TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Eviction filings in Toledo are rising while a city funded program that once covered the cost of legal help for tenants has had its funding cut.
September marked the highest number of eviction filings in the last six years, according to Toledo Municipal Court, with 646 cases filed. Unlike a criminal trial, the court does not provide counsel for eviction hearings if the defendant cannot afford one.
Legal Aid of Western Ohio has provided free legal assistance to people in need for the last 70 years. In 2022, the organization started a program called Right to Counsel to help people facing eviction. It launched with $250,000 a year from city council…