Quarterly Data Report 2nd Quarter 2021: March through June

Quarterly Data Report 2nd Quarter 2021: March through June RVA Eviction Lab Staff

July 29, 2021

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the RVA Eviction Lab 2

Methodology 2

Court Data Acquisition 2

Data Deduplication 2

Evictions Totals 3

INTRODUCTION 4

HOUSING INSTABILITY ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH 5

REGIONAL DATA UPDATES 9

Central Virginia 9

Hampton Roads 11

Northern Virginia 13

CITY OF RICHMOND 16

RENTAL ASSISTANCE ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH 22

RENT RELIEF BY REGION 25

Central Virginia 25

Hampton Roads 27

Northern Virginia 29

RENT RELIEF IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND 31

Appendix: Eviction Data by Jurisdiction, 2nd Quarter, 2021 32

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About the RVA Eviction Lab Created in August 2018, the RVA Eviction Lab has a primary mission of collecting, analyzing and

disseminating data and research that will:

● Inform policy-making that will support stable housing for low- and moderate-income

households;

● Facilitate shared knowledge production about community needs and opportunities; and

● Support efforts of communities most impacted by housing instability to research and advocate

for themselves.

We use two primary approaches to advance these goals. First, we provide data analysis and written

reports to decision-makers, policy advocates and government agency staff about eviction-related trends,

policies and structural bases. Second, we engage with community-based organizations to provide

community-relevant research and data that can be used for knowledge-building and action.

Our work is supported through grants from the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation and the VCU

Office of Community-engaged Research that enable us to respond to community-identified needs for

data analysis across the Commonwealth.

Methodology

Court Data Acquisition

In Virginia, eviction cases are heard in civil courts at the city or county level and are designated with an

“unlawful detainer” classification in court records. Virginia Court Data has collected court case data and

made them available in an anonymized format.1 For our analysis, we requested the original data with

case numbers and names.

Data Deduplication

We deduplicated court records to remove true duplicate cases (cases with matching key variables) and

serial cases (consecutive filings by a landlord against a single household).2 True duplicate cases were

identified by matching filing dates, judgment outcomes, case costs and fees, plaintiff names, defendant

names, and defendant addresses. Serial cases were identified by matching plaintiff names, defendant

names, and defendant addresses, and were deduplicated by removing consecutive filings made within

the same year that appear to have occurred in a single ZIP code. The most recent judgment in a set of

serial cases was used to determine whether an eviction occurred.

1 Ben Schoenfeld. 2020, http://virginiacourtdata.org. 2 Matthew Desmond, Ashley Gromis, Lavar Edmonds, James Hendrickson, Katie Krywokulski, Lillian Leung, and Adam Porton. Eviction Lab Methodology Report: Version 1.0. Princeton: Princeton University, 2018, www.evictionlab.org/methods.

https://virginiacourtdata.org/

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Evictions Totals

Eviction filing and judgment totals for each jurisdiction were calculated based on the number of cases

with a given geographic FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) code. Totals for each ZIP

code were calculated based on the number of cases with a given defendant address. Default judgment

totals were calculated based on the number of cases with a hearing resulting in a default judgment. We

compare these numbers to the same quarter of 2019 to simulate a “typical” year. These comparisons

illustrate how the current eviction landscape compares to the Commonwealth’s historic patterns of

eviction. While we report the most up-to-date numbers available, data reporting delays will likely result

in an upward revision of eviction filing and judgement data in subsequent reports.

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INTRODUCTION

In this quarterly report, the RVA Eviction Lab presents and analyzes a series of data on eviction and

housing instability in Virginia during the second quarter of 2021. As in our previous reports, we

compare 2021 quarterly eviction data to pre-pandemic levels, using the second quarter of 2019 as a

benchmark. In light of the impending expiration of the CDC federal eviction moratorium on July 31st,3

we also include the number of unlawful detainers filed in Virginia in the first and second quarters of

2021 that have a pending hearing date of July 15th or later. As usual, this report is broken down into

three scales of analysis: the state, the region (Central Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Northern Virginia),

and the City of Richmond. Second quarter eviction data for every jurisdiction in Virginia are provided in

the appendix.

This report concludes with a new section in which we analyze DHCD’s Rent Relief Program data at the

scale of the state, the region, and Richmond. We examine the geographic distribution and amount of

the assistance at the jurisdictional and household levels, and we compare these data to eviction filings

and judgments data.

Finally, it is important to note that we have observed a lag in the courts’ reporting of eviction filings and

judgments across the state, most significantly in the final month of the quarter, that results in an

undercount of quarterly eviction numbers in our reports.4 Thus, based on the revisions of the first

quarter’s eviction data, we expect the second quarter numbers, specifically June’s (which currently are

well below the April and May numbers), provided in this report to increase, and likely exceed the

previous quarter’s numbers.5

Highlights of 2021’s second quarter include:

● Statewide eviction totals in April and May show eviction filings rising across the

Commonwealth. While June totals show a decrease (for an overall decrease in both filings and

judgements from first quarter to second), typical delays in data reporting, along with the

number of pending cases, suggest cases are on the rise. ()

● US Census survey responses of Virginia renters indicate growing levels of housing instability and

eviction pressures across the state, with 62% of households who are not caught up on rent

fearing eviction in the next two months.

