Ohio

NLIHC has estimated a need for no less than $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and broke down the need and cost for each state (download Excel spreadsheet). 

In response to COVID-19 and its economic fallout, many cities and states are creating or expanding rental assistance programs to support individuals and families impacted by the pandemic, and NLIHC is tracking in-depth information on these programs.  

You can use the interactive map and searchable database to find state and local emergency rental assistance programs near you. You can also see the latest news on rental assistance programs through the state-by-state news tracker. Note that this is not a comprehensive list of all rental assistance programs as we continue to update frequently. If you are aware of a program not included in our database, please contact [email protected]. 

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs
 

Across the country, homeless service providers are struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to follow public health guidelines and help ensure people’s safety, some shelters are being forced to reduce services, restrict admittance, or close entirely. The loss of these critical resources puts people experiencing homelessness at even higher risk of illness. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of shelter closings.

Below is a list of shelters that have had to majorly alter services or completely close:

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No information at this time.

Lucas County Commissioners and local leaders announced plans to strengthen eviction protections, including by hiring a Landlord-Tenant Services Manager. A new eviction prevention initiative will connect residents with local organizations that can provide assistance. According to the Toledo Municipal Court, nearly 1,300 evictions have been filed this year.

The Cincinnati Edition discusses how emergency rental assistance (ERA) distributed by the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Action Agency has helped families remain housed during the pandemic. The episode addresses how families will be impacted if ERA runs out in September.

The City of Toledo is receiving $19.4 million in reallocated federal emergency rental assistance funds. The city’s application portal will remain open through the end of April.

Updated on May 23, 2022

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The Toledo-Lucas County Rental Assistance Program relaunched on December 9, making available an additional $10.1 million in rental and utility assistance. The program, which initially opened in May 2021, has distributed nearly $12.6 million in rent relief to nearly 1,900 households.

Updated on December 20, 2021

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Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), a Toledo law firm that provides legal aid for low-income individuals, is receiving a $1 million grant as part of HUD’s new Eviction Protection Grant Program. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says ABLE will partner with Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO) to expand an eviction prevention program into rural areas of seven surrounding counties. 

Updated on December 13, 2021

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The Ohio Valley Resource examines how the affordable housing shortage, COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change have collided in the Ohio Valley. 

Updated on November 22, 2022

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The Dayton Daily News reports millions of dollars in federal rent relief allocated to Montgomery County remain available for Dayton-area tenants behind on rent. The city of Kettering agreed to accept $1 million more in funds for the STAYPUT program after approving $500,000 in rent relief for residents of Centerville, Kettering, Moraine, and Washington Township.

Updated on November 15, 2021

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There has been a sharp increase in evictions in the Ohio Valley since the federal eviction moratorium was overturned. The current housing crisis in the Ohio Valley is exacerbated by the lack of affordable and available housing in the region, with the threat of COVID-19 and long-term impacts on those who have been evicted yet to be seen.

Updated on November 03, 2021

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Housing advocates in Cuyahoga County are urging officials to establish an eviction prevention and diversion program to address an influx of eviction cases in the coming months. The proposal would ensure access to counsel to prevent evictions, connect tenants and landlords to rental assistance, and prevent property tax revenue loss and its downstream effects. Read the proposal from the Northeast Ohio community-based agencies.

Updated on October 25, 2021

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NBC4’s consumer advocate series “Better Call 4” is partnering with Franklin County officials for a special event on September 28 to answer questions about rental assistance and evictions.
September 27, 2021

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The Ohio Supreme Court released a new resource guide to help city and county courts connect tenants and landlords to emergency rental assistance. The Judicial Guide to Eviction Diversion outlines strategies courts can take to prevent evictions. The Court says that alerting litigants that rental assistance is available will help prevent a surge of evictions and help manage a case backlog.

