Housing Law
Contact: Jim Naggles
Phone: 804-782-9430 ext. 11
Fax: 804-649-3746
E-mail: jim [at] vplc [dot] org
Overview
Housing law encompasses a broad area. It can involve relations between landlords and tenants; relations between sellers and buyers of dwellings; land use issues (zoning, subdivision ordinances, etc.); property ownership disputes; discriminatory behavior; lending practices; government housing programs; exercise of imminent domain; common ownership of properties, such as condominiums and cooperatives; or numerous other matters related to residential real property.
What housing-related services does VPLC provide?
Advocacy
The Virginia Poverty Law Center tracks the progress of housing-related legislation through the General Assembly, consults with case handlers about the possible impact of proposed legislation, and provides input to committees and individual legislators and other advocacy groups on how a particular bill may affect our clients. The staff issues reports on the outcome of the legislative session.
Community Education
The Virginia Poverty Law Center makes presentations to citizens' groups, other nonprofit organizations, schools and others about housing and housing-related matters.
Training
The Virginia Poverty Law Center conducts annual training workshops for attorneys that are new to the legal aid network, and for attorneys in private law firms who do pro bono work for legal aid clients. Workshop subjects include details about how various state and federal housing programs function, as well as how one goes about litigating or negotiating on behalf of clients affected by them. The Center also conducts an annual conference for legal aid attorneys and others who serve our clients. The conference features workshops dealing with the various areas covered by case handlers. Most of the workshops provide CLE credits.
Representation
Staff at the Center offer legal representation to a limited number of clients who are referred by local legal aid offices. The majority of the clients referred are involved in one or another form of dispute with a landlord, either private or a public agency like a public housing authority. VPLC staff has on occasion acted as co-counsel with local staff.