3 The repeatedly-extended CDC federal eviction moratorium was originally set to expire on June 30th. However, in the days

leading up to this date, the Biden administration again extended it—this time through July 31st. Source: Khalil, A. & Casey,

M. (24 June 2021). “CDC extends eviction moratorium a month, says it’s last time.” AP News.

https://apnews.com/article/eviction-ban-extended-biden-coronavirus-9e7c4dc97c49cbb42a1ecb55b06e3b4c 4 For example, in the data collected for this quarterly report, the statewide filings reported for this past January and February

are slightly greater than the numbers included in our Q1 report (2,458 vs. 2,457 and 2,635 vs. 2,457, respectively). March’s

filings are significantly greater (3,737 vs. 1,035). We use these updated figures in this report. 5 Statewide eviction filings and judgments during April and May of 2021 are greater than those during January and February;

this trend suggests an increase in filings and judgments from the first to the second quarter.

https://apnews.com/article/eviction-ban-extended-biden-coronavirus-9e7c4dc97c49cbb42a1ecb55b06e3b4c

5

● In the first and second quarters, 1,403 eviction cases were filed with pending hearing dates of

July 15th or later. Such eviction cases increased by over 204%—709 cases—from the first to the

second quarter.

● In the City of Richmond, eviction filings and judgments remain spatially concentrated in ZIP

codes in East End and Southside neighborhoods. The North Side ZIP code of 23227 had a

default judgment rate of over 50%. (Page 16)

● The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) disbursed

$158,884,848 in rent relief funds to 22,740 households across the Commonwealth in the second

quarter, averaging just under $7,000 per household served. Over 5,000 households in Central

Virginia received $33,518,935 (average amount of $6,337). About 7,100 Hampton Roads

households received $48,240,906 ($7,107 average amount). In Northern Virginia, over 4,500

households received just over $40 million ($8,676 average). Finally, $12.5 million went to 2,037

households in Richmond (average of $6,145 per household). (Page 25)

From March 2020 through the end of this past quarter, 19,660 eviction judgments were issued across

the Commonwealth. At the regional scale, there were 4,072 evictions in Central Virginia, 6,626

evictions in Hampton Roads, and 2,764 in Northern Virginia. And finally, the City of Richmond had a

total of 1,566 evictions since the pandemic began.

At the end of the second quarter, the CDC federal eviction moratorium survived a legal challenge before

the Supreme Court and was once again extended. This time, however, the CDC claimed that the recent

extension is “intended to be the final extension of the moratorium.”6 While the Biden administration

also “announced a whole-of-government approach” and hosted a June 30th virtual summit with the goal

of helping municipalities “identify and adopt evidence-based strategies” for eviction prevention,7 the

potential for post-moratorium surge in evictions remains an urgent concern.

HOUSING INSTABILITY ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

Statewide eviction filings and judgments during the second quarter both ticked up from the previous

quarter’s levels. As shown in Figure 1, eviction filings, according to our current data, declined from

8,830 in the first quarter to 6,921 in the second quarter, while eviction judgments decreased from 3,459

to 2,634. Again, these numbers likely do not capture the true scope of housing instability and evictions

in the Commonwealth this past quarter, as they will likely shift upward with more up-to-date court

reporting.

6 Khalil, A. & Casey, M. (24 June 2021). “CDC extends eviction moratorium a month, says it’s last time.” AP News.

https://apnews.com/article/eviction-ban-extended-biden-coronavirus-9e7c4dc97c49cbb42a1ecb55b06e3b4c 7 National Low Income Housing Coalition. (30 June 2021). “Supreme Court Rejects Realtors’ Request to Invalidate the CDC

Eviction Moratorium; White House Summit on Eviction Prevention TODAY” [E-Newsletter].

https://mailchi.mp/nlihc/nlihc_063021?e=4f06c925bc



https://mailchi.mp/nlihc/nlihc_063021?e=4f06c925bc

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Figure 1: Eviction filings and judgments by quarter in Virginia, Q1 2019-Q2 2021

Source: Virginia Courts, Ben Schoenfeld

Eviction filings and judgments over the past five quarters are benchmarked against 2019 quarterly

numbers in Figure 2. Statewide, eviction filings during this past quarter dipped from the preceding

quarter’s 22% of pre-pandemic filings to 19%. Eviction judgments decreased from 23% to 17% of pre-

pandemic levels. Nevertheless, renter households across Virginia continue to face the threat of eviction.

The likely increase of these second quarter numbers—as indicated by the upward trend of April and

May numbers—point to the growing risk of eviction faced by thousands of Virginia’s households. As of

now, the statewide eviction rate in the second quarter of 2021 was 0.25%.8

8 Eviction rates throughout this report are calculated by dividing the given geography’s number of eviction judgments by the

number of renter-occupied units according to the US Census Bureau’s 2019 ACS 5-Year Estimates.

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5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

Virginia Quarterly Eviction Counts, Q1 2019 - Q2 2021

Eviction Filings Eviction Judgments

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Figure 2: Filings and judgments as a percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly filings and judgments in Virginia.


