The public library is helping Richmonders facing eviction

For the rest of the summer, locals facing possible eviction can get in-person expert help at an unlikely location: their public library.

Why it matters: More than 20,000 evictions have been filed in metro Richmond in the past year, which is 83% of the area's pre-pandemic average, according to the latest figures from Princeton's Eviction Lab .

State of play: Every week through August, librarians and staff from the Virginia Poverty Law Center will be at the main branch of the Richmond Public Library to help people use VPLC's new online Eviction Defense Center.

• VPLC launched the Eviction Defense Center last week. The website is designed to be a smartphone-compatible, easy-to-use resource to help people understand the eviction process in Virginia — and to know their rights.
• It's free and available in English at FightMyEviction.org and Spanish at NoDesalojo.org .

Zoom in: With the Eviction Defense Center, renters at risk of losing their home can find step-by-step instructions for fighting evictions, links to the types of notices that may receive and even find help connecting with a legal aid attorney.

• At the library programs, staffers can help locals navigate the website and print out documents they may need for court.

What they're saying: " People facing an eviction case without an attorney rarely get good outcomes by just winging it," VPLC housing attorney Phil Storey and head of the new center said in a statement. "The Eviction Defense Center will help them understand their rights and prepare for court in useful ways."

If you go, staffers will be at the Main Library for hands-on help:

• Mondays, 5-8pm.
• Wednesdays, 10am-1pm.
• Thursdays, 2-5pm.

Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect that eviction activity in Richmond in the past year represented 83% of the pre-pandemic average, not an 83% increase.