About the Report

This site highlights Stout’s annual independent evaluation of Cleveland’s Eviction Right to Counsel for 2025, released January 29, 2026.

The effort is funded initially as a public-private partnership, with a goal of being fully funded by government support as studies highlight long-term sustainability and return on community investment.

In September 2020, Stout was engaged as the multi-year evaluator of Cleveland’s Eviction Right to Counsel. Over the past 5.5 years, Stout has worked with United Way and Legal Aid to collect and analyze data, learn from the experience and expertise of Cleveland eviction ecosystem stakeholders including Legal Aid staff attorneys, paralegals, and attorneys representing rental property owners, and develop an iterative approach to evaluation.

About Cleveland’s Eviction Right to Counsel

 In 2019, Cleveland City Council passed Cleveland’s Right to Counsel ordinance with a recognition that “a lack of legal counsel for low-income tenants with minor children during eviction cases is a violation of a basic human right.”  Through Cleveland Codified Ordinance 375.12, the city became the first in the Midwest and only fourth in the United States to provide such a right.  

Launched on July 1, 2020, Right to Counsel Cleveland provides a right to free legal representation pursuant to the ordinance. This right is delivered to eligible households through a partnership between United Way and Legal Aid. 

Key Outcomes

Last year, Legal Aid attorneys were overwhelmingly successful in achieving clients’ eviction case goals, including but not limited to: preventing eviction judgments, securing time to move, and mitigating damages.  Stout’s evaluation of Cleveland’s Right to Counsel through December 2025 resulted in many new and unique insights including, but not limited to:

Respond to an Eviction Crisis that Disproportionately Impacts Black & Female Households Respond to an Eviction Crisis that Disproportionately Impacts Black & Female Households
Identify, Respond to Poor Housing Conditions Identify, Respond to Poor Housing Conditions
Leverages Interventions, like Rental Assistance Leverages Interventions, like Rental Assistance
Prevent Evictions, Helps Tenants Achieve their Goals Prevent Evictions, Helps Tenants Achieve their Goals
Create Economic and Fiscal Benefits Create Economic and Fiscal Benefits
Increase Access to Justice Increase Access to Justice

Download the Full Report

 

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