Updated on September 21, 2021

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Ohio agencies distributing emergency rental assistance are in a race against the clock against evictions. Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, said the Biden administration’s decision to extend the moratorium through July could prevent thousands of Ohioans from losing their homes.
Updated on July 15, 2021

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Hamilton County agencies are teaming up to help 200 residents at risk of eviction access the county’s $60 million in federal emergency rental and utility assistance. Commissioner Alicia Reese announced a collaborative “action team” between the county’s Sheriff’s Office, Clerk of Courts, and Jobs and Family Services office to conduct outreach about the emergency rental assistance program. Tenants can apply for assistance by visiting https://513relief.org or by calling 513-946-1000.

Updated on April 28, 2021

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The Akron Beacon Journal reports that Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan’s administration introduced new legislation to protect struggling renters from the growing eviction crisis. The laws would halt evictions for renters who can come up with back rent, likely through emergency rental assistance, and ban source of income discrimination.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that a Hamilton County local task force is going door-to-door to urge families facing eviction to apply for the county’s $60 million federal emergency rental and utility assistance program. The Department of Jobs and Family Services is mailing informational packets to impacted families informing them of available resources.

Updated on April 17, 2021

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According to the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, there has been an increase in self-help evictions during the pandemic, particularly over the last month. There are concerns that a wave of evictions will occur when the eviction moratorium is lifted, causing a potential spike in coronavirus infections.

Updated on March 31, 2021

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Despite the federal eviction moratorium, Eviction Lab data indicate that over 160 people are evicted across Ohio each day. The moratorium’s protections are not automatic, and many Ohio renters are unaware of the steps they must take to be protected.

Updated on February 17, 2021

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Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH) on January 28 extended its eviction moratorium through April 30. The moratorium applies to all LMH tenants, regardless of whether the pandemic has impacted their tenants. LMH manages 2,633 public housing units, most of them in Toledo and largely rented to low-income Black women with children.

Updated on February 08, 2021

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While the pandemic has not altered the underlying causes of housing security in Wayne County – low wages and a lack of affordable homes – it has exacerbated them. Community Legal Aid Services has been inundated with requests for eviction assistance in the past few months and has seen evidence that illegal evictions are on the rise.

Updated on January 25, 2021

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Ohio Representatives David Leland (D-Columbus) and Jeffrey Crossman (D-Parma) introduced a bipartisan bill to halt evictions and foreclosures in Ohio amid the ongoing pandemic. The legislation adds additional protections and addresses the well-documented gaps in the CDC federal eviction moratorium. The bill would also extend the moratorium for the duration of the COVID-19 state of emergency at the state level.

Updated on January 15, 2021

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Just days after the Akron Municipal Court postponed all eviction hearings until January 1 due to a COVID-19 exposure in the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center, the court reversed course and announced it will resume some virtual eviction hearings. Akron advocates are concerned that an overwhelming number of evictions will be filed in January when the CDC moratorium expires.

Dayton 24/7 Now reports that the CDC eviction moratorium is not protecting all tenants, as local nonprofits struggle to meet the overwhelming demand for assistance. Ohio’s local courts are responsible for enforcing the eviction moratorium, resulting in significant variations in how the CDC order is interpreted and enforced between counties.

Updated on November 30, 2020

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The DeWine Administration announced the Home Relief Grant Program, which offers assistance to Ohioans who are behind on their rent, mortgage, and/or water bills. The program is funded with $50 million from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund.

Updated on November 17, 2020

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The Akron Beacon Journal reports on federal lawsuits seeking to overturn the CDC eviction moratorium, which has protected more than 50 tenants in Summit County from eviction. A group of Ohio landlords, including Cedarwood Village Apartments – the most aggressive eviction filer in Akron this year – filed a lawsuit against the moratorium on October 23. According to Luke Wake, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, the group is “very seriously” considering filing another lawsuit on behalf of a smaller landlord in an unnamed southern state. 

