A new online interactive guided app helps Virginia tenants and landlords determine whether they are eligible for COVID-related rental assistance, Virginia Legal Aid Society (VLAS) announced today.
The app can be found at bit.ly/VaRentRelief or by visiting Virginia Legal Aid Society’s COVID-19 Resources page at vlas.org/covid19/. It was developed by law students in Georgetown University Law Center’s Iron Tech Lawyer Competition in conjunction with the Virginia Legal Aid Society and Neota Logic, a no-code platform for automation of processes, documents and expertise. The app walks people through a short series of questions that cover:
- Whether tenants and landlords qualify for emergency COVID financial assistance to cover current and past due rent from April 1, 2020 under the Virginia Rent Relief Program;
- What eviction protection may be available to them under the federal CDC Eviction Moratorium;
- Know your Rights information about recently enacted COVID related protections for tenants including:
- New notice requirements; and
- Information on a 60-day delay of an eviction case for tenants that meet certain qualifications.
“This one-stop guide allows tenants and landlords in Virginia to figure out whether they are eligible for assistance from several COVID-related programs,” said David Neumeyer, Executive Director of VLAS.
The online process takes less than five minutes for most people to complete. Users answer COVID-related questions about their specific housing and/or eviction circumstances. At the end, the app prepares a detailed report explaining whether they qualify for emergency rental assistance, how to apply for it, and which new eviction protections the tenant may eligible for in order to avoid an eviction.
Landlords can also benefit from using the app to help determine if their tenants will qualify for rental assistance to bring their rent current. If they do, the app prepares a landlord specific report with information about how the landlord can apply for the Virginia Rent Relief Program on behalf of their tenant. When approved, the landlord will receive payment directly from the state. The report provides landlords with information on how to apply online.
Virginia Legal Aid Society also provides legal information, advice, case representation and referrals to low-income Virginians through its LawLine at 1-866-534-5243 and at vlas.org.