Table 1 shows that this past quarter’s statewide default judgment rate of 27.9% is comparable to its pre-

pandemic counterpart of 30.6%. Additionally, it represents only a marginal decline of 1.8% from this

year’s first quarter rate of 28.4%.

Table 1: Default judgments and default judgment rates in Virginia, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 Q2 2021 percent of Q2 2019

Default Judgments 11,447 1,928 17%

Default Judgment Rate 30.6% 27.9% 91%


The US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey continues to shine a light on worsening housing

instability across the Commonwealth, as Table 2’s responses to the three renter-targeted questions

collected from June 9th to June 21st make clear. Fifteen percent of Virginia renters surveyed during this

timeframe were not caught up on their rent payments, compared to 12% at the end of March. Further,

the share of respondents with no or slight confidence in their ability to pay next month’s rent grew from

15% to 25%. And finally, 62% of those not caught up on rent reported that they were very or somewhat

likely to leave their house in the next two months due to eviction. This marks a significant increase from

the 49% of renters in March.

6,921 filings2,634 judgments

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly eviction filings and judgments in Virginia


8

Table 2: Household Pulse Survey responses of Virginia renters, June 9-June 21, 2021.

Renters who are not caught up on rent payments 15%

Renters with no or slight confidence in ability to pay next month's (July)

rent

25%

Renters who are somewhat or very likely to leave their house in next two

months due to eviction9

62%

US Census Bureau, 2021, Week 32 Household Pulse Survey.

As seen in Figure 3, the percent of Virginia renter households surveyed by the US Census Bureau who

were not caught up on their rent payments remained steady throughout the quarter. In contrast, the

percent of renters with no or slight confidence in their ability to pay next month’s rent saw more

fluctuation, dipping in the middle of the quarter before climbing back up in June.

Figure 3: Household Pulse Survey response results in Virginia at selected Q2 2021 periods.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2021.

While there was a slight decline from the middle of the quarter to the end in the share of those not

caught up on rent who reported facing a very or somewhat likely threat of eviction in the next two

months, Figure 4 nevertheless shows that displacement fears increased substantially from March to

June.

9 Sample size is 210,306 (respondents not caught up on rent), compared to 1,358,578 for the preceding survey responses.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

4/14-4/26 5/12-5/24 6/9-6/21

Per

cen

t o

f R

esp

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den

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Survey Periods

Rent Payments in Virginia during COVID

Renters who are not caught up on rent payments

Renters with no or slight confidence in ability to pay next month's rent

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Figure 4: Household Pulse Survey response results in Virginia at selected Q2 2021 periods.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2021.

A total of 1,403 eviction filings—347 in the first quarter and 1,056 in the second quarter—during the first half of 2021 have a pending hearing date of July 15th or later. This number will likely increase significantly in light of the July 31st expiration of the eviction moratorium. Table 3: Number of unlawful detainers filed in Virginia with a pending hearing date of 7/15 or later, Q1 and Q2, 2021.

Number of Pending Eviction Hearings starting July 15, 2021

Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Virginia 347 1,056


REGIONAL DATA UPDATES

Central Virginia

Table 4 shows that eviction filings and eviction judgments in each of the jurisdictions in the Central

Virginia region during the second quarter of 2021—with the eviction moratorium still in place—

continue to amount to less than 20% of pre-pandemic quarterly numbers. While the quarterly totals of

eviction filings and judgments decreased from the first quarter of this year, the monthly eviction data

indicate a probable upwards change in revised court data. As at the statewide level, there were more

eviction filings and judgments in Central Virginia in the first two months of Q2 (1,198 filings and 433

evictions) than there were in January and February (1,003 filings and 336 evictions). This suggests that

once more accurate June numbers are accounted for, this past quarter’s totals might top those of the

first quarter. The City of Richmond, with an eviction rate of 0.31%, had the third highest number of

filings and fourth most judgments across Virginia during the second quarter, while Henrico County

(0.35% eviction rate) trailed Richmond in filings with its fourth-place rank but led in evictions with the

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

4/14-4/26 5/12-5/24 6/9-6/21

Per

cen

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esp

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Survey Periods

Eviction Risk in Virginia during COVID

Renters for whom eviction is somewhat or very likely in 2 months

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third most in the state. Chesterfield County had a second quarter

eviction rate of 0.38% and the 8th and 6th most filings and evictions,

respectively, of all Virginia jurisdictions. Petersburg’s 52 evictions this

past quarter brought its eviction rate to 0.65%, well over double that of the statewide rate. Across

Central Virginia, the current data show a decline in eviction filings by 22% and in judgments by 24%

from the first to the second quarter, resulting in a regionwide eviction rate of 0.35%.

Table 4: Eviction filings and eviction judgments in Central Virginia jurisdictions, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 2021 % of 2019

Filings Evictions Filings Evictions Filings Evictions

Chesterfield 1,664 622 292 115 18% 18%

Henrico 2,469 991 402 169 16% 17%

Hopewell 341 200 66 20 19% 10%

Petersburg 803 373 105 52 13% 14%

Richmond 3,544 1,587 532 160 15% 10%


As Table 5 shows, Henrico’s default judgment rate over the last quarter exceeded its pre-COVID 2019

second quarter rate, while the other jurisdictions’ rates were lower than those seen before the

pandemic. In all Central Virginia jurisdictions, default judgment rates decreased from the preceding

quarter, which, with the exception of Richmond’s (26%), topped 30%.

