Virginia Rent Relief Program: What Replaced RRP and Where Renters Get Help Now

Is the Virginia Rent Relief Program still open?

No. RRP was run by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) with local partners during the pandemic. It used federal CARES Act and Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) money to pay landlords directly. That money is gone. The Treasury ERA page states that the ERA2 period of performance ended on September 30, 2025. A few cities and counties kept small funds going for a time with their own budgets, so it is still worth asking your locality.

How the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program works

VERP began as a pilot after the 2020 Special Session of the General Assembly. In 2026, Chapter 164 (HB527) made it permanent. Under the DHCD VERP page, it is a competitive grant program. DHCD picks local governments and nonprofits, and they serve tenants in their area. Landlords and public housing authorities cannot apply for the grants, although people who live in public housing can still get help.

Each local program works at two stages:

• Prevention, before a case is filed: reaching tenants early, talking with the landlord, mediation, and help paying arrears.
• Diversion, after an unlawful detainer is filed: a court navigator at the General District Court who explains the process and links you to legal aid, mediation, and payment help.

DHCD’s guidance to grantees for 2027–2028 says programs should be low barrier. A provider should not make you show a pay-or-quit notice or wait a set time before helping you. So call as soon as you know you will be short, not after the landlord files. Each provider writes its own rules for who qualifies and how much it can pay, using a DHCD eligibility form, so ask about income limits when you call.

Current VERP providers by region

DHCD’s VERP Communities list showed these providers when we checked on November 1, 2026. A new grant round for 2027–2028 was underway, so the list may change in early 2027.

If your city or county is not listed, DHCD also posts an eviction resources by city and county list. Northern Virginia, Richmond, and other areas without a current VERP provider usually rely on local funds and the options below.

Other rent help across Virginia

To find these, dial 211 or use 211 Virginia. Lowering other bills can also keep rent paid. Check SNAP with our SNAP calculator, and see our Virginia utility relief guide for energy help through local social services. For long-term help, our Housing Choice Voucher guide explains waitlists.

Virginia eviction timeline and your rights

Knowing each step helps you see how much time you have to get help in place.

1. Written notice: if rent is unpaid, the landlord must give written notice. Under Va. Code § 55.1-1245, you have 14 days to pay before the landlord can end the lease and file.
2. Unlawful detainer filed: the landlord files in General District Court, and you get a summons with a “return date,” the first court date.
3. Return date: go to court. You can pay, show a written commitment from a local agency or nonprofit, or contest the case.
4. Judgment: if the landlord wins, you have 10 days to appeal to circuit court under § 8.01-129. An appeal bond is normally required, but a tenant who qualifies as indigent does not have to post one.
5. Writ of eviction: the sheriff must give notice at least 72 hours before carrying it out, under § 8.01-470. An order of possession stays valid for 180 days.

Only the sheriff can remove you. A landlord who changes the locks or shuts off utilities to force you out is breaking Virginia law; call legal aid if that happens.

Paying to stop an eviction

Virginia’s “right of redemption” in § 55.1-1250 is the main reason rent help still works after a case is filed.

• By the return date: pay everything owed so far, including late fees, court costs, and attorney fees, and the case can be dismissed.
• With a redemption tender: if a local government or nonprofit gives a written promise to pay within 10 days, the court continues the case for 10 days. If the money does not arrive, the landlord gets judgment without another hearing, so stay in touch with the agency.
• Up to 48 hours before eviction: you or someone helping you can still pay all amounts on the judgment, including sheriff fees, no later than 48 hours before the scheduled eviction.
• How to pay: tenants must use a cashier’s check, certified check, or money order. You can ask the landlord in writing for a statement of the exact amount.
• Limits: the statute does not set a yearly cap for most tenants, but a landlord with four or fewer rental units can limit redemption to once per lease period if it tells you so in writing.

A payment plan rule coming in 2027

From July 1, 2027, § 55.1-1245 adds a new step for larger landlords, those owning more than four rental units. If you owe no more than one month’s rent plus allowed late fees, the landlord’s notice must state the exact amount and offer a plan to pay it in equal monthly parts over six months or the rest of the lease, whichever is shorter. You will have 14 days to pay in full or accept the plan. No new late fees can be added while you keep up with it. The landlord has to offer the plan only once per lease term. Until that date, the 14-day notice is the rule.

What local programs usually ask to see

Virginia providers set their own lists, but most ask for your lease, any notice or summons with the return date, photo ID, recent proof of income, and the landlord’s name and contact details so they can pay directly. Since VERP programs should not require an eviction notice, call even if you only have a past-due statement. Our document checklist covers what counts as proof of income and residence.

How to get help, step by step

1. Call 211 Virginia and ask which VERP provider, local fund, or charity serves your city or county.
2. Call your local department of social services about emergency help, SNAP, Medicaid, and energy help.
3. Get legal help: use Virginia Legal Aid to find your regional office, and the Virginia Poverty Law Center’s free Eviction Defense Center for general information on your case.
4. Go to court on the return date, even if you have applied for help, and bring any written commitment from an agency.
5. Keep copies of every notice, payment, and message with the landlord.

For how other states replaced their pandemic programs, see our Emergency Rental Assistance program guide.

Related guides

• Virginia hardship programs
• Virginia mortgage relief
• Emergency rent relief by state
• Churches that help with rent

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and not an application. Program funding and tenant law change; confirm with DHCD, your locality, or legal aid. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a government agency.