Need help with rent to avoid an eviction in Richmond, VA

(Request from Victoria in Richmond, Virginia) I need help with to avoid an eviction before me and my son end up being homeless.

Dear Victoria,

I’m sorry to hear that you are at risk of homelessness. This is especially difficult when children are involved. I want to make sure that you have every opportunity to either cure your rental arrears or to find a suitable alternative that will provide safe shelter for you and your son.

In 2013 we featured a few community organizations that provide Emergency Solutions Grants in the Richmond area. These agencies have partnered with the city of Richmond through a special initiative called the Continuum of Care. The purpose of this initiative is to allow organizations to pool resources, provide referrals and to fight the causes of homelessness.

You have a couple of options here.

First, it may be possible to use the emergency solutions grant to catch up on your late rent payments. This is generally possible for tenants who are only one month behind, although there may be circumstances in which an organization could provide two months of late rent payments to your landlord.

Secondly, it might be advantageous for you to make a clean start. A grant could be provided to give you the security deposit to cover your rent and utilities on a new apartment. Even the first month’s rent can sometimes be provided.

Of course there is also an alternative situation.

Since I don’t have any details about your current employment situation, I would encourage you to also look into the possibility of transitional housing. This is unique opportunity to take the stress out of trying to afford a home for your family. It gives you the opportunity to work on your credits and build your savings while you are working to improve your income and gain job skills.

I would recommend that you contact at least a couple of the Richmond Continuum of Care partner agencies to see if they can help you with your emergency situation. Once you are working with the case manager they will be able to determine the seriousness of your situation as well as the feasibility of each type of option that they can help with.

You may wish to start with Homeward since this organization specializes in eviction prevention. Call 804-343-2045.