Table 5: Default judgments and rates in Central Virginia jurisdictions, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 2021 % of 2019

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Chesterfield 477 28.7% 80 21.8% 17% 95%

Henrico 793 32.1% 136 27.4% 17% 105%

Hopewell 149 43.7% 15 25.4% 10% 52%

Petersburg 253 31.5% 27 14.4% 11% 82%

Richmond 1,177 33.2% 133 17.7% 11% 75%


Figure 5 displays the trajectory of quarterly eviction filings and judgments regionwide over the last five

quarters as a percent of the corresponding pre-pandemic (2019) quarterly levels. The chart shows a

pattern similar to that at the state-level, with both filings and judgments decreasing from the first

quarter of this year, and remaining less than 20% (16% and 14% for filings and evictions, respectively)

of those during second quarter of 2019.

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Figure 5: Filings and judgments as a percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly filings

and judgments in Central Virginia.


As seen in Table 6, eviction cases with a pending hearing date scheduled for July 15th or later are on the rise. Significantly more eviction cases with pending hearing dates of July 15th or later were filed in Richmond in the first and second quarters than in the other Central Virginia jurisdictions. This suggests that the coming months will result in growing instability for the region’s renters. Table 6: Number of unlawful detainers filed in Central Virginia with a pending hearing date of 7/15 or later, Q1 and Q2.


Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Chesterfield 10 20

Henrico 12 52

Hopewell 1 14

Petersburg 6 7

Richmond 50 107


Hampton Roads

Table 7 displays eviction filings and eviction judgments in jurisdictions in the Hampton Roads region

during the second quarters of 2019 and 2021. As at the state-level, both filings and judgments across

the region decreased in the second quarter from the first quarter. When drilling down to monthly

eviction data, however, all jurisdictions but Norfolk had substantially more filings and evictions in April

than in January, and only Norfolk and Portsmouth had fewer filings in May than in February. Norfolk

topped the list of all Virginia jurisdictions for eviction filings and judgments in the second quarter, and

it had the third highest eviction rate (0.61%) in the region. Virginia Beach (eviction rate of 0.30%) had

had the second most filings and judgments in all of Virginia, and all but Chesapeake landed in the top

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly eviction filings and judgments in Central Virginia


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ten for filings and judgments. Hampton had the second highest eviction

rate (0.42%) in the Hampton Roads region, and Portsmouth led with

the highest eviction rate (0.67%) of all jurisdictions included in the analyses of the Hampton Roads,

Central Virginia, and Northern Virginia regions. The regionwide eviction rate matched that of Central

Virginia at 0.36%.

Table 7: Eviction filings and eviction judgments in Hampton Roads jurisdictions, January – March 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 2021 % of 2019


Chesapeake 1,307 462 162 47 12% 10%

Hampton 2,011 799 301 101 15% 13%

Newport News 3,181 1,352 335 111 11% 8%

Norfolk 3,302 1,191 637 204 19% 17%

Portsmouth 1,366 690 282 110 21% 16%

Virginia Beach 2,992 1,056 596 187 20% 18%


Table 8 shows the number and rates of default judgments in the second quarters of 2019 and 2021 in

Hampton Roads. The default judgment rates of all Hampton Roads jurisdictions are lower than the

statewide rate of 27.9% this past quarter. In addition, all jurisdictions saw declines in their rates from

the previous quarter.

Table 8: Default judgments and rates in Hampton Roads jurisdictions, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 2021 % of 2019

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Chesapeake 349 26.7% 35 14.2% 10% 53%

Hampton 628 31.2% 78 17.8% 12% 57%

Newport News 1046 32.9% 97 19.7% 9% 60%

Norfolk 900 27.3% 166 19.3% 18% 71%

Portsmouth 477 34.9% 72 19.2% 15% 55%

Virginia Beach 845 28.2% 163 21.7% 19% 77%


Figure 6 shows Hampton Roads’ quarterly eviction filings and judgments as a percent of pre-COVID

quarterly numbers. This past quarter, Hampton Roads’ total filings and judgments both represented

around 15% of the pre-pandemic 2019 second quarter’s totals.

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Figure 6: Filings and judgments as a percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly filings

and judgments in Hampton Roads.


In Table 9, eviction cases in Hampton Roads jurisdictions with pending hearing dates of July 15th or

later are shown. Virginia Beach and Norfolk top the list, and all jurisdictions saw increases from the

first quarter to the second quarter.

Table 9: Number of unlawful detainers filed in Hampton Roads with a pending hearing date of 7/15 or later, Q1 and Q2.


Northern Virginia

Eviction filings and judgments in Northern Virginia jurisdictions during the first quarters of 2019 and

2021 are presented in Table 10. Eviction rates were lower across Northern Virginia during the second

quarter, with a regionwide eviction rate of 0.13%—about half the statewide rate. Again, however,

monthly eviction data suggest that updated data might actually reveal an increase this quarter.

