New Study Shows the Tremendous Cost of Evictions for the City of Cleveland

CLEVELAND, OH (Nov. 1, 2019) - A new report from the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Sciences calls attention to the severe consequences evictions have on families living in Cleveland. The study found that among renters of privately-owned units, evicted tenants and their families use homeless shelters at a rate 30% higher than those who are not evicted.

For public housing residents, an eviction order is less common – but the impact of an eviction is worse. For example, in the year after an eviction notice, “homeless shelter use rates for the evicted increase 60% more than for households that do not get an eviction order.”^[1] In addition, for two years following the eviction, this group continues to experience significantly higher levels of homelessness than the non-evicted group.

The consequences of eviction go beyond housing instability. The researchers explored education ramifications for school-aged children, and found that an eviction filing negatively impacts school attendance. Two years after a filing, children in affected households in grades 7 – 12 have an absence rate of 30% — much higher than Ohio’s definition of “chronic absence,” which is 10%.

Also troubling are the report’s findings about lead. The authors note that, compared to children in homes with no eviction history, children in a household with an eviction filing have a much higher incidence of elevated lead levels and a lower rate of testing.

Every year, there are approximately 9,000 evictions filed in the City of Cleveland. Only 1% of tenants have lawyers. Without legal counsel and representation, these tenants face significant obstacles to winning their case – and the stakes couldn’t be higher. The entire community suffers when justice is not served, and families are left without the foundational stability of a safe, comfortable home.

Cleveland Legal Aid is proud to have partnered with Case Western Reserve University to commission this study, and we will continue to advocate for tenants’ rights in eviction cases through our Housing Justice Alliance.

The full report can be accessed here: The Cleveland Eviction Study- Full Report

A summary can be found here: CWRU Evictions Study Summary

[1] Chan, Tsui, et al. The Cleveland Eviction Study: Downstream Paths of Evictions into Homelessness and Loss of Human Capital. The Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, Case Western Reserve University. August 2019, p. 16.