NORFOLK, Va. — It was 'Missy Elliott Day' Tuesday and the Grammy winner honored her hometown of Portsmouth by dropping $50,000 for a cause close to her heart.
The money, donated to Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, is set to help those at risk of getting evicted pay rent.
"So, instead of it being about me, I wanted it to be about the people here, my hometown," Missy Elliott told News 3 Tuesday.
The donation is going to 26 families that meet certain criteria set by the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority. It averages out to roughly $1,900 per family.
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"This will allow them to start fresh with a clean slate," Alisa Winston, executive director for Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, said.
"It gives people, once again, hope," Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover said.
Now, News 3 is taking a look at the numbers for eviction filings across Hampton Roads.
On average, landlords in Portsmouth file to evict tenants in roughly 25% of renter households.
That's compared to 26% of households in Hampton, 25% of households in Newport News, 20% of households in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, 18% of households in Chesapeake, and 15% of households in Suffolk, all according to the civil court data initiative, a nonprofit that tracks eviction filings.
"The sad fact in Hampton Roads, a community that's so great, is we have one of the highest eviction rates in the country," said Thaler McCormick, ForKids CEO.
McCormick, who runs ForKids in Chesapeake, says their call center often sees families struggling to get back on their feet after eviction.
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"You have all the fees that layer on and plus, if the landlord can look at all the applications, the person that's evicted never makes it back in," said McCormick.
The key, she said, is stepping in before it gets to that point.
In April, ForKids began running the Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot Program (V.E.R.P.P.) in Chesapeake and Portsmouth. They're asking landlords to share resources with tenants via a QR code the landlord can stick on doors, to notices, or hand out in the days or weeks before an eviction transpires.
"We have a little sticky note that tells them to call us," McCormick said.
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Zillow reports the average home and rental prices have risen in Hampton Roads over the past several years.
So far, V.E.R.P.P. has helped 159 families in Chesapeake and Portsmouth avoid eviction by educating them on rights, communication, and budgeting.
Staff still expect to see more families in need.
Landlords and tenants can call ForKids for more information on the pilot program at (757) 622-6400, or to be connected to other resources in Hampton Roads.
