My name is Ashley Elstad, I am the Advocacy Manager at Hamkae Center. Hamkae Center serves Asian American communities across the Commonwealth, including Prince William, Loudoun, Fairfax, and parts of Central Virginia. We support HB15 because giving tenants more time to pay their rent offers greater stability to working immigrant families in particular who are already facing barriers to accessing other basic needs.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Promotores de Salud regularly support individuals and families navigating housing instability, including tenants facing eviction due to short-term financial hardship. Extending the mandatory waiting period from five to 14 days provides critical time for intervention, problem-solving, and stabilization. For example, when a tenant misses rent due to a delayed paycheck or medical expense, a CHW can use this additional time to help the tenant access emergency rental assistance, negotiate a payment plan, or connect with legal or social services. Under the current five-day period, these supports often cannot be secured quickly enough, resulting in avoidable evictions and displacement. This bill supports healthier outcomes by reducing unnecessary housing disruptions, which are closely linked to worsened physical health, mental health stress, and increased use of emergency services. It also strengthens the effectiveness of CHWs by allowing sufficient time to address nonpayment issues before they escalate into eviction. We support this bill as a practical, balanced measure that promotes housing stability, supports community-based intervention, and benefits both tenants and communities across Virginia.

Members of the Virginia House of Delegates, I respectfully submit comments in support of several tenant protection bills before the committee. HB14 allows localities to act when landlords fail to correct serious health and safety violations. Giving localities this authority helps ensure Virginians are not forced to remain in dangerous living conditions simply because they lack the resources to pursue enforcement on their own. HB15 extends the waiting period before a lease may be terminated for nonpayment of rent. A longer window can prevent avoidable evictions while still allowing landlords to collect what is owed. HB95 encourages stability by requiring larger landlords to offer payment plans for limited rental arrears before moving toward termination. Short term financial hardship should not automatically result in displacement of Virginians when a reasonable path to repayment exists. HB329 strengthens protections against retaliatory conduct when tenants assert their legal rights. Tenants must be able to request repairs or report violations without fear of eviction or other punishment. HB519 adds air conditioning, when provided by the landlord, to the list of essential services. As extreme heat becomes more frequent, recognizing cooling as essential is an important step in protecting tenant health and safety. Together, these measures promote safer housing, fairer landlord-tenant relationships, and greater stability for families across the Commonwealth. I urge the committee to advance each of them. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Nichelle Clark NAACP Virginia State Conference