RVA Eviction Lab

We focus on data to understand the eviction crisis in Richmond and Virginia and to support those who are most affected by the crisis to drive change

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

This is an important critique, and one we're committed to centering in our own work. It's why we prioritize supporting those who have been focused on eviction and displacement @reduceevictions @HomewardVA @HOMEofVA @VPLC
https://t.co/3Tsyvm0oy6

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Also new in our quarterly report is analysis of tenant legal representation:

Tenants rarely have attorneys representing them and legal counsel results in better court outcomes for tenants. The median share of tenants who have attorneys in Virginia jurisdictions is 0.7%.

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Our 1st Quarter Report for 2023 is now available:
Eviction judgments continue to increase post-COVID protections from 81% to 95% of pre-pandemic levels.
https://t.co/XPZWxhFVQe

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Our quarterly report now includes analysis of amounts owed in eviction cases:

In Q1 of 2023 the statewide median principal owed was $2,270, which is an 89% increase from 2019, indicating the continued financial burden of the pandemic on household budgets.

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

NLIHC Releases Brief Detailing State-Level Tenant Protections Enacted Since Pandemic
https://t.co/6TWidtmTN9

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

More than half of large buildings are owned by companies located in central Virginia. Across the region, eviction is highly concentrated spatially and by owner, overlapping significantly with Black neighborhoods:

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

We analyzed eviction filing patterns in the region's large apartment buildings, which comprise almost 70% of all rental housing, 75% of all filings, and 67% of judgments in Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield.
https://t.co/HXPsQSbcGL

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

9 parent companies that own rental housing in the region are each responsible for more than 1,000 eviction judgments, which is 31% of all judgments in the region from 2019-2015.

24 companies are responsible for the majority of all eviction filings.

[VCU News Center @VCUnews]

Richmond City Council has declared a housing crisis in a city with one of America’s highest eviction rates. @Kate_Howell_Phd and @BenFTeresa, co-directors of @RVAEvictionLab at the @VCUWilderSchool, share suggestions for how the city can move forward. https://t.co/jchAfw3dHG

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Who is the VEC for? Everyone! Whether you are a tenant, lawyer, advocate, organizer, or community member, the VEC is designed to help you learn more about the patterns of eviction.

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Big news! The Virginia Evictors Catalog (VEC) has been updated to include serial filings and all data through December 2022. Follow along to learn more about what that means. 🧵

https://t.co/jyD6wAv03b

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Serial filings are multiple filings by a plaintiff against the same defendant within the same ZIP Code within a 12-month period. Research indicates that landlords use serial filings to leverage the court for debt collection as opposed to removal.

https://t.co/wXKijI50KN

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

https://t.co/AxiimcvEE2

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Our new Narrative Mapping Project is now live on our site. By connecting archival research, oral histories & spatial data, this project links current problems of housing instability with previous periods of exclusion, dispossession, and demobilization.
https://t.co/ulfYO3drSQ

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

These ideas are explored more in depth here:
https://t.co/esDooAi1HX

[New Virginia Majority @NewVAMajority]

Both eviction filings and eviction judgments are the highest they’ve been in Northern VA since 2019- according to RVA Eviction Lab 4th Quarter Report.

Read the full report here ⬇️
https://t.co/rDAU6IRpEd

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Additionally, increased housing instability is driven by rent increases, with 40% of all renters reporting increases greater than $100, about 8% of VA median rent.

29% of Black renters report increases greater than $250, which is close to a 19% increase in the median rent.

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

2022 4th Quarter Report

Overall in Q4 filings and judgments appear to have slowed or declined, a trend that will likely reverse once courts have reported all cases.

Compared to prepandemic years, in 2022 eviction increased dramatically across the state.

https://t.co/iIMiC6T7sq

[RVA Eviction Lab @RVAEvictionLab]

Based on historical data reporting trends, 2022 will almost certainly have more evictions than 2020 and 2021 combined.