September 26, 2023 Press Release from Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc: DAYTON, OH—Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc., (ABLE), an Ohio legal aid organization with offices in Dayton, Defiance, and Toledo, recently launched a rural eviction relief program to combat the housing crisis disproportionately affecting low and extremely low-income Ohioans. Through the program, low-income tenants of Allen, Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Logan, Mercer, and Miami counties may be eligible to receive free legal representation if they are facing an eviction or other legal housing issues.
“The end of the pandemic’s public health emergency, combined with an increase in housing and rental costs, has created a significant housing crisis in Ohio and across the country,” said ABLE Managing Attorney Matthew Currie. “Rural counties in Ohio surrounding Dayton have been particularly impacted.”
According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NILHC), 443,717, or roughly 28% of Ohio renter households, qualify as “extremely-low income”. Of these, 67% are spending more than 30% of their household income for rent and utilities. Adding to this problem is an extreme shortage of affordable housing. NILHC estimates there are about 254,545 fewer rental homes available than families and individuals who qualify as extremely low-income renters.
“Under ABLE’s eviction relief program, an attorney is assigned to represent low-income tenants in municipal court—free of cost—to represent tenants in eviction hearings and with subsidy terminations. The program was designed to help level the playing field when it comes to landlord-tenant law,” Currie said.
When it comes to “leveling the playing field,” Currie is referring to the large disparity between landlords represented by attorneys in eviction proceedings, approximately 81% of landlords compared to only about 3% of tenants. “Having access to an attorney can make a huge difference for a tenant in an eviction hearing,” Currie said. “We see unrepresented tenants in court every day who have valid defenses but don’t know how to present them.”
Ohio residents can contact ABLE’s Tenant Information Hotline to see if they qualify for free assistance by calling 1-833-777-0277.
About ABLE: Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) is non-profit regional law firm that provides high-quality legal assistance in civil matters to help eligible low-income individuals and groups in western Ohio achieve self-reliance, equal justice, and economic opportunity.
