LOCAL

Here are 8 solutions to Akron's eviction problem, proposed by housing advocates

Abbey Marshall
Akron Beacon Journal

Three months after their inaugural eviction prevention summit, Akron's Community Legal Aid and Fair Housing Contact Service released a report of proposed solutions to promote safe, stable and affordable housing in a city with Ohio's highest eviction rates.

What was originally intended to be an action plan released months ago is now a report of recommended short- and long-term solutions, due to the inability to "reach a consensus" in ongoing conversations with Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan's office, courts and other local housing organizations, said Steven McGarrity, executive director of Community Legal Aid Services.

The report outlines eight solutions to the ongoing eviction crisis, culled from suggestions from the hundreds of attendees at the April summit, which convened to address problems facing 49% of city residents who rent.

Steven McGarrity, Community Legal Aid Services

"Most of the stuff here are things other communities — within Ohio or nationwide — have done and have done well," McGarrity said. "There's no reason to think we can't do it here."

Establish a right to counsel program

If implemented, a right to counsel program would provide tenants facing eviction the opportunity to be represented by an attorney for free throughout their proceedings.

Modeled after a similar Cleveland program launched in 2020, which boasted success in increasing representation for tenants (from 2% to 20%) and avoiding displacement of tenants from their homes by 93% in the first six months of the program, Horrigan initially vocalized support of the initiative at the summit. At the time, Horrigan’s Deputy Chief of Staff Tamiyka Rose told the Beacon Journal the city was looking to implement a right to counsel program within a year.

But McGarrity said despite their initial support, progress with the city has been slow.

"As of yet, we haven’t really heard any details of what they plan to do," he said.

Though McGarrity acknowledged other pressing matters, including the fatal police shooting of 25-year-old Jayland Walker that "appropriately" shifted the city's focus, he said the "time is now" to release the report and begin assessing how the city can aid the more than 3,000 residents facing eviction each year.

Traci Person asks a question April 28 at the 2022 Eviction Prevention Summit at the John S. Knight Center in Akron.

"We don't want to lose the energy," McGarrity said. "We are so thrilled by the turnout of the summit, getting all the leaders in one room to discuss solutions — our biggest fear is that nothing comes from it."

The city did not respond to requests for comment on right to counsel progress.

Offer pre-filing mediation

Another proposal included pre-filing mediation, which could prevent some evictions from ever reaching court and "staining" a tenant's record.

Currently, Akron Municipal Court offers a dispute resolution system for people after a court filing. While McGarrity called the program "good" and said Legal Aid and other housing advocates don't have a problem with it, the damage of filing an eviction can "haunt" a tenant for years to come.

"If we create a pre-filing mediation, we can try to resolve the case (before) ever reaching court," he said.

Expand landlord and tenant education campaigns

Additional resources from the city and other organizations could bolster already-existing programs from Fair Housing Contact Service, which works to educate landlords and tenants about laws, rights and more. It currently operates a hotline and offers ongoing educational campaigns, but would like to expand its offerings.

Review the city code

Legal Aid and Fair Housing recommend a total review of the city code to close gaps and create a "more equitable balance of power in landlord-tenant relationships."

McGarrity said he believes that work is coming, lauding Akron City Council for its formation of a safe housing steering committee, which will engage with community members to create legislation for problems facing tenants in privately owned, low-income, subsidized housing complexes in Summit County.

Establish a permanent rental assistance fund

The report details the need for a permanent rental assistance fund, citing the success of federal COVID pandemic relief programs.

"(Rental assistance funds) really transformed eviction numbers," McGarrity said, pointing to assistance available through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). "If you look at those numbers, they drop precipitously during the pandemic because landlords were getting the rent and did not need to file as many evictions."

McGarrity urges a more permanent solution, noting those dollars will run out soon. Akron pledged a portion of its $145 million in ARPA funds, which must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026, to housing initiatives.

Offer pathways for homeownership

Another long-term proposal included offering pathways to homeownership for residents in historically redlined and high-eviction-rate neighborhoods. That could be accomplished through public education, community support and non-traditional lending practices, reducing the number of people reliant on the rental market and increasing equity.

Create a robust housing court

Housing advocates propose a robust and supportive model for housing cases within Akron Municipal Court, which would include:

  • Social supports and referrals
  • On-site resources
  • Preventive educational programs for tenants, landlords and owner-occupied homeowners
  • Simplified court processes for ease and use by tenants

McGarrity said he has had ongoing conversations with the court and officials are "very open" to exploring new models.

Enforce landlord registry structures

Both the city of Akron and Summit County have rental registries, but they are managed differently. This proposal would bring multiple government entities together to identify gaps and enforcement strategies.

"We need to take a deeper dive and identify the bad actors and enforce the registry," McGarrity said.

Reporter Abbey Marshall is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Learn more at reportforamerica.org. Contact her at at amarshall1@gannett.com.