Specifically, both filings and evictions were significantly greater across the region in April than they

were in January (265 vs. 468 filings and 104 vs. 209 evictions), and May’s numbers exceeded

February’s by slightly smaller margins (362 vs. 444 filings and 159 vs. 176 judgments). Fairfax County

moved up the statewide eviction filings list from fourth in the first quarter to second this past quarter,

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly eviction filings and judgments in Hampton Roads



Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Chesapeake 4 42

Hampton 17 48

Newport News 20 57

Norfolk 32 70

Portsmouth 7 27

Virginia Beach 22 67

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and it maintained its second-place rank in judgments. Prince William and Alexandria had the tenth and

twelfth most eviction filings and judgments in the Commonwealth. With a regional eviction rate of

0.13%, only the eviction rates of Prince William and Fredericksburg (both 0.27%) surpassed the

statewide rate. The eviction rates of Fairfax County and Arlington were lower than the regionwide rate,

and Falls Church’s single eviction during the second quarter gave it a rate of just 0.02%.

Table 10: Eviction filings and eviction judgments in Northern Virginia jurisdictions, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 2021 % of 2019


Arlington 543 191 77 41 14% 21%

Fairfax Co. 1,792 645 310 122 17% 19%

Loudoun 452 170 78 37 17% 22%

Prince William 1,256 529 257 101 20% 19%

Stafford 375 155 65 17 17% 11%

Alexandria 935 320 178 82 19% 26%

Falls Church 12 2 3 1 25% 50%

Fredericksburg 234 105 57 19 24% 18%


Table 11 displays the default judgment numbers and rates in the 2019 and 2021 second quarters. Default judgment rates increased from the first to second quarter in every jurisdiction except for Prince William, Stafford, and Fredericksburg. As seen in the table, while default judgments remained a fraction of their pre-pandemic levels in absolute terms, there is variability in the comparison of 2021 second quarter rates to 2019 second quarter figures, with several exceeding 100% of the rates seen before COVID. Table 11: Default judgments and rates in Northern Virginia jurisdictions, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 2021 % of 2019

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment

Rate

Arlington 142 26.2% 32 41.6% 23% 159%

Fairfax Co. 495 27.6% 105 33.9% 21% 123%

Loudoun 126 27.9% 27 34.6% 21% 124%

Prince William 387 30.8% 75 29.2% 19% 95%

Stafford 109 29.1% 13 20.0% 12% 69%

Alexandria 225 24.1% 79 44.4% 35% 184%

Falls Church 0 0.0% 1 33.3% -- --

Fredericksburg 73 31.2% 12 21.1% 16% 67%


15

As with the previous quarter, Figure 7 shows a similar pattern in Northern Virginia to the preceding

regional analyses charting eviction filings and judgments as percentages of pre-COVID 2019 levels.

However, Northern Virginia’s percent of pre-COVID filings this past quarter held steady from the

preceding quarter at 18%. Evictions decreased from 23% of pre-pandemic numbers in Q1 to 20% in Q2.

Figure 7: Filings and judgments as a percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly filings and judgments in Northern Virginia


Table 12 displays the pending eviction hearings scheduled for July 15th onward. The counties of Fairfax and Prince William lead the list, with more than double the eviction cases filed in the first half of 2021 of all other jurisdictions but Alexandria in the second quarter. Table 12: Number of unlawful detainers filed in Northern Virginia with a pending hearing date of 7/15 or later, Q1 and Q2.


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly eviction filings and judgments in Northern Virginia



Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Arlington 4 13

Fairfax Co. 15 41

Loudoun 3 9

Prince William 11 38

Stafford 2 14

Alexandria 6 21

Falls Church 0 1

Fredericksburg 2 10

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CITY OF RICHMOND

Figure 8 shows quarterly eviction filings and judgments in Richmond compared to pre-COVID levels. In

a departure from the statewide and regional trends, Richmond’s filings and evictions as percentages of

pre-pandemic numbers also decreased this past quarter, according to our court data. During the first

quarter of 2021, Richmond’s updated total eviction filings represented 18% of pre-COVID 2019 first

quarter filings, and its eviction judgments represented 15% of 2019 Q1 judgments. In contrast, the

second quarter’s filings amounted to 15% of pre-pandemic numbers, while judgments represented 10%.

Of course, we expect these numbers to increase as the courts’ data reporting catches up. As with the

other geographies analyzed, Richmond’s June numbers are much smaller than those of the preceding

months of the second quarter, and filings and evictions in April and May both surpass those in January

and February.

Figure 8: Filings and judgments as a percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly filings and judgments in Richmond.


The maps on the following pages visually represent the spatial distribution of eviction filings, eviction

judgments, and default judgments across ZIP codes in Richmond in the first quarter of 2019 and 2021.

As shown in Figure 9, eviction filings this past quarter were concentrated in ZIP codes in Richmond’s

Southside (23225 and 23224). As displayed in Figure 10, the Southside ZIP code of 23224 had the most

eviction judgments this past quarter. Finally, as seen in Figure 11, the North Side ZIP code of 23227

had a substantial default judgment rate—54.2%, or 13 out of the ZIP code’s 24 eviction filings during the

second quarter.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Q2 2021

Percent of pre-COVID (2019) quarterly eviction filings and judgments in Richmond


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Figure 9: Eviction filings in Richmond by ZIP code, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Source: Virginia Courts, RVA Eviction Lab Analysis

18

Figure 10: Eviction judgments in Richmond by ZIP code, April-June 2019 and 2021.


