All about Toledo's right to counsel for tenants facing eviction

UPDATE: early data shows success of right to counsel program

An article in The Toledo Blade reports on some of the early data from Toledo's program to provide a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction.  Prior to the implementation of a right to counsel, a study by the Blade had found that 79% of landlords in Toledo have counsel, compared to 2% of tenants.  While the data set from the right to counsel is small at this stage, 38% of represented were able to remain in their homes, 44% were able to negotiate a reasonable move-out date and more than half of the cases have been dismissed.

Background

The Toledo City Council has enacted a tenant right to counsel ordinance that guarantees counsel for all tenants facing eviction who are at 200% or below of the federal poverty level.  The law is to be phased in over 5 years and staffed by Legal Aid of Western Ohio, and will be funded by $250k/year in American Rescue Plan Act funding.  The news was reported in the Toledo Blade.