A recent study commissioned by the Columbus City Council reveals big public benefits from implementing access to counsel at eviction court for income-eligible tenants in Columbus.

The study, conducted by Stout Risius Ross, LLC, finds that at full implementation, an annual investment of $6.1 million into an access to counsel program could generate public benefit savings to the City of Columbus and Franklin County taxpayers of at least an estimated $24.4 million.

This means, that for every $1 spent in providing free representation to eligible tenants, the City and County tax could save $4 in costs related to homelessness, healthcare, and other social services.

Recognizing that fewer than 10% of tenants have legal representation at court, compounded with a system that is challenging to navigate, Councilmember Shayla Favor’s Housing for All initiatives included a $1.5 million investment in expanded legal representation at eviction court, resulting in $6 million in public benefit savings.

“Housing is a human right, period. Evictions disproportionately impact our most vulnerable residents, and providing legal counsel can make the difference between someone remaining housed or falling into a cycle of instability,” said Councilmember Shayla Favor, chair of the Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee. “This investment isn’t just about protecting tenants — it’s about creating stronger, more stable communities for everyone in Columbus.”

Having a lawyer in eviction court helps tenants in important ways. It can stop unfair evictions, lead to better payment plans, and give tenants more time to find a new home if they have to move. A 2023 study by the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and Southeast Ohio found that tenants with a lawyer pay about 25% less in payment plans than those without a lawyer ($2,930 compared to $4,045). Tenants with lawyers who agreed to move had about two-thirds more time to do so — 25 days compared to 15 days for those without a lawyer.

The Stout study also says that, at full implementation, around 4,964 households, or 25% of all households facing eviction, would be able to get legal help every year.

At Legal Aid, we have seen firsthand how increasing resources for our Tenant Advocacy Project has kept families safe and housed,” said Jyoshu Tsushima, Managing Attorney, Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio. “We’ve witnessed how preserving households and reducing displacement can impact the greater community and how families that can retain their homes are less likely to need emergency services.

The public benefits of the $6.1 million investment would be huge, with savings in areas like homelessness prevention, keeping kids in school, and improving health and safety for families.

“In 2023, Franklin County saw a record high number of eviction cases filed – more tenants were evicted than fit into Nationwide Arena, and we are on track to exceed that number in 2024,” said Columbus First Lady Shannon Ginther, chair of the Columbus Women’s Commission. “We know that evictions disproportionally impact women and children, which is why the Columbus Women’s Commission is leading on eviction prevention efforts and is excited to continue to partner with Columbus City Council on the important work detailed in the Stout Report.”

The Columbus City Council is excited to see the positive impact of the pilot and is committed to ensuring residents continue to have access to legal counsel.

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