Suffolk renters: Join us for a free Town Hall to learn your rights, share your experiences, and help shape better housing policies in your community.

Need help with your landlord, lease, or housing rights? Join us for a free legal pop-up on July 26 in Richmond—food provided and advocates on-site to help.

By Jay Speer, Executive Director, Virginia Poverty Law Center The “DOGE boys” may have gotten access to your medical files, financial information, your Social Security number, and your address.  Is that OK with you?  The US Department of Justice thinks it is no big deal but thankfully the judge in a case brought by VPLC […]

An airline executive testifying before Congress offered this explanation about different prices charged for carry-on luggage: “we want the best people to get the best prices”.  What?  Who are the best people?  Virginia’s new law on these crazy surprise (or junk) fees won’t outlaw these fees but it will require many businesses to disclose what […]

Thanks to VPLC’s advocacy, several important housing measures were signed into law during this year’s General Assembly session: More Fairness for Public Housing Tenants Tenants living in public housing now have better protections. Judges are now authorized to allow public housing tenants to appeal their eviction cases without posting a cash bond. Public housing authorities […]

In a significant move to help those struggling with medical debt, Governor Glenn Youngkin has signed into law (effective July 1, 2026) new legislation aimed at curbing overly aggressive medical debt collection practices. The Medical Debt Protection Act prohibits medical debt collectors from foreclosing on homes and limits the garnishment of wages, offering relief to […]

U.S. Senate votes unanimously to end tax on tips—Hallelujah!  Well, maybe not.  Quick research reveals many reasons why “no tax on tips” will harm more workers than it helps. One of the chief reasons why this is a terrible idea is that “it could encourage harmful employer practices and lead to tip requests in virtually […]

Join VPLC for a Tenant Town Hall this summer. Learn your rights. Share your ideas. 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? VPLC fights for better laws, policies, and funding to improve access to safe and affordable […]

April is Fair Housing Month Join VPLC housing advocates, allies, and partners for a series of virtual lunchtime trainings about pressing topics in housing law that impact low-income Virginians. Pending approval, each session will be 1 CLE credit. Find more information about these Fair Housing Month training sessions below and click the links to register […]

Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) has joined a lawsuit against Acting Director Russell Vought to challenge the unlawful dismantling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The lawsuit, filed February 13, 2025, also includes the National Treasury Employees Union, National Consumer Law Center, NAACP, and the CFPB Employee Association. The next day (2.14.2025), at the […]

By Carmen Bingham, VPLC Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Project Coordinator HB2621, as amended by the House of Delegates, will be before the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee Monday, February 10, 2025 in the afternoon. It is not the savior bill for APCo customers as it is being touted to be. There are no “immediate” savings […]

Thursday, February 6th, 2025 For Carlos Wimberly, the whole mess started at a convenience store when he stopped for a bottle of water and snacks. He thought he had $35 in his banking account, but he had miscalculated and had “insufficient funds” to make his purchase. Carlos says he understood why his bank charged him […]

Tanya Webb is one of thousands of Virginians whose lives have been upended by tax or debt collectors who seized all of their wages or emptied their bank accounts. Tanya Webb was stunned when her entire paycheck vanished without warning. Two weeks later, another half was gone without any notice again. The wage garnishment was […]

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a transformative leader whose legacy continues to inspire individuals and organizations committed to justice, equality, and the fight against systemic oppression. With tireless dedication to nonviolence and a firm commitment to creating a more just society, his influence resonates with individuals and communities around the globe. As we reflect […]

As working families continue to struggle through a perfect storm of high inflation, high credit card interest rates, an ever-growing cascade of junk fees, and record-breaking consumer debt, a new report finds that Virginia is leaving these families high and dry. The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) report, No Fresh Start 2024: Will States Protect […]

VPLC Advocacy Helps Secure $85 Million Savings for Utility Customers Collectively, Appalachian Power customers avoided an $85 million rate hike in their monthly utility bills after the State Corporation Commission (SCC) denied the company’s request for a substantial rate hike. As part of the decision, regulators directed Appalachian Power to collaborate with Virginia Poverty Law Center […]

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 […]

Direct File is the IRS’ first attempt to provide a free filing program comparable to existing commercial software. While the pilot was limited to people with simple tax returns in a handful of states, the Department of the Treasury estimated that one-third of taxpayers in those states — almost 19 million people — were eligible […]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today proposed an interpretive rule explaining that many paycheck advance products, sometimes marketed as “earned wage” products, are consumer loans subject to the Truth in Lending Act. The guidance will ensure that lenders understand their legal obligations to disclose the costs and fees of these credit products to workers. […]

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 […]