Updated on November 10, 2020

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and state legislative leaders on October 23 announced how they would allocate $430 million of the approximately $1 billion remaining in its share of the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund. The state will allocate $50 million for mortgage and rental assistance to low-income families. 

Attorney Graham Bowman from the Ohio Poverty Law Center says while Governor DeWine’s newly signed rental assistance program will be helpful in the short-term, it will not solve the systemic housing issues. “Predating COVID, there was a major eviction housing crisis in Ohio. I don’t think that’s going to be enough money,” Bowman said. “It’s absolutely critical that we get more assistance at the federal level to address the sheer scale of this problem.” 

Cleveland.com discusses the new lawsuit Northern Ohio landlords filed against the CDC eviction moratorium on October 23. The article also mentions that Governor Mike DeWine announced $50 million for rent and mortgage assistance, an action housing advocates have pushed for many months. 

Updated on November 4, 2020

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While homeless shelters in Cuyahoga County dodged devastating COVID-19 outbreaks by enacting mitigation strategies, an eviction crisis and homelessness epidemic looms as emergency rental assistance funds dwindle and the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of the year.

The Columbus Dispatch reports federal and local eviction prevention assistance is dwindling rapidly. Housing advocates continue to call on Ohio officials to allocate a portion of its remaining federal Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars toward rental assistance and eviction prevention.

Updated on October 26, 2020

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency’s annual Housing Needs Assessment finds that the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating pre-existing housing insecurities. Both the housing and rental markets are at risk of long-term impacts from the pandemic and subsequent economic fallout.

Ohio advocates are concerned about the rise in homelessness that has occurred due to pandemic-related job loss. Without additional federal funding, homelessness will increase further after the CDC eviction moratorium is lifted.

Updated on October 14, 2020

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CNN reporter Kyung Lah shares the stories of tenants in Columbus, Ohio who are facing eviction despite the national eviction moratorium. Melissa Benson of the Legal Aid Society of Columbus states that most renters do not know about the moratorium or the steps they need to be protected.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Mount Carmel Health System’s outreach teams have expanded outreach to people experiencing homelessness amid the pandemic. 

Updated on October 5, 2020

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An op-ed in the Columbus Dispatch written by Steven Wagner, the executive director of the Universal Health Care Action Network Ohio, highlights the intricate connection between housing and healthcare. Wagner urges Governor Mike DeWine to allocate some of the state’s remaining $1 billion in CARES Act funds to rent relief.

The Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio (COOHIO), an NLIHC state partner, is urging tenants facing eviction to act immediately to get protection under the CDC eviction moratorium. COOHIO has compiled resources on applying for the federal eviction protection, finding emergency rental assistance programs in Ohio, and locating legal aid organizations. 

Updated on September 29, 2020

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A homeless shelter in Butler County that has operated for 18 years will not open this year, causing concern among advocates that this will further strain the overstretched shelter system.

Updated on September 22, 2020

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Attorneys report that some Mahoning Valley courts never halted eviction proceedings during the pandemic. The nonprofit community Legal Aid has seen a recent spike in eviction cases in the Youngstown area since the CARES Act moratorium expired July 24. 

Updated on September 15, 2020

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Housing advocates in Ohio, including the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, an NLIHC state partner, are concerned that the Trump administration’s eviction moratorium only postpones, rather than prevents, evictions. The executive order has left local municipal court judges rushing to figure out how to implement it. 

Updated on September 10, 2020.

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The Ohio Capital Journal reports that Governor Mike DeWine on August 20 announced that given limited resources, he had to prioritize fighting the coronavirus over assisting low-income Ohioans. Advocates, however, argue that it will be more difficult to stop the spread of COVID-19 as Ohioans become more vulnerable to evictions, food insecurity, and homelessness.

The Ohio Capital Journal reports that the Ohio Controlling Board will not consider advocates’ request that the state allocate $100 million of Ohio’s remaining $1.3 billion in Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) for emergency rental assistance.

Updated on September 2, 2020.

