Richmond City Council is taking steps to helping public housing residents stay in their homes. The council voted yesterday to use a fund to pay for legal representation for those facing eviction. Supporters say residents with legal representation are up to ten times more likely to avoid eviction than those without representation. They also point out, though, the 500-thousand dollars approved for the fund won't be nearly enough. A member of the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society tells 12 On Your Side the funding will only ensure six-percent of families have an attorney.
====================================
A new Norfolk casino is closer to becoming reality. The Architectural Review Board approved the project to move forward to the Planning Commission last night in a 6 to 1 vote. Some members say there are still concerns with the current proposed designs of the casino. The project is expected to start construction sometime early next year and be completed by 2027.