Category: Housing
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In Praise of Trailer Parks
by James A. Bacon Nobody knows for sure how many trailer parks there are in Virginia, and Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, wants to find answers. He has introduced a budget amendment to establish a Virginia Manufactured Home Park registry, to be funded with a $100 database maintenance fee from each mobile home park. Krizek regards…
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McAuliffe’s “Big Bold” Housing Plan Is Neither
by James A. Bacon Homelessness spiked in the Richmond area over the past year — more than 50%, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The increase from 549 to 838 people in 2020 was the largest single-year jump since anyone began tracking the number in the 1990s. Given the fact that hundreds of thousands of Virginians are…
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Herring Strikes Blow for Emotional Support Animals
by James A. Bacon Attorney General Mark Herring has issued a press release touting his victory in compelling a Pulaski County townhouse community to accommodate a couple with an emotional support animal. “Virginians with disabilities have the right to live with an assistance animal, especially if that assistance animal helps them live happier, more full…
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To Solve Homelessness, Equip People to Rise from Poverty
by David Cooper There is an ongoing debate among nonprofits providing homeless shelters on the best way to address homelessness. Should they focus on finding places for people to live, regardless of what mental health or substance abuse problems they might have, or should they stress equipping them with life skills, even if it means…
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Vacation Homes as Virginia Rural Resource
by James A. Bacon Virginia has more than 88,000 vacation homes, about 2.5% of all homes in the Commonwealth, according to the University of Virginia’s Demographics Research Group. These “seasonally vacant homes” intended mainly for recreational use are overwhelmingly located in amenity-rich rural locales along the Chesapeake Bay, the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, or…
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High Housing Costs and Virginia’s Brain Drain
Between 2010 and 2018 Virginia’s population grew by more than half a million residents, ranking 9th in the nation, due to strong natural increase (births over deaths) and steady international immigration. But the Old Dominion was only one of two states in the top 10 — the other was California — to experience negative net…
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Governor Northam, You’ve Got the Money for Eviction Relief — Do Something!
by James A. Bacon Virginia is in the midst of a housing eviction crisis arising from the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. Here in Virginia, governments have responded through three major initiatives: The federal government distributed one-time $1,200 stimulus checks to American households and funded a $600-per-week supplement to state unemployment benefits through…
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What About Those Folks Facing Eviction, Governor?
By Dick Hall-Sizemore In his July 24 letter to the Chief Justice, the Governor requested the Supreme Court extend its moratorium on evictions. He concluded his request by saying, “This [the moratorium] will provide my administration the time to both work with the General Assembly to develop and pass a legislative package that will provide…
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A Constitutional Approach to Avoiding Evictions in Virginia
by James C. Sherlock There has been extensive discussion here about minimizing residential evictions in Virginia in the time of COVID. I will offer a constitutional approach to achieving that objective. A Broad Consensus The Governor and General Assembly want to avoid evictions of residential tenants who are unable to pay rent due to COVID-related…
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Another Perspective on Evictions
By Dick Hall-Sizemore As has been reported on this blog, the Virginia Supreme Court granted Governor Northam’s request to extend the moratorium on evictions related to non-payment of rent. The court was closely divided, 4-3. The dissenting opinions are quite convincing. It is obvious that the majority, cognizant of the dilemma caused by thousands of…
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Renters Didn’t Make the Governor’s List
by James C. Sherlock I just completed a survey of the 50 states to see how many of their legislatures were in regular session or special sessions called to deal with COVID issues between April 1 and August 15, 2020. That 4.5-month period started when enough was known about COVID to start taking legislative action…
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Fool Me Once
By James C. Sherlock I want every tenant who cannot pay his rent because of COVID to be able to stay in his home. I want every landlord who supports them to be paid for their forbearance so they can pay their own bills. This post starts with both of those goals in mind. It…
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No Equal Justice for Landlords
The Virginia State Supreme Court extended yesterday the judicial moratorium on eviction proceedings for another 28 days. The split decision prompted a blistering rebuke from D. Arthur Kelsey, which L. Steven Emmert summarized yesterday in the post below, republished here from his blog, Virginia Appellate News & Analysis. — JAB Today the court responds to…
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With All the COVID-Relief Money Flowing, Why Is There an Eviction Crisis?
by James A. Bacon We’ve been living with the COVID-19 epidemic in Virginia for more than four months now. Given the fact that hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens have lost their jobs, it should not surprise us that some have had trouble paying their rent. But I am surprised to read that Virginia…
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New Houses for $150,000
by James A. Bacon It remains an eternal mystery why it costs in the realm of $250,000 or more per unit to build apartment buildings for the poor in the Richmond region. The Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority is delivering five new houses on their own lots near downtown Danville, for a sales price as…