Fall Newsletter: SCC demands utility company assist struggling customers

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 […]

VPLC Elevates DEI Amid Political Division

— By Louis Green, VPLC DEI Director It is no secret that the upcoming political election has unearthed age-old debates across the sociopolitical landscape. In addition to the usual list of hotly-debated issues within the political space, contemporary elections have been split along racial lines due to arguments on how federal and state institutions should […]

New Rules for Utilities & Customer Shut-Offs

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

New Law Protects Virginians Against Utility Shut-Offs During Extreme Heat

As heat waves roll through Virginia, a new law to protect residents from unsafe utility shut-offs during periods of extreme weather goes into effect on July 1. Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg) and Del. Irene Shin (D-Herndon) introduced a pair of bills to the General Assembly in January. The bills gained bipartisan support and were signed […]

Partnership to Help Richmond Renters Facing Eviction

 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 […]

Are You Ready for Virginia’s New Laws?

We hope you’ll join us online Thursday morning for an update on new laws about to take effect in Virginia. Register here: https://bit.ly/VPLC-2024-Legislation

How do we fix Virginia’s housing crisis? Join VPLC for a Tenant Town Hall this summer

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 […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: A win for Virginia consumers

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, […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: VPLC will help more low-income Virginians with civil legal issues thanks to $1M grant

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 […]

VPLC’s Legal Helpline: One Number Does it All We Can’t Create a Lending Loophole: Pay a Living Wage

A few days into the 2023 Virginia General Assembly session, VPLC learned that an “earned wage access” lender had talked two legislators into filing legislation to “regulate” the industry.  The 2023 General Assembly rejected the legislation.  However, it appears that there will be another effort to pass legislation in the 2024 General Assembly. What is […]

Let’s Talk About Affordable Housing VPLC’s Invitation to Oliver Anthony: Join Us!

Odds are, by now you’ve heard about that song from a country singer in Farmville, Virginia, who performs under the stage name Oliver Anthony.    As he belts “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Mr. Anthony raises an important issue that we here at VPLC care about and work hard to change: that working class and lower-income people work hard […]

VPLC Receives Virginia Law Foundation 2023 Grant

With need for access to justice at an all-time high and the Rule of Law in the news every day, it is gratifying to be among 32 deserving nonprofits across the Commonwealth whose work addresses these areas. The work with Virginia Law Center completely aligns with the Virginia Law Foundation mission to promote the Rule […]

Getting Ready for Changes to the SNAP and TANF Work Requirements

VPLC hosted a webinar on Tuesday, June 27 to review important changes to work requirements that are coming to both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Virginia. These changes are due to the recent federal debt ceiling agreement and the end of policies that were put in […]

Cambios En 2023 En Los Beneficios De SNAP

El Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) proporciona fondos mensuales que ayudan a las personas y familias de bajos ingresos a llevar comida a la mesa. Cada dólar que se gasta a través del programa SNAP aporta $1,50 a la economía local, por lo que cuando las familias acceden a este importante recurso, se introduce […]

Changes to SNAP Benefits in 2023

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly funds that help low-income individuals and families put food on the table. Every dollar spent through the SNAP program brings $1.50 to the local economy — so when individual families access this important resource, it introduces additional money into the community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal […]

April is Fair Housing Month

In commemoration of Fair Housing Month, VPLC will host an open, online “Coffee Chat” conversation with housing attorneys on Tuesday, April 11 from 9 – 9:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend after .  2023 marks 55 years since the landmark Fair Housing Act was signed into law. Under the leadership of President Lyndon Johnson, […]

Sneaky Tactic to Reduce VEC Backlog

Thousands of unemployment claimants may find today that their unemployment appeals are officially dismissed. In a move to wipe out more than a quarter of its backlog of almost 93,000 appeals, the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) sent out notices alerting claimants that nearly 26,000 appeals – some years old – were filed late. The agency […]

Reimagining Virginia’s Mobile Home Parks

Over 350,000 Virginians live in Mobile Home Parks. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, mobile homes are the largest source of non-subsidized affordable housing in the U.S. At a time when, according to JLARC, over 900,000 Virginia households pay more than they can afford for their housing (53% are renters, 47% owners), […]

Thousands of Virginia Children Risk Losing Health Insurance

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