Just Say No
Friday, February 5th, 2016
Each legislative session in recent years has ushered in multiple proposals to drug test TANF recipients. This year was no exception. A House subcommittee on Health, Welfare, and Institutions considered three such measures earlier this week, but declined to advance either of them. The subcommittee got it right and here’s why: There is no statewide […]
Below the Poverty Line
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016
This year, multiple legislators have introduced bills designed to increase TANF benefits; and for good reason. TANF, which provides cash-assistance for low-income families with children, has weakened considerably as a safety net. Since 1996, the value of program benefits has declined by 28% in Virginia. Current benefit levels can leave family incomes well below the […]
VPLC Applauds Historic Gun Agreement that Protects Some Domestic Violence Victims
Friday, January 29th, 2016
Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) applauds the historic agreement between Governor Terry McAuliffe and Republican and Democratic leaders to, among other things, prohibit a person subject to a Family Abuse Protective Order under Code of Virginia §16.1-279.1 from possessing a firearm. This is a common sense step toward promoting victim safety and holding perpetrators accountable […]
Stop Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Virginians
Friday, January 22nd, 2016
Stop Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Virginians Financial exploitation is the illegal or improper use of someone else’s money or belongings for the user’s own personal benefit.[1] In fiscal year 2014, Virginia’s Adult Protective Services received 1,079 substantiated complaints of financial exploitation. Too often, exploitation occurs at the hands of a trusted family member, caregiver, agent […]
2016 Legislative Agenda
Monday, January 11th, 2016
Hot off the Press and ready to view! We invite you to look at the 2016 VPLC Legislative Agenda to see our legislative priorities for this year’s General Assembly session. Each page has details of issues our staff is advocating, what we hope to accomplish and bring awareness around to legislators, and quotations to inspire you […]
New Standards needed for Parent’s Attorneys
Monday, January 11th, 2016
Parents have a long-recognized constitutional right to raise their children as they see fit, without governmental interference. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld this right, most recently in the 2000 case of Troxel v. Granville (530 US 57). However, if the government determines that a parent has abused or neglected her children, the government […]
2016 Session Preview
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2015
Check out a sneak preview of VPLC’s 2016 legislative session priorities. Here is a sample of the main priorities for VPLC during the 2016 session. Consumer Law – Closing the Open-End Credit Loophole Consumer Law – Closing the Car title loan as Consumer Finance Credit Loophole Elder Law – Providing a Strong Voice for Vulnerable Adults Domestic […]
CFPB imposes $8 million penalty on a company sued by VPLC last year
Wednesday, December 9th, 2015
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took action this week against nationwide subprime credit reporting agency Clarity Services, Inc for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA violations were exposed by our lawsuit filed against Clarity last year. The bulk of the work on the lawsuit was done by our co-counsel Kelly […]
A Survivor’s Story
Friday, October 9th, 2015
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, VPLC Staff Attorney Susheela Varky shares the story of one client who made it out of the hidden cycle of violence with help from multiple VPLC staff and other advocates. Luisa[1] lifts the heavy vacuum cleaner and other cleaning supplies into the back of her van. She just […]
2015 SNAP Challenge: Reflection and Need for Action
Friday, October 2nd, 2015
SNAP Challenge: Final Reflections How do you afford to eat on a budget of just $4 per day? Such a tight budget may seem unlivable, but it is the reality of nearly 920,000 individuals in Virginia who receive SNAP benefits. Experiencing this difficulty is one of the main goals of the SNAP Challenge, as participants […]
Anti-Hunger Policy Conference Postponed
Thursday, August 6th, 2015
The Virginia Hunger Solutions Anti-Hunger Policy Conference has been postponed. A new date and location will be available soon! If you have questions or need assistance, ask Virginia Hunger Solutions.
How can Virginia celebrate the Medicaid 50th anniversary? – Closing the Coverage Gap
Friday, July 31st, 2015
On its 50th anniversary, it’s important to remember that the Medicaid program has helped make millions of Americans healthier by improving access to preventive and primary care and by providing care for serious diseases. Medicaid also covers most of the nursing home and other long term care services needed by Americans. In Virginia, about one […]
Dodd-Frank is only 5 years old—why are the big banks trying to kill it?
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2015
What is Dodd-Frank? It is the financial reform law that passed Congress 5 years ago. What are the big banks trying to kill it? Maybe it is because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has forced them and other financial institutions to return $10 Billion unfairly and deceptively taken from consumers. Maybe it is because they […]
What can you do about substandard care in a nursing home?
Thursday, July 16th, 2015
Richmond Nursing Home might close, but what happens to the patients? What can you do about substandard care in a nursing home? The Richmond Times Dispatch reported recently that the Envoy of Stratford Hills, a 196-bed nursing home in South Richmond, may be closing because it was terminated from the Medicare program , raising questions […]
Welcome to Shark Week 2015
Monday, July 6th, 2015
Loansharks inflict economic violence on borrowers. “We may think of violence as physical harm. But violence is defined as force applied to bring destruction or damage. A violent wind or a violent act. However, the situations I observe with regularity are nothing less than economic violence. The violence to a family’s finances and stability […]
2015 Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference October 21-23
Monday, June 29th, 2015
Thank you for all who joined us in Williamsburg, VA for the 2015 Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference. It was a success because of you!
Car Title Loans in Virginia = Disaster
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) just released the 2014 statistics on car title loans in Virginia and there is good news and bad news. The good news is the number of loans is down 13%. The bad news is an enormous amount of these loans end in disaster and it’s only going to get worse. […]
The Stress of Student Debt
Friday, May 15th, 2015
Do you think there is a student loan debt crisis in the U.S.? No? What if we told you that 40 million borrowers owe $1.2 trillion in student debt and 8 million borrowers are in default on $110 billion of that debt? Is inadequate student loan servicing contributing to the student loan default crisis? Student […]
86 and Counting…
Monday, May 11th, 2015
The Community Eligibility Provision also includes significant benefits for schools. The measure reduces administrative costs because staff no longer collect, certify, or verify school meal applications. The measure also increases efficiency. For example, lunch lines move more quickly, helping schools overcome the challenges caused by short lunch periods. During its debut in Virginia, CEP was […]
Your Health: Overweight but Underfed can be Troubling Paradox
Tuesday, May 5th, 2015
By Tammie Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch At a conference focused on childhood obesity, LaTonya Reed’s presentation focused on the paradox of people being overweight or obese but at the same time being underfed or malnourished. Reed, director of Virginia Hunger Solutions, was one of the speakers at the Weight of the State youth obesity prevention conference […]
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Wednesday, April 29th, 2015
Why should you care about sexual assault? Because, unfortunately, sexual violence touches so many of us, not “just” women. According to statistics collected by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Division of Violence Prevention: Nearly 1 in 5 (18.3%) women and 1 in 71 men (1.4%) reported experiencing rape at some time in […]