Norfolk, VA (September 15, 2025) – In a significant victory for public housing tenants, the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (LASEV) has reached a settlement in a federal court case where the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority repeatedly charged a disabled tenant the wrong amount of rent and then tried to evict her on three separate occasions.
The plaintiff, who had been struggling with health issues and had been in and out of the hospital, was unable to work. She was being charged NRHA’s minimum rent, despite federal law specifying that public housing tenants who, among other things, have a pending disability application or who would be evicted for their inability to pay the minimum rent, must be offered a hardship exemption. LASEV had previously requested that the hardship exemption be granted to the plaintiff, but NRHA refused to do so. NRHA’s refusal was consistent with its custom and practice of routinely miscalculating rent but continuing to file evictions. Of note, NRHA was one of the top evictors in Norfolk in 2024.
As part of the settlement, NRHA paid the plaintiff the improperly charged rent, adjusted her ledger, and agreed to inform all its public housing tenants of the hardship exemption. In particular, NRHA must mail a notice to every public housing resident informing them of their right to request a hardship exemption and the process for doing so. NRHA is also required to use agreed-upon forms for the hardship exemption application and decision and must ensure that all staff receive training.
LASEV is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and ensuring the correct application of the law. If you believe you are facing a similar problem and think you may qualify for LASEV’s services, please apply for assistance by calling our Eligibility Screening Line at (757) 827-5078, by visiting us online at www.laseva.org or by walk-in at one of our locations.