19

Figure 11: Default judgment rates in Richmond by ZIP code, April-June 2019 and 2021.


20

Table 13 shows the comparison of the number of filings and eviction judgments in each of Richmond’s

ZIP codes in the 2019 and 2020 second quarters. Filings and evictions continued to fall well below pre-

pandemic numbers, and evictions declined or stayed the same from the first to second quarter of this

year in all but the Southside ZIP codes of 23224 and 23234 and the Northside ZIP codes of 23227 and

23222.

Table 13: Eviction filings and eviction judgments in Richmond ZIP codes, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 2021 % of 2019

ZIP Code Filings Evictions Filings Evictions Filings Evictions

23219 89 36 14 1 16% 3%

23220 339 166 42 18 12% 11%

23221 26 14 4 1 15% 7%

23222 280 147 39 17 14% 12%

23223 639 347 67 21 10% 6%

23224 725 329 154 53 21% 16%

23225 864 346 127 24 15% 7%

23226 3 2 1 0 33% 0%

23227 300 60 24 14 8% 23%

23230 23 6 8 0 35% 0%

23231 93 51 15 3 16% 6%

23234 110 54 34 7 31% 13%

23235 15 11 0 0 0% 0%


Finally, quarterly default judgment numbers and rates by Richmond ZIP code are presented in Table 14. The 2021 Q2 default judgment rates in ZIP codes 23220 and 23227 exceeded their rates in the second quarter of 2019, amounting to 109% and 417% of the pre-pandemic figures, respectively.

21

Table 14: Default judgments and rates in Richmond ZIP codes, April-June 2019 and 2021.

Q2 2019 Q2 2021 2021 % of 2019

ZIP

Code

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment Rate

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment Rate

Default

Judgments

Default

Judgment Rate

23219 23 25.8% 1 7.1% 4% 28%

23220 119 35.1% 16 38.1% 13% 109%

23221 11 42.3% 1 25.0% 9% 59%

23222 93 33.2% 11 28.2% 12% 85%

23223 243 38.0% 16 23.9% 7% 63%

23224 256 35.3% 43 27.9% 17% 79%

23225 287 33.2% 22 17.3% 8% 52%

23226 1 33.3% 0 0.0% 0% 0%

23227 39 13.0% 13 54.2% 33% 417%

23230 5 21.7% 0 0.0% 0% 0%

23231 34 36.6% 3 20.0% 9% 55%

23234 40 36.4% 6 17.7% 15% 49%

23235 10 66.7% 0 0.0% 0% 0%


As reflected in Table 15, pending eviction cases are mounting in Richmond’s Southside and East End

ZIP codes, and thus facing more heightened housing instability and displacement pressures than other

parts of the city.

Table 15: Number of unlawful detainers filed in Richmond with a pending hearing date of 7/15 or later, Q1 and Q2.



Q1 2021 Q2 2021

23219 0 5

23220 3 7

23221 0 1

23222 1 3

23223 8 16

23224 13 25

23225 14 18

23226 0 0

23227 0 5

23230 0 5

23231 3 8

23234 1 14

23235 0 0

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RENTAL ASSISTANCE ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

This analysis of the Virginia DHCD’s rent relief program focuses on both monthly funding and eviction data from January through June 2021 and funding and eviction data from the second quarter. As with the first part of this report, we include statewide, regional,10 and Richmond-specific analyses. Table 1 below compares monthly statewide eviction filings and judgments to statewide rent relief program funds disbursement. Funding trended upward from the start of 2021 to June, with a dip in May. Statewide rent relief funding during the first half of 2021 totaled $227,001,681. Rent relief funding was $68,116,833 during the first quarter and increased to $158,884,848 during the second quarter. While The average rent relief amount per household over the six months was $6,664; during just the second quarter, it was $6,987. While May and June eviction filings and judgments will likely increase from our presently reported numbers and it is too early to attribute any significant eviction prevention effects to rent relief, June’s sharp rise in rent relief funding does coincide with a reduction—so far—in filings and evictions. From January through June, 34,065 households across Virginia were served by the rent relief program; this breaks down to 11,325 households during the first quarter and a doubling to 22,740 during the second. Figure 12: Statewide eviction filings and judgments compared to rent relief program funding, January-June 2021.

Source: Virginia Courts, Ben Schoenfeld; Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development

10 The DHCD rent relief program data had missing or non-Virginia geographic data for 11 households, amounting to a total

rent relief amount of $27,982. These household and financial data are included in the statewide analysis and omitted from the

following regional analyses.

$0

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Filings, evictions, and total rent relief in Virginia, 2021

Filings Evictions Total rent relief

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As Figure 13 shows, the average rent relief amount per household served as a percentage of Virginia’s median gross rent ($1,23411) also increased from January to June, with the exception of a decline in May. The average household rent relief amount was more than 5 times the median gross rent across both quarters (487% and 566% for the 1st and 2nd quarter respectively), suggesting that many households owed several months of rent arrears. Figure 13: Average rent relief amount per household as a percent of Virginia median gross rent, January-June 2021.

