CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Council is looking into providing free legal representation to low-income tenants with children who are facing eviction.
The legislation was presented to the council during Wednesday's meeting.
Sixty percent of the 9,000 eviction cases filed every year in the city include households with children, according to the legislation.
“Without knowing their legal rights as tenants and without knowing how to navigate the legal system, many low-income families are forced out of their homes. This leads to family turmoil and disruption of the children’s education," council president Kevin Kelley said.
According to a study by Case Western University, an average of just $1,200 in rental support would have prevented a family's eviction, which is just a fraction of the cost of a family's stay in an emergency shelter.
