Lawyers are fighting the eviction proceedings, arguing that Waples Mobile Home Park is discriminating against the residents.
News Story (Virginia)
Antonio Olivo
Washington Post
February 10, 2016
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Housing: Discrimination, Housing: Eviction, Immigration Process
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Aid Justice Center (Virginia)
News Story (Virginia)
Antonio Olivo
Washington Post
February 10, 2016
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tags: Housing: Discrimination, Housing: Eviction, Immigration Process
Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Aid Justice Center (Virginia)
DETAILS
Ivy Finkenstadt, a Legal Aid Justice Center lawyer representing the families, argued that her clients are being targeted because of their immigration status. Under Virginia’s landlord-tenant law, landlords have the option of accepting the IRS tax identification numbers as proof of identity for new renters, which Finkenstadt said Waples has previously done for some residents. The tax ID numbers also can be used for background checks, but not as effectively as Social Security numbers.
For the families, the eviction proceedings threaten a rare source of affordable living in a region where housing within the budgets of low-income immigrants often means cramped, overcrowded apartments or illegally converted basements.