Akron should consider further protections for renters as suggested in report

Evictions are a troubling fact of life in Akron, where the rate is much higher than other Ohio cities.

Helping deserving people stay in their homes and off the streets is a worthy goal.

Community Legal Aid and Fair Housing Contact Service recently released a report full of proposed solutions. Some are worthy of adoption by the city of Akron and we urge the administration and municipal court to provide a response.

One suggested tactic would give tenants facing eviction a right to legal representation. Mayor Dan Horrigan’s administration said in April the city was looking to implement a right-to-counsel program within a year.

However, the executive director of Community Legal Aid Services told the Beacon Journal this month that the city hasn’t detailed any plans.

Akron officials, if they are still interested, need only look at Cleveland to see how a right-to-counsel law has affected residents.

Cleveland renters who live below the poverty line and have a child in the home are "guaranteed" a lawyer to fight their eviction, according to WKSU. Now, 60% of eligible households are gaining legal representation — formerly it was only 1 or 2%.

In the vast majority of cases, renters are able to meet their goal of avoiding eviction or securing rental assistance. The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland provides services under a contract with the United Way of Greater Cleveland.

This is no small matter. In Akron, 3,000 people face eviction every year, Community Legal Aid Executive Director Steve McGarrity says.

And rents are continuing to rise — one expert quoted by the Ohio Capital Journal says across the nation median rent increased 17% in one year. There is also concern in Akron about the effect of out-of-state investors who are snapping up rental properties.

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Akron has made progress in boosting renters’ rights with source of income and pay to stay laws. In May 2021, the city made it illegal for landlords to reject prospective tenants who use government housing vouchers; eviction actions also can be stopped if the delinquent tenants provide the court all the back rent, court costs and fees; and those fees were capped at 8%.

The city said last year that it has one of the highest eviction rates in Ohio at 6.06% in 2016; the state average was 3.49%.

The city also got serious about tenant complaints by allocating money in its 2022 budget for additional housing code compliance inspectors, nuisance compliance inspectors, a housing rehab specialist, an administrative assistant and an accounts analyst.

McGarrity said he believes the city will review and revise laws to create a "more equitable balance of power in landlord-tenant relationships.” He also told the Beacon Journal that he has had ongoing conversations with Akron Municipal Court officials and they are open to changes.

There are many positives to other ideas offered by Community Legal Aid and Fair Housing Contact Service. We like the sound of the following recommendations because they help people and are a good use of city funds: Mediation that prevents the need for court filings; more education for landlords and tenants; and better enforcement of landlord registries.

And over the long term, the recommendation about offering pathways for homeownership could help the city stabilize neighborhoods and populations. Only 50.4% of housing units in Akron are owner-occupied, according to the Census Bureau.

It should also be acknowledged that local landlords face many challenges as business owners. The city of Akron has an obligation to consider their rights and the important role property owners play.

Establishing a permanent rental assistance fund, as the report suggests, would be a life saver for many people. Like the recommendation for mandated legal representation, this is where city leaders must step in. The mayor and city council must decide whether to stand behind such a program and help secure funding, whether from government sources or charitable groups.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron should weigh suggestions for more renter protections