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The eviction case of a Cleveland single mother of two highlights the growing challenge among Americans to pay rent during the pandemic. Internal estimates from Cuyahoga County indicate that renters who have been unable to pay owe a combined $43 million per month since the pandemic started to spread in mid-March.

Updated on August 25, 2020.

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A coalition of 182 businesses, hospitals, and advocacy groups have asked Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to invest $100 million of federal Coronavirus Relief Funds in emergency rental assistance, and an op-ed in the Akron Beacon Journal urges Governor DeWine to heed their advice.

State Senators Nickie Antonio and Hearcel Craig recently sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine asking for action after the federal moratorium on evictions and foreclosures expired on July 24.

Updated on August 19, 2020.

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Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, an NLIHC state partner, spoke about the pandemic’s impact on low-income renters on The State of Ohio.

Updated on August 11, 2020.

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Northeast Ohio advocates are concerned that thousands of Ohioans will face evictions after the federal moratorium expires on July 24. Studies estimate that as many as 713,255 Ohio renters could face eviction this year.

The Daily Record examined how the coronavirus pandemic has created an additional layer of problems for people experiencing homelessness in Ohio. The Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio, an NLIHC state partner, continues to call on Governor Mike DeWine to allocate $100 million of remaining CARES Act dollars to emergency rental assistance and urge the U.S. Senate to pass $100 billion in emergency rental assistance.

The Dayton Daily News discussed housing experts’ concerns that without a statewide rental assistance program, thousands of Ohio families will face eviction and homelessness. The Ohio Poverty Law Center and more than 100 other advocacy organizations have asked Governor Mike DeWine to earmark $100 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds for emergency rental assistance.

The Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board wrote an article on the dangerous threat of evictions and utility cut-offs that looms as temporary eviction moratoriums expire. The authors expressed support for the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio’s (COOHIO) call for $100 million of Ohio’s federal coronavirus relief funds to be allocated for emergency rental assistance.

The Statehouse News Bureau highlighted NLIHC’s Out of Reach 2020 report findings and how the pandemic has worsened Ohio’s housing crisis. Advocates are urging Governor Mike DeWine to allocate at least $100 million of federal relief funds for emergency rental assistance.

Updated on July 28, 2020.

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WCBE interviewed Marcus Roth of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, an NLIHC state partner, to discuss the Out of Reach 2020 report findings and advocates’ concerns about a potential surge of evictions and rise in homelessness in the coming months.

Updated on July 20, 2020.

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According to a U.S. Census Bureau survey, more than 500,000 Ohioans were unable to pay their rent last month due to the pandemic. The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), an NLIHC state partner, has called on Governor Mike DeWine to invest a modest portion of the state’s coronavirus relief funding in emergency rental assistance. “Doing nothing is not an option when you can see disaster on the horizon. We need emergency rental assistance now,” said Bill Faith, executive director of COHHIO. 

Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Sharonville backed out of a contract with the Butler County Commission to temporarily house people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Butler County Emergency Management Agency Director Matt Haverkos previously reported that finding hotels willing to provide temporary shelter to people experiencing homelessness and those infected with the virus has been challenging.

A Cleveland hotel has provided temporary housing to people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.

Outreach to people experiencing homelessness in Cleveland has been critical for helping people find the services and shelter they need to stay safe during the pandemic. 

Updated on July 13, 2020.

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A Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Sharonville backed out of a contract with the Butler County Commission to temporarily house people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Butler County Emergency Management Agency Director Matt Haverkos previously reported that finding hotels willing to provide temporary shelter to people experiencing homelessness and those infected with the virus has been challenging.

While the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County have established rental assistance programs, with about $17 million in total available aid, advocates fear that this will be insufficient to meet the demand for assistance. The Cleveland Municipal Court’s Housing Court reopened on June 15, and at least 352 additional new eviction cases were filed that week. An attorney with the Ohio Poverty Law Center says that local rent relief programs, like those in Cuyahoga County, need additional state or federal funds to prevent a wave of evictions.

