This notice is being provided to alert the public that Logic & Accuracy Testing of Electronic Pollbook Equipment for the upcoming election will take place with the following details:

Date: Sunday, November 1, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: 1st Floor Tech Center
City of Richmond Office of Elections
2134 W. Laburnum Avenue
Richmond, VA 23227
 

Pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Code of Virginia, the City of Richmond's Electoral Board will conduct L&A testing of electronic pollbook equipment to verify its functionality before the election.

Public Attendance Requirements

Members of the public may attend the testing only if they present a physical letter of authorization from their respective political party chair. The letter must be presented upon arrival and is required for admission to the testing.

Applications open to congregations for 12-month cohort 

Richmond, VA  —The City of Richmond is proud to announce its first-ever Faith & Housing Initiative , a two-year program initiated by the City’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to explore the possibilities for and interest in housing development on underutilized, faith-owned properties in the city limits.  

Managed in partnership with Sympara, a national nonprofit leader in sacred/civic placemaking, the Faith & Housing Initiative is meant to support faith communities who have the capacity and interest with education and technical assistance as they navigate the process of transforming owned properties into housing.  

“Moving the needle on housing supply and affordability will no doubt require some creative thinking about how we can incentivize thoughtful development and utilize or rehab underused parcels all over our City,” said Mayor Danny Avula. “We are fortunate to have countless strong communities of faith who are looking for ways to use their property for community benefit. The Faith & Housing Initiative will open the door to unique possibilities to do just that.” 

The Faith & Housing Cohort  

City staff from HCD, along with partners in Sympara , have already begun some pre-rollout activities, including early parcel mapping of faith-owned properties and initial conversations with faith leaders to gauge interest in the next phase of this process: the 12-month Faith & Housing Cohort.  

Starting today, applications are open for interested and qualifying congregations to join a yearlong program meant to help the congregation discern visions, develop plans, and prepare their members and neighbors for the multiyear development journey. The cohort will meet on a monthly basis to discuss faith-rooted community development, conduct site analyses and market feasibility studies, coordinate with mission-driven developers and funding partners, and more.  

“Our faith leaders and our congregations are tremendous community assets,” said Richmond Director of Housing and Community Development Merrick Malone . “They have the will and the motivation to take-on these projects, they just need some support and direction; that’s where we can help. The Faith & Housing Initiative aligns funding, permitting and development expertise with strong faith leadership to produce a real and lasting community benefit.” 

The program is limited to 12 congregations. Applications will be judged on a congregation’s readiness to embark on the multiyear journey of housing development.  

Please visit go.rva.gov/applyfaithhousing . The application will close at 5 p.m. ET on November 30, 2026.   

Information Sessions

HCD and Sympara are hosting two information sessions for interested congregations to learn more. Please RSVP to [email protected] if you are interested in attending and indicate which date you would like to join in the subject of your email.  

• November 4, 2026, 12 – 1 p.m. ET 
• November 6, 2026, 12 – 1 p.m. ET 

A recording will be made available for those who cannot attend. 

Learn more about the Faith & Housing initiative at go.rva.gov/faithandhousing

New policy establishes clear protections, limits City’s role in federal immigration enforcement, and ensures access to City services regardless of immigration status

Richmond, VA - Today, Mayor Avula, Councilmember Nicole Jones, members of Richmond City Council, City Administration, and community partners announced the launch of the City of Richmond’s Trust Policy, a new policy designed to protect immigrant and refugee residents, strengthen trust in local government, and ensure that every resident can access city services without fear.  

The Trust Policy establishes clear expectations for how City departments and employees interact with residents and handle personal information and reflects Richmond’s commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive city while ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state laws.  

The policy builds on Resolution No. 2026-033, introduced by Councilmember Jones and unanimously adopted by Richmond City Council. It was developed over several months through the Inclusive Communities Work Group, established by Mayor Avula in January to identify concrete steps the City could take to better support immigrant and refugee residents. 

