Jamesa D. Parker

The Project

Jamesa’s Fellowship aims to connect tenants with the legal assistance and knowledge they need to address the systemic problems plaguing local housing markets, provide support to tenants and tenant-led advocacy groups in low-income public and subsidized housing, conduct direct outreach, public information, and education sessions, and build and sustain partnerships with local community organizations to provide further support outside of legal assistance.

With six of the top 15 cities with the largest number of tracked evictions in the United States located in the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia’s service area, tenants within these communities struggle with obtaining and maintaining safe, affordable housing.

The current policy of public housing authorities in these areas is to reduce the availability of subsidized housing in favor of Housing Choice Vouchers, which has resulted in the increase of competition for housing at the bottom tier of the market.

Jamesa has compassion and deep ties to this community because she grew up around older populations and other low-income communities that were plagued by housing disparities. As a first-generation law school graduate and attorney, Jamesa has been dedicated to righting wrongs and seeking equity for underdeveloped communities to fill gaps that have left certain communities vulnerable to generational and relative poverty. Jamesa is excited to advocate for this community to help cease continued housing and discrimination struggles in efforts to increase their quality of life.

Fellowship Plans

Jamesa will identify a subsidized or otherwise low-income community with housing quality issues and management issues within the East End of Newport News and the adjoining portion of Hampton, identify and connect with potential community allies, and provide direct and targeted legal services to the community and the advocacy group regarding housing conditions, eviction prevention, and other issues that may arise or be discovered.

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