We Can Join together to Help Reduce the Eviction Crisis in Our Community

Affordable housing can be difficult to find, especially for people who have limited income. A person’s rental history may be extremely important in the search for affordable housing. Potential landlords may check to determine if there have been one or more “Unlawful Detainers” filed against a person seeking to rent residential property. Unfortunately, the records stay in the Virginia Court Case Information (VCCI) system, usually for 10 years – even cases that were dismissed or nonsuited.

A new law was enacted in Virginia in 2022 (Virginia Code Section 8.01-130.01 / Unlawful Detainer; Expungement). This law allows an eviction case that was dismissed or non-suited (and no possession was granted) to be removed from public court records after a certain of amount of time has passed. After an expungement is completed by the court, the case is then removed from VCCI. A cleaner rental history may make it easier for people to obtain future affordable housing.

The Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (LASEVA) received a grant to help address the eviction crisis in our service area by engaging volunteer attorneys via an Eviction Expungement Project (EEP) to clear up tenants’ rental and credit histories, thereby reducing some barriers to obtaining affordable housing.

As part of this project, LASEVA is offering a 1-hour free CLE (Housing Law – Unlawful Detainer Expungements) followed by a ½ hour clinic to handle cases. The CLE, via zoom virtual format, has been approved by the Virginia State Bar for 1-hour CLE.

Upcoming CLEs for 2024:

To participate in the CLE & Clinic and for additional information, please contact:

Janet James, Esquire

Pro Bono Expungement Grant Attorney

Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia

Phone: 757-305-9007

janetj@laseva.org