The Trust Policy establishes the following protections and expectations: 

• Residents can access City services, benefits, and public facilities regardless of immigration status. 
• City employees may not request, access, or disclose certain personal information except when authorized or required by law and City policy  
• City personnel and resources will not be used to assist federal civil immigration enforcement except where required by law.  
• Richmond Police officers will not serve as federal immigration enforcement officers. 
• City employees may not threaten, coerce, or deny services based on a person’s actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status. 
• The prohibition of certain actions based on a person's citizenship or immigration status, including threats or coercion 
• That the Administration will establish guidance, training, and accountability requirements for City departments and employees  

The City will continue to comply with applicable federal and state laws, judicial warrants, and subpoenas requiring City action. The policy applies to departments and agencies under the authority of the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer. 

Implementation and next steps  

The City is beginning a comprehensive implementation process to ensure the policy is consistently understood and followed across City government, with the goal of full implementation by the end of 2026. 

The implementation process includes training for more than 4,000 City employees, developing additional standard operating procedures and administrative guidance, and providing employees with clear instructions for responding to encounters with federal immigration enforcement officials. 

The policy is also being translated into seven languages: Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Brazilian Portuguese. 

The City will continue working with immigrant and refugee community organizations to gather feedback, identify additional needs, and strengthen implementation. 

Today's announcement took place at Southside Plaza, home to the City's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement (OIRE). The location reflects the City's broader efforts to make services more accessible by bringing City offices and resources closer to the communities they serve. 

The Trust Policy advances Pillar 5 of Mayor Avula's Mayoral Action Plan: building a thriving and inclusive Richmond where all residents have the opportunity to feel safe, valued, and connected to their community. 

Quotes and Statements from 10/19 Press Event  

“The Trust Policy conveys our unequivocal commitment to ensuring that every resident in our city, and especially Richmond's immigrant community, feels safe, feels welcome, and feels protected,” said Richmond City Council President Cynthia Newbille. “We are committed to ensure that every resident in our city, feel safe, welcome, and protected.”

”This policy started with the residents who helped make it happen, and today we get to celebrate together.  When we talk about building trust and community, we're talking about making sure every resident feels safe and supported. Neighborhood safety means every person feels safe calling for help, reporting a crime, or coming forward as a witness,” said Richmond City Councilmember Nicole Jones, 9 th District . “We cannot have safe neighborhoods when some of our neighbors are afraid to pick up the phone. A well-rounded life means being able to take your kids to school, go to work, see a doctor, and participate in the life of this city without looking over your shoulder. Thank you to everyone who has been part of bringing the Trust Policy forward.” 

“When I took office, I made a commitment that Richmond would be a city where every resident feels welcome, valued, and safe,” said Mayor Danny Avula . “As an immigrant myself, this commitment is deeply personal. Our immigrant and refugee neighbors are an essential part of what makes Richmond such a vibrant and special city and so today, with the launch of our Trust Policy, we’re taking an important step toward putting that commitment into practice. We’ll continue to do the work every day to serve, protect, and earn the trust of our immigrant and refugee neighbors.” 

"This policy is about turning our commitment to inclusive communities into clear, consistent practices across City government,” said Amy Popovich, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services . “We’ve spent months working across departments, reviewing policies, and engaging community partners, and now our focus is on implementation: making sure employees understand their responsibilities, residents know what they can expect, and our services are accessible to everyone who needs them.” 

“We want every resident to feel safe calling us for help, reporting crime, or speaking with an officer. RPD’s focus is, and always will be, protecting the people of Richmond and working in partnership with the communities we serve. Our officers do not participate in federal immigration enforcement, and the new Trust Policy makes that even clearer,” said RPD Chief Rick Edwards. 

Djakaria Konate, President, African Community Network and 26 year veteran of the United States Army said during his remarks, ““The Trust Policy is well overdue. It is what I call the beginning of the end. The end of the dark era of systemic exclusions and the beginning of era of mutual trust and integration. My story, I'm sharing this because it's the story of many immigrants. We are contributing to the economy and social fabric of this nation. And many immigrants live right here in Richmond. So many immigrants are hardworking, decent individual. They are nurses, physicians, engineers, construction workers, and farm workers. They are never deterred by bad weather, by the pandemic, by low paying jobs, or discrimination, they face day to day. Many of us live in fear and anxiety today. Nobody is exempt, regardless of your immigration status. Hopefully, this policy will lower their fear and anxiety, make them more productive member of the society.” 

