The Thurman Brisben Center is one of three local agencies that will share a $727,262 federal grant. FILE/THE FREE LANCE-STAR Visit the Photo Place

Renters get help with evictions

Area gets money to help those on verge of homelessness

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

Date published: 9/10/2009

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE

The calls come in to the area legal-aid office almost daily: A renter paid every bill on time, only to be evicted when the landlord faced foreclosure.

Often, the renters had only days to get out.

That left little time to find a new place and scrape together a security deposit or first month's rent.

For more than a year, lawyers at Rappahannock Legal Services in Fredericksburg had little help to give.

But two new laws and some federal stimulus money have offered new hope.

A federal law passed in May and a state law effective in July now give renters protection. Legally, owners have to give renters at least 90 days to vacate the property, and they have to let the renter know within five days of getting a foreclosure notice.

And a $727,262 grant to three Fredericksburg-area agencies will pay for, among other things, a new lawyer to help the renters-in-foreclosure.

The stimulus grant gives nonprofits money to prevent homelessness and to get recently homeless people housed quickly.

Locally, the Thurman Brisben Center, the Salvation Army and Rappahannock Legal Services will split the grant.

The Salvation Army plans to hire a case manager to focus on people close to losing their homes and those leaving homeless shelters.

Much of the money will go directly to residents on the verge of homelessness. These residents can apply for help with first month's rent, security deposits and utility set-up costs.

Jamie Smith of the local Salvation Army hopes to start giving out money by the end of November. The three agencies will attend a state meeting Sept. 22 to work out the logistics.

Bunny Melzer, Thurman Brisben director, said the money could help nearly 70 families or individuals at the region's homeless shelter in the Fredericksburg Battlefield Industrial Park.

And it might help more people. The three agencies received $127,000 more than requested.

Most of the 23 regional agencies receiving money got more than they asked for, said Hollie S. Cammarasana, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

Some areas didn't qualify for the competitive grants, and the money they requested was divided among the projects that did qualify.

Locally, those who work with at-risk people said the money has come just in time.

At Rappahannock Legal Services, calls from renters facing evictions have skyrocketed. "The volume and desperation is up," Director Bill Botts said.

Thurman Brisben's 80 beds generally stay full these days, Melzer said.

At the Salvation Army, caseloads have risen 75 percent, Smith said.

"It looks like the economy is recovering, but people are still having problems," she said.

Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973
Email: aumble@freelancestar.com

The Homelessness and Rapid Re-Housing Program will give money to 23 agencies throughout Virginia. The money is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Other regional agencies, including Community Touch, which serves Fauquier, Rappahannock, Orange, Madison and Culpeper counties, will receive $363,631. Households must be at or below 50 percent of the area median income to qualify. They also must either be on the verge of losing their homes or already homeless. Two new laws offer protection for tenants: Federal law, effective May 20, allows renters to finish their leases and gives renters without leases 90 days to vacate. Virginia law, effective July 1, requires landlords to give written notice to renters within five days of learning about fore-closure, mortgage default or mortgage acceleration.

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Date published: 9/10/2009