by Jay Speer, VPLC Executive Director I have been thinking a lot about Ward Scull who died recently.  Ward was a long-time ally of VPLC in our multi-year legislative fight with Virginia’s payday lenders.  VPLC advocated for just and fair lending, but the payday lenders wanted to continue making huge sums of money exploiting Virginians […]

September 9, 2024 Richmond, VA – The Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) is a crucial lifeline for food insecure Virginians. SNAP supplements grocery budgets for families in need of food help and injects money into local economies: every dollar spent with SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity. A new report by the National Council […]

Naomi Y. Cordova joins the VPLC team as the new Legal Assistant for the Legal Assistance to Victim-Immigrants of Domestic Abuse (LA VIDA) program. Naomi brings a wealth of experience in immigration law and a diverse skill set to VPLC. Naomi has a robust legal background, with many years of client communication, legal documentation, translation, […]

Shark Week 2024: Be Careful Where You Borrow By Jay Speer, Virginia Poverty Law Center Executive Director Welcome to Shark Week 2024, at least according to the annual designation fronm Discovery Channel   In years past, the Virginia Poverty Law Center has used this week to call out all the loan sharks attacking Virginia borrowers.  There […]

Utility providers cannot shut off your service for unpaid bills during certain unsafe periods.

 Richmond, Va, June 27, 2024 – The Richmond Public Library (RPL) and Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) today launched a new partnership to help renters facing potential eviction. The program will provide guided assistance using VPLC’s new online Eviction Defense Center to answer users’ questions and help prepare them for court. Patrons often ask librarians […]

We don’t need to tell you, Virginia is in the middle of a housing crisis. Lawmakers, courts, and funders need to do something. But what? We need to hear from you. VPLC is hosting a series of housing discussions across Virginia this summer, and we want to know: what are your experiences with the housing […]

By Jay Speer, VPLC Executive Director Last week Virginia legal aid programs and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association filed an amici (friend of the court) brief in a case before the Virginia Court of Appeals challenging the shady practices of Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA) and other debt buyers that has led to over $217 million […]

Thousands of residential tenants across the Commonwealth live in dangerously unhealthy conditions, battling mold, pest infestations, broken plumbing, and failing heating and cooling systems. When these tenants turn to their local office of housing or court system for help, they are all too often turned away by judges and other officials who want to help […]

U.S. Supreme Court delivers good news for consumers and fair business practices, but expect more industry pressure on CFPB The Supreme Court today upheld the constitutionality of the funding method Congress chose for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, allowing a vital agency to continue its work in holding Wall Street and predatory lenders to account, […]

Every April, Virginia and the nation observe “Child Abuse Prevention Month.” But at VPLC, we prefer to think of April as “Supporting Families Month” or “Help Families Thrive Month.” Why? Because the best way to help children is to support families and help them thrive.  In Virginia as elsewhere, the number one reason families are […]

Richmond, Va, March 19, 2024 – Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has awarded Virginia Poverty Law Center $1 million through her charitable organization, Yield Giving. The grant will help VPLC expand its legal resources and online tools to assist thousands of additional Virginians by providing one-of-a-kind, multi-format, self-help materials. Today’s announcement follows a competitive, nationwide call for […]

Read the Black History Month Proclamation, signed by Governor Yougkin: WHEREAS, February is recognized and commemorated in the United States as Black History Month, and we recognize the people, historic events, and the cultural moments that have shaped American and world history and our society today; and WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia at Fort Monroe […]

In honor of Black History Month, we’re sharing a list of twenty black attorneys who were truly the firsts of their time. Their fearless determination opened doors for many, for generations to come. by Angelica Cesario, Lawline Austin T. Walden In 1965, Austin T. Walden became the first black man appointed to a judgeship in […]

To download this sheet as a PDF, click here.

To download this fact sheet as a PDF, click here.

Help Get Rid of Zombie Mortgage Foreclosures HB 184 by Delegate Simon amends Virginia law concerning foreclosures. A second mortgage holder must detail what is owed and must prove they have sent monthly statements to the property owner to recover fees and interest covered by the period the mortgage appeared to be dead. To download […]

Make probate loans comply with the Virginia Fairness in Lending Act HB 648 by Del. Coyner deals with yet another attempt to evade the 2020 Virginia Fairness in Lending Act, which passed the House in a bipartisan 62-30 vote. VPLC believes that the Virginia General Assembly should determine what is a loan, not the company […]

Disclose all Mandatory Fees and Charges VPLC supports HB1320 (McClure) and SB388 (Pekarsky), which would require the disclosure of all mandatory fees and charges included in the advertised and displayed price of any good or service. This would create a clear, upfront picture of the total cost of a product. To download this fact sheet […]

Vote YES on House Bill 418 (Simon) The Virginia General Assembly passes laws to properly regulate marketplaces and protect individuals but many times those laws are not effectively enforced because government agencies may lack the necessary resources. Virginia and Mississippi are the only states in the country that do not allow class action lawsuits. Virginians […]

The Virginia Food Access Coalition (VFAC) has released an updated version of the Virginia Roadmap to End Hunger for 2024. It covers the coalition’s (including VFAC member VPLC) work and goals surrounding child nutrition, emergency allotments, the farm bill, community food access, and more. A few fast facts from the roadmap: End of pandemic-era programs […]