Facing eviction in Akron? Take these steps to get help

To avoid complicating an already overwhelming matter, there are two main ways for tenants facing eviction in Summit County to get help: call 2-1-1 or contact Community Legal Aid if you can't afford to hire an attorney

Until and even after the city of Akron launches a pilot program next year guaranteeing right-to-counsel for some defendants, there's free legal advice and representation available through Legal Aid's Tenant Assistance Project, which represents about 85 people each month.

Tenants may call 800-998-9454 or apply for help online at www.communitylegalaid.org, where there are opportunities for the public to donate or volunteer for the non-profit organization that serves primarily low-income individuals.

Evictions near record high in Akron.Can anything avert this crisis?

The managing attorney at Legal Aid recommends a call to 2-1-1 for anyone facing the potential loss of housing, financial hardship or some other need.

Long before the pandemic rocked the local economy and housing markets with joblessness and evictions, the one-stop hotline run by the United Way of Summit and Medina has provided rental assistance and various housing options depending on individual circumstances (for veterans, single mothers, men, families, children and more). The organization also can connect clients with job training and free financial services through the United Way's network of financial empowerment centers.

Housing has always been the top concern received by the organization, which channels philanthropic giving into community action. Monthly calls for housing-related help tend to tick up in the fall and winter.

In 2019, they peaked at 977 by October.

Those same calls for housing assistance have not dropped below 2,000 since March, topping 2,500 in August, September and October, the last month the organization took new applications for federal rental assistance. Rental assistance, which is the reason 70% of people with housing concerns call, is still available through funding sources that existed prior to the pandemic.

To donate, learn more or apply online for help, visit www.211summit.org.