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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>79584</law_id><section_number>55.1-1260</section_number><catch_line>Establishment of Eviction Diversion Program; purpose; goals</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="55.1">Property and Conveyances</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Rental Conveyances</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="12">Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="7">Eviction Diversion Program</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> There is hereby established the Eviction <span class="dictionary">Diversion</span> Program (the Program). The Program may be implemented by any general district <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the Commonwealth. The purpose of the Program shall be to reduce the number of evictions of low-income <span class="dictionary">persons</span>. Notwithstanding any other provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span>, no eviction <span class="dictionary">diversion</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> or program shall be established except in conformance with this section. <a id="paragraph-285151" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1260/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The goals of the Program shall include (i) reducing the number of evictions of low-income <span class="dictionary">persons</span> from their residential <span class="dictionary">dwelling units</span> for the failure to pay small amounts of money under the <span class="dictionary">rental agreement</span>, in particular when such <span class="dictionary">persons</span> have experienced an event that adversely affected financial circumstances such as the loss of employment or a medical crisis in their immediate family; (ii) reducing displacement of families from their homes and the resulting adverse consequences to children who are no longer able to remain in the same public school after eviction; (iii) encouraging understanding of eviction-related processes and facilitating the <span class="dictionary">landlord</span>&#x2019;s and <span class="dictionary">tenant</span>&#x2019;s entering into a reasonable payment plan that provides for the <span class="dictionary">landlord</span> to receive full rental payments as contracted for in the <span class="dictionary">rental agreement</span> and for the <span class="dictionary">tenant</span> to have the opportunity to make current such rental payments; and (iv) encouraging <span class="dictionary">tenants</span> to make rental payments in the manner as provided in the <span class="dictionary">rental agreement</span>. <a id="paragraph-285152" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/55.1-1260/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2019, cc. 355, 356, &#xA7; 55-248.40:1; 2025, cc. 476, 490.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
