Housing Justice Program

The Equal Justice Works Housing Justice Program mobilizes a cohort of Fellows to serve low-income individuals residing in the Greater Richmond Region of Virginia who are currently or at risk of experiencing housing instability and involuntary displacement, particularly due to eviction.

Over the course of a two-year fellowship term, Fellows and legal services organizations will be part of a targeted initiative to address the justice gap in Virginia. To meet the needs of low-income individuals and families facing evictions and/or other manifestations of housing instability, Housing Justice Fellows will be required to:

• Provide legal advice, referrals, and full representation for tenants in eviction proceedings;
• Engage in outreach and education activities;
• Collaborate with community partners to address systematic barriers that contribute to housing instability.

Equal Justice Works is currently recruiting eligible legal services organizations in the Greater Richmond Region to serve as host sites for Housing Justice Fellows for the 2019–2021 program years.

The host organization application is now available here.

Eligibility

Applicants for the program must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Have an organizational status as a nonprofit organization, defined as those described in section 501(c) of Title 26 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, and exempt from taxation under 501(a) of that title
• Have a physical facility in the Greater Richmond Region of Virginia
• Have a demonstrated history of providing legal services to low-income individuals and families facing or at risk of eviction, or experiencing housing instability
• Have a registered and current status in the U.S. Federal Government System for Award Management (SAM)
• Be in good standing with both Federal and state statutes for the organization’s business classification

Key Dates

The schedule listed below represents the current timeline and may be subject to slight modification in the event of extenuating circumstances.

• January 25, 2019: Solicitation released
• January 31, 2019:  Letter of Intent due at 5 p.m. ET (Must express formal interest as an applicant for the program)
• January 31, 2019: Questions related to solicitation due at 3 p.m. ET
• February 13, 2019:  Applications due at 11:59 ET
• February 25 – 28, 2019: Selected applicants notified

Questions?

As of January 31, 2019, the question period for this solicitation is closed. Please click here for responses to the questions that have been submitted.

Funding

The Equal Justice Works Housing Justice Program is a new initiative funded by a private foundation. Please review the solicitation for details about this subgrant.

Programmatic Support

Equal Justice Works will provide a robust training curriculum to Fellows and technical assistance to host organization staff and Fellows throughout the course of the program year to support implementation and delivery of the Housing Justice Program.

How to Apply

Applicants are welcome to submit individual proposals; however, in order to meet the program parameters, it is highly recommended and preferred that a collaborative or integrated approach, such as a network, is proposed. Applicants may collaborate with other eligible organizations.

Interested organizations must submit completed applications via email to housingjustice@equaljusticeworks.org by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 13, 2019. Please be sure to review the solicitation in its entirety.

Application Materials

Download the application materials here.

Contact Information

For more information, please contact Selena Hunn at HousingJustice@equaljusticeworks.org or 202-466-3686.