Housing Law and Poverty Seminar

As Matthew Desmond concludes in his book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, evictions are not a symptom of poverty; they are a direct cause. Stable, safe, affordable housing is crucial to personal well-being, particularly in the lives of poor Americans. This class will cover federal and Virginia housing law with a focus on issues affecting low-income tenants and homeowners. Topics will include private Virginia landlord-tenant laws, public and other federally subsidized housing, fair housing and racial segregation, fair housing and the accommodation of physical and mental disabilities, tenant screening and evictions based upon criminal records, the intersection between domestic violence and housing, sub-prime mortgage lending, foreclosures and foreclosure rescue scams, manufactured-home parks, rent-to-own scams, trends to create more affordable housing, the eviction crisis, and measures being taken to reduce evictions in Virginia and nationally.