HEALTHY
COMMUNITIES
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Access to health care and food is critically important to low-income Virginians. If you rely on programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, or FAMIS, we’re working with coalitions pursuing the same goals. Likewise, if you rely on state or federal programs like SNAP, TANF, or Social Security, your access and rights are important to us.
Whether you’re in need of services or serve as a caregiver to another, we can work as advocates, trainers, or help to find representation for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and others needing health care services.
Volunteers Needed for Eviction Legal Helpline
Research shows that eviction is a significant cause, not just a result,…
Car Title Lenders: Driving Borrowers into a Cycle of Debt
No one should profit from trapping and feeding on families through predatory…
E-loan sharking: the latest loan shark tactic used to evade Virginia law
Loan sharks—payday lenders that catch borrowers in debt traps by offering small…
Virginia candidates are raising money—but where is it coming from?
Recently, several stories surfaced about how much candidates are raising, but little…
Eviction Spotlight: Vietnam War vet faces eviction over PTSD-triggered confrontation with property manager
At VPLC, we witness many landlords taking advantage of low-income Virginians through…
Summer CAMHP in the Parks program brings community lawyering to mobile home parks
When residents of mobile home parks encounter a problem, legal aid attorneys…
New landlord-tenant laws, foster care reform, and restored driver’s licenses: new Virginia laws take effect July 1
Today, hundreds of new laws that passed during this year’s General Assembly…
Eviction Spotlight: Senior woman faces eviction from landlord over missing rent from housing authority
At VPLC, we witness many landlords taking advantage of low-income Virginians through…
Eviction Spotlight: Landlord illegally hauls woman’s mobile home into a vacant field on Easter weekend
We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to…
VPLC Pushes CFPB to Keep Consumer Protection Rules in Place for Lenders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2019 CONTACT: Dana Wiggins, VPLC Director of…
Eviction Spotlight: Disabled Vietnam veteran faces eviction after Social Security check arrives late
We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to…
Eviction Spotlight: Getting evicted for criminal history related to untreated disabilities
We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to…
New Coalition Launches to Reform Virginia Energy Policy
For Immediate Release New Coalition Launches to Reform Virginia Energy Policy Lower…
Eviction Spotlight: Being forced out after filing a Tenant’s Assertion based on unlivable conditions
We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to…
VPLC’s 2019 Legislative Review
With another General Assembly session behind us and the dust settled after…
Eviction Spotlight: Chesterfield mother of three faces writ of possession executed against judgment
We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to…
Seven new laws that will help renters sleep easier
Renting your home from someone else isn’t always easy, especially when you’re…
Eviction Spotlight: Getting evicted after reporting sexual assault
We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to…
Solving the mobile home park problem
On Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver shed light on an issue…
Eviction Spotlight: Getting evicted after going to the press
We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to…
Eviction Spotlight: Virginia passed legislation this year to reduce evictions, but the problem is far from solved.
We often hear that tenants are the problem when it comes to…
Top tips for getting your finances on track
April is National Financial Literacy Month, a perfect time to get—and keep—your…
Don’t let payday lenders gut consumer protections from predatory loans
In 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced a rule to…
Dominion promised $870 million for energy conservation. Now it’s walking back its commitment.
Earlier this year, Dominion Energy committed to $870 million in proposed energy…
Legislators Choose E-Loan Sharks Over Their Constituents and Legitimate Virginia Lenders
This year, VPLC teamed up with Virginia Consumer Finance Companies and the…
The economy is doing great. So why doesn’t it feel like it?
The media have been arguing about who should get credit for the…
Crossover Report | 2019 General Assembly
Tuesday, February 5, 2019, was “Crossover Day” in the General Assembly—the last…
VPLC Receives $90,000 Cy Pres Award from Class Action Settlement Against Predatory Internet Lenders
Early this year, VPLC received a generous cy pres award—a distribution of…
It’s Time to Regulate the Companies That Service Our Student Loans
Student loans make up the nation’s second largest consumer debt market. Over…
What are Forced Arbitration Clauses? And Why are VA Legislators Concerned About Their Use?
