Evictions seem like a simple issue. Renters should pay their rent. When they don't, they need to leave. But the realities of renting and leaving are much more complicated than that. Today, Rich talks with a housing expert to learn why eviction court is rarely a winning prospect for renters. The city's plan? Pair tenants facing eviction with a lawyer for free. Later we talk with a lawyer who already does this work and what challenges they face when representing renters.

For almost a century, local government has provided “public housing” for our most vulnerable residents. But here in RVA, there’s a plan to replace our public housing communities with something completely different.

On this episode, Rich sits down with Steven Nesmith, the CEO of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He is spearheading this bold new plan, and a "tough love" approach, that he says may END public housing as we know it in Richmond.

What's 45 days long, based in Richmond, and shapes the future of the state of Virginia? On this episode, Rich unpacks this year's General Assembly with veteran state politics reporter Michael Pope.

A big question EVERYONE is wrestling with is how to prepare for the changes coming out of Washington. Separately, Democrats are headed towards yet another veto showdown with Gov. Glenn Youngkin. But there are glimmers of bipartisanship, and it's called... a Momnibus? That, and more, in this end-of-session recap on what passed, what didn't, and the politics shaping it all.

We're also shining our community spotlight on two VCU students who are at the heart of General Assembly coverage, Sarah Hagen and Andrew Kerley. They're part of what's known as the Capitol News Service, which has students writing for news outlets in need of state coverage. It's a win-win, but Rich asks, isn't it a troubling time to get into journalism?

Michael Pope is the host of a NEW podcast from VPM and the Virginia Public Access Project called The Virginia Press Room. Find out more at https://www.vpm.org/vapressroom. Follow Capitol News Service on Instagram (@vcucns), Andrew Kerley on Twitter (@andrewkerley_), and Sarah Hagen on Twitter (@sarah_hagen).

Hamilton Glass is seen by many as the founding father of Richmond's mural movement. He instigated a huge public mural project featured in the PBS Doc called Mending Walls. The project brought 30 artists from different cultural backgrounds together to collaborate on 16 murals in Richmond. The slogan for the effort was "we need to talk" about race and the artists' formative experiences. On the project's 5th anniversary, Glass talks about the origins of Mending Walls and how the project continues to evolve.

The Community Spotlight shines on Silly Genius, a mural artist who brings his love of graffiti and hip-hop together in the large murals he and his partners paint - bringing life, color and vibrancy to vacant buildings in rundown areas of Richmond. 

It's no secret: Richmond's got some baggage.

Case in point, the #GreatRichmondWaterCrisis. Less than a week into new city leadership, hospitals ran low on water and people boiled snow to flush their toilets. Was it a fluke, or is this the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unresolved issues in city government?

Thad Williamson is the coauthor of a new book about the history of Richmond city government. More than anyone, he knows how the mayor's office works... and the baggage that comes with.

It's the holidays! The fire is delightful, chestnuts are roasting, people are wassailing (whatever that is). But for some folks, this is a time of year that hits hard, where the pain of addiction, of isolation, or even just loneliness, can make it much less joyful. So what can we do to close the loneliness gap in RVA?

Redlining has been illegal for more than half a century. But Black homeowners today are still feeling its impact through appraisals that undervalue their homes. Rich unpacks recent findings on appraisal bias in Richmond with two housing experts, as well as their undercover method for addressing housing discrimination today.

If you live in Henrico, chances are you pay bills! But have you ever wondered why those payments have to be mailed out of state? Shouldn’t we keep the money and jobs in our own community?

Finally, we look at a farmers market in Chesterfield that serves everything from arepas, to nopal, to fresh coquito. America DeLoach founded the Latino Farmers Market to help vendors who felt left out of other markets.

A flood of renewable energy projects are hitting the RVA region. What does it mean for households in the region? And is it enough to satiate our soaring energy demands?

A listener asks Rich: am I being gaslit by these door knockers? After a canvasser says a "no soliciting sign" doesn't apply to them, one listener is stumped about how to tell people to bug-off (although Rich hopes you don't do this to everyone)

If TV taught us anything, it's that when something bad happens, the only thing to do is put on a show. Tariq Karriem, a local Henrico high school graduate, took this to heart after feeling students of color were being left out of local theatre productions. So he and others started their own theatre group, the Black Virginia Theatre Alliance

In his very first sit-down interview since the election, mayor-elect Danny Avula joins Rich to discuss what Richmonders can expect from his administration.

What are his top priorities and how will he start to tackle them? How will he bring more people into the political process? And how will he advocate for the city on both the State and Federal level? 

Need some 11th hour candidate info for election day? We have you covered! Check out any of our recent episodes on the mayoral contest, what it takes to be on city council, a plan to shake up the school board race and much, much more. We'll be next week with a new episode. Until then, see you at the polls!