Carolina Luna, District 9 President, Latinx Hispanic Civic Association said in her remarks, “Becoming a USA citizens in 2017 was a proud milestone. But my heart was never left out for my neighbors who are still building a life here. Seeing the Trust Policy brings a deep relief and hope. Trust is everything. For us as the 1st Latin Civic Association, having RPD and the fire department, also all the city departments, doing meetings, cleanups, and community events is the best way to show our community that we are safe, protected, and supported. Thank you to everyone who continues to choose dignity and safety for all of Richmond.”  

Visit go.rva.gov/trust to read the Trust Policy. 

Thank you Councilmember Jones, for your passion, your commitment, and your leadership on this particular policy issue.  

I’m incredibly grateful for the partnership we’ve had on this effort 

President Newbille, thank you for all of your work getting behind this and support the work of really building trust in our communities.  

Thank you, City Council, for the for the unanimous support for the resolution.  

When I took office, I made a commitment that Richmond would be a city where every resident feels welcome, valued, and safe. 

As an immigrant, these values are deeply personal to me. My early years in this country were filled with experiences where I didn’t feel welcomed or I was outright mocked misunderstood or just made constantly “other”. 

So much so, that I actively ran away from my Indian heritage, and rejected anything that highlighted the ways that I did not fit in.   

But in adulthood, I have come to appreciate the value and the beauty of my culture, and the ways that my heritage really are so important such as the ways that my heritage and that of all of our residents contribute to the beauty and the diversity of our society. 
 

These values -- that every resident, and especially our immigrant and refugee populations, feel safe, valued and accepted, and I would say one step further - that they actually feel celebrated- were priorities identified by our transition team as I was beginning my time in office, and have only intensified with the federal administration’s focus on our immigrant communities. 

This last year has made it incredibly clear that immigrant safety is a huge priority here in Richmond, and in local communities across the country.   

In January, I established an Inclusive Communities Preparedness Work Group to identify practical, concrete steps that we could take to protect residents, strengthen trust, and make sure our City government was prepared to respond to the challenges facing our immigrant neighbors.  

The Work Group identified the development of a trust policy as one important step we could take toward fulfilling that commitment. 

Over the past several months, our administration has worked closely with community partners, City departments, and Councilmember Jones and her leadership to develop a policy that reflects Richmond's values and can be implemented responsibly and effectively. 

Developing a policy like this requires more than a commitment to our values.  

It requires careful legal analysis and operational planning, lots of coordination across departments and deep, meaningful engagement with the people in the community that we serve.  

I want to thank our entire team for the many months of work that have brought us to this point. 

I want to reiterate that, at its core, this policy is about trust.  

Specifically, making sure that every Richmond resident, regardless of immigration status, can access City services without fear.  

That we protect people's privacy, that we establish clear boundaries around the City's role in federal civil immigration enforcement, and that we make sure our employees understand their responsibilities.  

And, it’s about sending a clear message to our immigrant neighbors that you are part of this community, and your local government is here to serve you. 

What does this policy change? Simply put, it brings more clarity and accountability. 

For City employees it gives them clear guidance about what their responsibilities are and how to respond when situations arise that could undermine the trust of our immigrant communities. 

For residents, it communicates clarity about what they can expect from their local government. And lets them know that their personal information will be protected. That our Richmond Police Department will not act as immigration enforcement officers. That City resources will not be used to assist federal civil immigration enforcement. 

That no one should be threatened or pressured because of their immigration status. 

And that every resident is welcome to access City services, and can hold us accountable to these commitments. 

And as President Newbille said, today's announcement is not the end of this work. It's an important first step as we launch this policy. 

Because a policy is only as meaningful as our ability to put it into practice.  

That means training our 4,000+ employees and establishing clear procedures, and continuing to listen to our community partners, and doing everything we can within our authority to protect the safety of our residents, -- earning and keeping their trust. 

My goal is to have this policy fully implemented by the end of the year, and we're going to continue listening, learning, and working together to make sure Richmond is a city where everyone feels they belong. A thriving and inclusive Richmond is Pillar 5 of our administration, and that is what we are working toward here.  

To our immigrant neighbors, know that you are a loved and cherished part of our community.  Your presence in this City is part of what makes Richmond so vibrant and special, and we seek to celebrate and highlight the rich culture that all of our neighbors bring to Richmond. 

And now I'd like to turn it over to our DCAO of Human Services, Amy Popovich, who will walk through what the policy does and the steps we're taking to make sure it is implemented effectively.