use of reason code 2A (illness or disability) due to COVID-19 for persons wishing to vote absentee through the mail for June. Sample ballots and more information can be found at http://www.richmondgov.com/Registrar/index.aspx

The Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) mobile customer service center – DMV Connect – will be at Richmond City Hall, 900 E. Broad Street, on Friday, January 3, 2020 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DMV Connect offers common DMV transactions including applying for and renewing driver's licenses and ID cards, titles and registrations, license plates, driver transcripts, disabled parking placards or plates, address changes, E-ZPass transponders, hunting and fishing licenses and much more.

Citizens are encouraged to research and bring the required documents to complete your transactions. To determine what documents are needed, use the interactive document guide at dmvnow.com.

DMV Connect is a portable program serving Virginians who may not be able to travel to a DMV office. These services will be offered at least once per month in the City of Richmond, depending on the volume of customers.

In-house crew saves the city $51,500

The sidewalk has reopened and pedestrian access has resumed on the northbound side of the North Arthur Ashe Boulevard Bridge between Leigh Street and Avenue of Champions. 

A routine bridge inspection in November revealed an emergency repair was needed to fix one of the concrete piers that support the northbound sidewalk. 

The Department of Public Works used its in-house Bridge Team for the job, which cost $33,800, compared to $85,300 it would have cost to use a contractor. That resulted in a savings of $51,500. 

The November inspection revealed no safety concerns on the traffic lanes or the southbound sidewalk.
 

–First phase wrapping up; 2nd phase starting in less than two weeks–

Construction begins Monday, December 23  on the 2nd phase of renovations to the Hopkins Road Transfer Station at 3520 N. Hopkins Rd. During this phase, the south concrete tipping floor will be replaced. The last day for residents to dump before the work begins is Saturday, December 21. This is the final phase to replace the facility’s tipping floors. Work is nearing completion on the north floor, which began in late October.

After December 21 only those with dump-trailers can continue using the facility. All others should use the East Richmond Road Convenience Center (ERRCC) at 3800 East Richmond Rd. or other area landfills. Those opting for the ERRCC will be required to off-load items on their own. Materials such as trash, bulk and brush, and household hazardous waste can be disposed at that location. Hours of operation at ERRCC are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. The facility is only for city residents and proof of residency is required.

Work at the Transfer Station is expected to be completed by the end of February.