Source: Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019 5-year estimates As the map in Figure 14 illustrates, rent relief program funding—measured in dollars per rental household—was primarily concentrated in the northern, central, eastern, and southeastern portions of the Commonwealth this past quarter.

11 US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019 5-year estimates.

311%

503%546% 560% 543%

587%

0%

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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

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f m

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ross

ren

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Average rent relief per household as a percentage of median rent, 2021

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Figure 14: Geographic distribution of rent relief program funding per renter household in Virginia, April-June 2021.

Source: Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development, RVA Eviction Lab Analysis

25

RENT RELIEF BY REGION

Central Virginia

The pattern of eviction filings and judgments and rent relief across Central Virginia that is depicted in Figure 15 follows that at the state level. From January through June, households in Central Virginia received $47,830,575 in rent relief--$14,311,640 in the first quarter and $33,518,935 this past quarter. The average rent relief amount received by a household in the region was $6,029 ($6,337 in the second quarter). A total of 7,934 households were served by the rent relief program from January through June. The number of households served increased from 2,645 in the first quarter to 5,289 in the second quarter. Figure 15: Eviction filings and judgments compared to rent relief program funding in Central Virginia, January-June 2021.


The map in Figure 16 on the following page shows where in Central Virginia rent relief funding was distributed this past quarter, along with the jurisdictions’ eviction rates. Households in Chesterfield County received less rent relief but this is likely due to the fact that Chesterfield County developed an independent rent relief program administered by Area Congregations Together in Service (ACTS).

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Filings, evictions, and total rent relief in Central Virginia, 2021


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Figure 16: Geographic distribution of rent relief per renter household and eviction rates in Central VA, April-June 2021.

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Source: Virginia Courts, Ben Schoenfeld; Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development. RVA Eviction Lab Analysis

Hampton Roads

As illustrated in Figure 17, rent relief in Hampton Roads jurisdictions increased from January through June, totaling $64,716,354 to 10,200 households (averaging $6,345 per household served). The region’s increase in funding disbursement from the first quarter ($16,474,448) to the second quarter ($48,240,906) was significant. Figure 17: Eviction filings and judgments compared to rent relief program funding in Hampton Roads, January-June 2021.


The map in Figure 18 shows a fairly close spatial overlap in higher rent relief funding and eviction rates this past quarter. However, parts of Virginia Beach with high eviction rates saw comparatively fewer rent relief dollars per renter household, reflecting the potential for more geographically targeted assistance.

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Figure 18: Geographic distribution of rent relief per renter household and eviction rates in Hampton Roads, April-June 2021.

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Northern Virginia

Total rent relief in the Northern Virginia region also increased substantially from January to June 2021. During this time, $63,371,518 was provided to 7,304 Northern Virginia households, averaging $8,676 in rent assistance per participating household. In the second quarter alone, over 4,500 households received $41,306,446.

Figure 19: Eviction filings and judgments compared to rent relief program funding in Northern VA, January-June 2021.


Figure 20 maps the spatial distribution of rent relief and eviction rates across Northern Virginia jurisdictions in the second quarter. Some ZIP codes in Fairfax County with relatively high eviction rates received lower amounts of rent relief.

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Figure 20: Geographic distribution of rent relief per renter household and eviction rates in Northern VA, April-June 2021.


31

RENT RELIEF IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND

Turning our attention to Richmond, in Figure 21, we show eviction filings and judgments, along with total rent relief amount, by ZIP code. On the whole, ZIP codes with higher filings and evictions received more rent relief. However, this analysis only includes ZIP codes that received any funding at all from January through June. Rent relief funding in Richmond during both the first and second quarters amounted to $16,492,121 ($3,979,386 in the first quarter and over $12,500,000 in the second), or an average amount of $5,826 to 2,831 households. Figure 21: Eviction filings and judgments compared to rent relief program funding in Richmond, January-June 2021.

*ZIP codes 23218 and 23273, with respective funding amounts of $3,929 and $820, are missing eviction data and thus excluded from this chart. Other ZIP codes missing from this chart received $0 in rent relief program funding. Source: Virginia Courts, Ben Schoenfeld; Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development

$0

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23219 23220 23221 23222 23224 23225

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Filings, evictions, and total rent relief in Richmond, 2021*