Many companies tuck forced arbitration clauses into their terms and conditions. They…
Helping Virginia Families by Reducing Wrongful Evictions
Virginia’s Eviction Crisis In the Spring of 2018, a study on nationwide…
VPLC Supports Legislation Regulating Line of Credit and Open-end Credit Lenders
Virginia law regulates payday and car title lenders by allowing them to…
Stop Internet Lenders From Destroying Our Consumer Finance Companies: Vote Yes on SB 1548
SB 1548 comes out of a study of the Consumer Finance Act…
Payday lending by any other name still stinks
“A rose by another name would smell as sweet.” (Romeo and Juliet).…
Tired of Candidates Not Tackling Real Issues like Housing? Welcome to CHACE
Tired of candidates discussing issues that are not really important to our…
Successfully Working Against Housing Discrimination
Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) and Central Virginia Legal Aid (CVLAS)…
Vote NO on HB 1248–Don’t Feed the Internet Loansharks
The Online Lending Alliance–a group of internet loansharks is circling Virginia…
Inclusionary Zoning: An Important Avenue to More Affordable Housing
In 2017, Virginia had enough affordable housing units for only 54 of…
Don’t get rid of mobile home parks—make them better!
Three hundred people in Manassas almost became homeless because of a faulty…
ALL payday lenders should follow the law
“When Pauline H, then 95 years old, moved back to Virginia so her…
Tired of Cadidates Not Tackling Real Issues like Housing? Welcome to CHACE
Tired of candidates discussing issues that are not really important to…
Virginians Should Insist On Fairness In Rent To Own Real Estate Transactions
In recent years, some real estate entrepreneurs have begun marketing homes…
Worried about identity theft? Proposed new law in Virginia may help.
You may recall the massive Equifax data breach that compromised the personal…
Student Loan Debt Is Also Contributing To Virginia’s Teacher Shortage
Governor McAuliffe recently took emergency action because Virginia’s teacher shortage “is a…
Banks need to respect their customers’ right to control their own account
Gilliam v. BB&T We are filing this lawsuit with the law firm…
A message from Virginia to internet lenders that prey on our residents:
The Virginia Poverty Law Center has teamed up with the law firms…
Why is Congress trying to gut laws passed to deal with Wall Street abuses?
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the so-called…
Combining Efforts Can Be a Win for Tenants Across the Country
Inaccuracies in records and discriminatory renting practices that haunt tenants for years…
Location is Everything – Rental Housing Discrimination as a barrier to Economic Mobility
An important focus of VPLC’s housing work is on education, litigation and…
Kristi Kelly and Len Bennett Donate Their Time and Fees to Support Legal Aid in Virginia
Virginia legal aid programs are lucky to have private lawyers who donate…
End the Refund and Review Freeze
VPLC is joining with a bipartisan group of legislators asking Governor McAuliffe…
What are Car title Lenders Afraid of?
Facts. Car title lenders are deathly afraid of anyone looking closely at…
$15 Million Settlement in a “Tribe for Hire” Scam!
Virginia Poverty Law Center filed a class action lawsuit almost 3 years…
Line of Credit lenders are out of control and need some reasonable limits
Delegate David Yancey has tried for years to put some reasonable limits…
Virginians caught in the line of credit loan debt trap tell their story
R. Z. (DINWIDDIE, VA) I had fallen behind on rent, and to…
SUPPORT HB 1945
PROTECT VIRGINIA’S ADULTS FROM FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION SUPPORT HB 1945 (Peace) The…
Contracts for Military Members
Like everyone else, members of the armed services sign up for gym…
Adding Internet Lending to Virginia’s Consumer Finance Act – SB 1126 & HB 1443
SB 1126 and HB 1443 simply clarify existing Consumer Finance Act applies…
Here is what we have learned about internet loans from callers to our predatory loan hotline
Here is what we have learned about internet loans from callers to…
What We Have Learned About “Line of Credit Loans” from Our Hotline Callers
Here are the lessons we’ve learned directly from borrowers’ experiences with open-end,…
Real Borrowers Should be at the Center of the CFPB Rule
Both the Virginia Partnership to Encourage Responsible Lending (VaPERL) and the Virginia…
Rubber Stamp Justice: Can’t we stop this abuse?
