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Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday signed legislation expanding eviction protections in the state, months after Richmond’s high eviction rates were thrust into the national spotlight.

The seven bills Northam signed are based on recommendations by the Virginia Housing Commission, which last year began to study ways to curb the number of people removed from their homes due to unpaid rent or fees.

The work kicked off following a New York Times article on a first-of-its-kind study of nationwide eviction data. The data, compiled by a research team led by Princeton sociologist and author Matthew Desmond, showed that half of the 10 large U.S. cities with the highest eviction rates are in Virginia.

Their ranking showed Richmond had the second-highest eviction rate in the country. Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Chesapeake also ranked among the top 10.

“These measures establish important consumer protections, help to improve housing stability for vulnerable populations, and represent a fundamental step forward in addressing Virginia’s disproportionately high eviction rates,” Northam said in a written statement.