32

Appendix: Eviction Data by Jurisdiction, 2nd Quarter, 2021 Jurisdiction Eviction

filings Eviction Judgments

Default Judgments

Default Judgment Rates

Filings with pending hearing date of 7/15 or later

Accomack 13 8 2 15.38% 0

Albemarle 86 27 26 30.23% 26

Alleghany 4 1 0 0.00% 0

Amelia 4 3 2 50.00% 0

Amherst 15 10 5 33.33% 0

Appomattox 4 2 0 0.00% 0

Arlington 77 41 32 41.56% 13

Augusta 34 7 3 8.82% 14

Bath 1 1 1 100.00% 0

Bedford 17 10 4 23.53% 2

Bland 3 1 0 0.00% 0

Botetourt 3 1 0 0.00% 0

Brunswick 18 1 0 0.00% 10

Buchanan 4 0 0 0.00% 0

Buckingham 8 4 0 0.00% 0

Campbell 80 44 31 38.75% 11

Caroline 17 9 6 35.29% 3

Carroll 4 2 1 25.00% 0

Charles City 4 4 2 50.00% 0

Charlotte 4 1 0 0.00% 0

Chesterfield 292 115 80 27.40% 20

Clarke 1 1 1 100.00% 0

Craig 3 3 2 66.67% 0

Culpeper 11 8 3 27.27% 0

Cumberland 5 3 1 20.00% 1

Dickenson 3 3 2 66.67% 0

Dinwiddie 26 11 6 23.08% 8

Essex 5 0 0 0.00% 0

Fairfax Co. 310 122 105 33.87% 41

Fauquier 21 5 2 9.52% 0

Floyd 5 4 2 40.00% 1

Fluvanna 5 3 2 40.00% 1

33

Franklin Co. 18 11 7 38.89% 2

Frederick 20 8 2 10.00% 2

Giles 8 6 2 25.00% 2

Gloucester 25 13 9 36.00% 4

Goochland 4 1 0 0.00% 1

Grayson 9 4 1 11.11% 4

Greene 10 2 1 10.00% 5

Greensville 4 0 0 0.00% 4

Halifax 6 3 2 33.33% 0

Hanover 29 11 6 20.69% 7

Henrico 402 169 136 33.83% 52

Henry 34 11 6 17.65% 1

Highland 1 0 0 0.00% 0

Isle of Wight 5 1 1 20.00% 4

King & Queen 4 1 1 25.00% 0

King George 7 1 1 14.29% 0

King William 3 3 1 33.33% 0

Lancaster 4 1 0 0.00% 1

Lee 12 1 0 0.00% 3

Loudoun 78 37 27 34.62% 9

Louisa 9 3 2 22.22% 1

Lunenburg 2 0 0 0.00% 0

Madison 8 5 2 25.00% 2

Mathews 3 1 0 0.00% 0

Mecklenburg 17 6 3 17.65% 3

Middlesex 3 1 0 0.00% 0

Montgomery 22 12 6 27.27% 2

Nelson 14 5 3 21.43% 1

New Kent 2 1 1 50.00% 0

Northampton 4 2 2 50.00% 0

Northumberland 4 0 0 0.00% 4

Nottoway 16 6 5 31.25% 2

Orange 19 11 1 5.26% 4

Page 11 8 5 45.45% 0

Patrick 4 4 3 75.00% 0

Pittsylvania 46 28 12 26.09% 0

Powhatan 3 0 0 0.00% 1

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Prince Edward 14 4 1 7.14% 0

Prince George 38 13 4 10.53% 8

Prince William 257 101 75 29.18% 38

Pulaski 32 11 8 25.00% 8

Rappahannock 1 0 0 0.00% 0

Richmond Co. 2 0 0 0.00% 1

Roanoke Co. 43 16 13 30.23% 4

Rockbridge 15 4 1 6.67% 6

Rockingham/Harrisonburg 85 39 24 28.24% 23

Russell 9 5 3 33.33% 1

Scott 11 7 5 45.45% 5

Shenandoah 24 11 6 25.00% 4

Smyth 22 15 7 31.82% 1

Southampton 4 3 3 75.00% 0

Spotsylvania 47 10 7 14.89% 10

Stafford 65 17 13 20.00% 14

Surry 3 2 0 0.00% 0

Sussex 1 0 0 0.00% 0

Tazewell 34 14 8 23.53% 14

Warren 23 18 12 52.17% 0

Washington 32 22 11 34.38% 3

Westmoreland 10 4 3 30.00% 1

Wise 51 13 11 21.57% 17

Wythe 17 13 7 41.18% 1

York 47 21 16 34.04% 8

Alexandria 178 82 79 44.38% 21

Bristol 21 15 10 47.62% 2

Buena Vista 2 1 0 0.00% 0

Charlottesville 19 6 4 21.05% 5

Chesapeake 162 47 35 21.60% 42

Colonial Heights 24 4 3 12.50% 10

Danville 154 98 75 48.70% 13

Emporia 5 1 1 20.00% 2

Falls Church 3 1 1 33.33% 1

Franklin City 4 0 0 0.00% 1

Fredericksburg 57 19 12 21.05% 10

Galax 3 2 2 66.67% 0

35

Hampton 301 101 78 25.91% 48

Hopewell 66 20 15 22.73% 14

Lynchburg 112 54 33 29.46% 14

Martinsville 11 7 3 27.27% 1

Newport News 335 111 97 28.96% 57

Norfolk 637 204 166 26.06% 70

Petersburg 105 52 27 25.71% 7

Portsmouth 282 110 72 25.53% 27

Radford 4 1 1 25.00% 1

Richmond City 532 160 133 25.00% 107

Roanoke City 195 77 55 28.21% 40

Salem 27 11 4 14.81% 6

Staunton 22 6 6 27.27% 8

Suffolk 91 29 20 21.98% 18

Virginia Beach 596 187 163 27.35% 67

Waynesboro 17 5 3 17.65% 9

Williamsburg/James City County

73 15 12 16.44% 9

Winchester 39 13 11 28.21% 7

Quarterly Data Report 2nd Quarter 2021: March through June

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