Rubber Stamp Justice: Can’t we stop this abuse? Human Rights Watch released…
CFPB imposes $8 million penalty on a company sued by VPLC last year
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took action this week against nationwide…
Dodd-Frank is only 5 years old—why are the big banks trying to kill it?
What is Dodd-Frank? It is the financial reform law that passed Congress…
Welcome to Shark Week 2015
Loansharks inflict economic violence on borrowers. “We may think of violence…
New Lending Rules Will Protect Troops from Predatory Lending
The following is blog post from VPLC’s Director of Outreach and Financial…
Christie Marra Winner of 2014 Virginia State Bar Legal Aid Award
Christie Marra, VPLC’s Family and Housing Law attorney, is the winner of…
Car-Title Lenders Surge in Northern Virginia
By Michael Pope, WAMU In the last few weeks, drivers have noticed…
12 On Your Side Alert: Warning About E-mail Loan Offers
By Gray Hall, NBC 12 There is a warning about a suspicious…
Renters vs. Landlords: New Law Offers New Recourse
By Alison Burns, Public News Service- VA Renters in Virginia have new…
12 On Your Side: Man Loses Money in Online Loan Scam
By Diane Walker, NBC 12 Scammers have put together a sophisticated scheme…
How to Stop Automatic Account Debits – Banks Must Comply
By Monique Coppola, Public News Service-VA April is National Financial Literacy Month, and…
Chesterfield Board Sets Policy for Alternative Lenders
By Jeremy Slayton, Richmond Times-Dispatch Chesterfield County leaders this week signed off…
Loans Thrive in Loopholes
Virginian-Pilot Editorial Certain products – cigarettes, medicines, booze, mortgages – are so…
Could Big Banks Help Rein in Payday Lenders?
By Mitchell Hartman, Marketplace/American Public Media JPMorgan Chase has announced new policies to limit the…
New Domestic Violence Bill Awaits Gov’s Signature
By Monique Coppola, Public News Service- VA Imagine you are a victim…
Wiggins Receives Economic and Social Justice Award
Dana Wiggins, who for six years has assisted Virginians who owe money…
Laws Protect Against Predatory Lenders
By Craig Carper, WCVE News A coalition of consumer protection advocates says…
VPLC Supports the 2013 SAFE Lending Act
Many online lenders think they are immune to state laws – The…
On Your Side Alert: Automatic Electronic Debits
By Gray Hall, NBC 12 In this age of technology, it’s likely…
Senate Poison Pill Could Allow more Mortgage Crises
By James W. Speer and Deborah Goldberg, Richmond Times-Dispatch Op-Ed What happens…
46,600 Virginians to Receive Foreclosure Fraud Settlement Checks
By Kelly Avellino, NBC 12 If you lost your home through foreclosure,…
Virginia Becomes Hub for Risky Car Title Loans
By Frederick Kunkle, The Washington Post When Brenda Ann Covington needed money…
12 Investigates: Homeowners Missing Out on Mortgage Settlement Money
By Rachel DePompa, NBC 12 Millions of dollars meant to help distressed…
New Data Shows Car Title Loans Big Business in Va.
By Michael Felberbaum, Associated Press Virginia car title lenders doled out nearly…
Bank of America Starts Mortgage Reduction Effort
By Natasha Singer, The New York Times Bank of America has started…
Need Quick Cash? Avoid These 6 Traps
By Barbara Diggs, Fox Business Don’t Risk Your Car With Title Loans Like payday…
Mortgage Settlement Relief Will Take Months
Predatory scammers are hard at work, falsely claiming to have an inside…
CashPoint Distributes Settlement Checks after AG Investigation
By Gray Hall, WWBT NBC12 A settlement check may be coming your…
PUBLIC BENEFITS LAW
Many of the problems public assistance recipients have, are the result of a lack of information or misinformation. We offer nonpartisan information about matters affecting the poor and vulnerable in our society, work with attorneys throughout Virginia to help their low-income clients, and educate people on the benefits of using these programs.