Help for Virginians facing eviction is now permanent, not a pilot

If you rent in Virginia and fall behind, a state program may be able to keep you from losing your home. The Virginia Eviction Reduction Program gives grants to local nonprofits, governments, and planning district commissions. Rent assistance can cover overdue, current, or upcoming rent. Local programs can also guide tenants through court, work things out with landlords, and connect families to other aid. The goal is to step in before a landlord goes to court and, if a case has already been filed, to settle it before an eviction happens.

You don’t apply directly to the state. Help comes through the local groups that get grants. Household income must be at or below 80% of the area’s median income, and applicants must meet the local program’s eviction-risk criteria. The new budget tells the state housing department to expand the program to underserved areas, including Northern Virginia. Lawmakers added $11.5 million for the year that began July 2026.

The program started as a pilot in 2020 and depended on budget money from year to year. In 2026, Del. Adele McClure and Sen. Mamie Locke carried identical bills to write it into state law permanently. The law also requires a yearly report on how many households it helped, including children, and how their cases turned out. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed both bills, and the law took effect July 1, 2026.