Advocacy project helps more tenants stay in homes

Franklin County residents facing eviction stand a much better chance of remaining in their homes if they get professional help, according to a study released Monday by the Legal Aid Society of Columbus.

The study found that tenants who received help from the Tenant Advocacy Project were able to stay in their home 240 percent more often than those who were not helped by the organization. About 1 percent of tenants represented by TAP lost their case compared with 53 percent of those who received no assistance, according to the study.

“Without access to an attorney, most tenants facing eviction cannot effectively raise arguments that could preserve their tenancies or prevent eviction and homelessness,” Melissa Benson, housing attorney at Legal Aid Society of Columbus, said in a news release. “The Tenant Advocacy Project gives tenants a voice in the courthouse. It is balancing the scales in eviction cases in Franklin County.” Litigants wait for their cases to be called during eviction court hearings in February 2017 at the Franklin County Municipal Courthouse in Columbus. The court is the state’s busiest, with about 18,000 docket filings a year. The Tenant Advocacy Project, which began in March 2017, helps tenants navigate eviction proceedings.

The Legal Aid Society of Columbus created the Tenant Advocacy Project in March 2017. TAP runs a daily clinic in Franklin County Municipal Court that provides legal help for tenants facing eviction. TAP also receives support from The Columbus Foundation, the Ohio State Bar Foundation and PNC Bank. The goals of TAP are to lower displacement caused by eviction and increase access to affordable housing for low-income tenants.

Franklin County processes about 18,000 evictions a year, the highest number in Ohio. More than 40 percent

of evictions in Franklin County take place in six zip codes — 43232, 43213, 43229, 43228, 43224 and 43204. This includes North Linden, Hilltop, the North Side, Far West and Southeast neighborhoods, as well as Whitehall.

“The dedicated access to the TAP program is proving to be substantially helpful to families and households who need the guidance most,” Dan Sharpe, vice president of community research and grants management at The Columbus Foundation, said in a news release.

TAP screens tenants to see if they meet program eligibility requirements and to determine the type of assistance needed for each case. TAP’s assistance includes brief legal advice and counsel, full representation in court by TAP attorneys if needed and a referral to mediation if TAP is unable to help with the case.

“The biggest impact that TAP is making is changing the culture surrounding evictions,” said Jyoshu Tsushima, staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and coordinator of the TAP initiative.

TAP also succeeded in securing an “agreed entry” for 40 percent of its clients, compared with 15 percent of clients who were not helped by TAP. Under an agreed entry, tenants can either make payments and remain or leave the property without an eviction on their record.

“While an agreed entry to move out is not the ideal outcome for the tenant, it does prevent them from getting a negative eviction judgment on their record,” the study says.