                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

ESTABLISHMENT OF EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM; PURPOSE; GOALS (§ 55.1-1260)

A. There is hereby established the Eviction Diversion Program (the Program). The
Program may be implemented by any general district court of the Commonwealth.
The purpose of the Program shall be to reduce the number of evictions of
low-income persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no eviction
diversion court or program shall be established except in conformance with this
section.

B. The goals of the Program shall include (i) reducing the number of evictions
of low-income persons from their residential dwelling units for the failure to
pay small amounts of money under the rental agreement, in particular when such
persons 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 landlord&#8217;s and
tenant&#8217;s entering into a reasonable payment plan that provides for the
landlord to receive full rental payments as contracted for in the rental
agreement and for the tenant to have the opportunity to make current such rental
payments; and (iv) encouraging tenants to make rental payments in the manner as
provided in the rental agreement.

HISTORY: 2019, cc. 355, 356, § 55-248.40:1; 2025, cc. 476, 490.