Updated on July 7, 2020.

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The Daily Record examines the added difficulties that the pandemic has created for people experiencing homelessness. Advocates, including the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio (COHHIO), an NLIHC state partner, are urging federal and state officials to prioritize rental assistance.

Updated on June 29, 2020.

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A Columbus Business First article discussed the role of housing in Central Ohio’s battle with inequality. “A lot of the racial inequality we’re seeing now is related to economic inequality. Minority communities are more likely to experience housing inequality and disproportionately more likely to be in low-wage industries hardest-hit by the pandemic. These injustices are at the heart of the unrest we’re seeing across the nation,” said Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, an NLIHC state partner.

Updated on June 22, 2020.

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The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio is inviting companies, organizations, and public officials to sign on to a letter urging Governor Mike DeWine to dedicate at least $100 million from Ohio’s federal Coronavirus Relief Fund for emergency rental assistance.

Housing advocates in Ohio are concerned about a surge in COVID-19-related evictions and homelessness and are urging Congress to provide emergency rental assistance. According to the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, an NLIHC state partner, most of the 1.3 million Ohioans who have filed for unemployment since the pandemic began are renters - many of whom are severely cost-burdened.

The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, an NLIHC state partner, held a housing and homelessness roundtable with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) on June 3 to discuss the impact of COVID-19 and the importance of supporting renters who are struggling to maintain their housing during the pandemic.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

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Fair housing advocates in Ohio are monitoring predatory and illegal housing practices exacerbated by the pandemic, including illegal evictions, discrimination, and sexual harassment. Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Toledo’s Fair Housing Center, and Legal Aid of Western Ohio held a roundtable discussion to help tenants, landlords, and homeowners understand their rights.

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The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), an NLIHC state partner, held a teleconference call with the Ohio Poverty Law Center and the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin to address the state’s affordable housing crisis. The advocates, including the executive director of COHHIO, Bill Faith, emphasized the urgent need to establish an emergency rental assistance relief program to protect low-income renters from eviction.

The Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio (AHACO) released its April tracking report detailing the impact of COVID-19 on the local affordable housing market. Affordable housing challenges increased in nearly all sectors. AHACO announced its support for including $100 billion in Emergency Solutions Grants in the next federal relief package to provide rental assistance to Ohio tenants.

The Ohio Poverty Law Center released a report last week highlighting the need for Ohio to direct new and existing federal funds to establish a rental assistance program to protect low-income renters, property owners, and financial institutions.

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Ohio is newly under a “stay-at-home” order – which exempts individuals experiencing homelessness. However, many shelters in the state do not have the funding to deal with the capacity nor additional requirements to ensure shelters do not become vehicles for transmitting the virus.

An apparent positive case of coronavirus in Toledo has public housing residents on edge. Residents of the building in question have been asked to quarantine.

Agencies like the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio have taken a leading role in prioritizing the needs of the homeless community, raising necessary funding and public awareness of the issue. Ohio has about 300 homeless shelters which house more than 10,000 people.

Cleveland

The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund coalition awarded another round of biweekly grants totaling $977,000 for 19 local nonprofit groups. One nonprofit received $50,000 to provide emergency rental assistance, and another received $70,000 to provide housing and related support to at-risk individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing instability. 

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Cleveland has launched three new relief programs to assist residents facing unemployment or eviction due to the pandemic. $11.3 million out of the $18 million in aid will be spent on rental assistance. 

Columbus

A letter to the editor in the Columbus Dispatch urged Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) to follow through with his commitment to end the widespread eviction epidemic that was impacting low-income Ohioans prior to the pandemic.

Dayton

The Dayton City Commission passed legislation providing tenants with extra protections against being evicted because they are unable to pay rent during the ongoing pandemic. The legislation requires landlords to provide a receipt for rent paid with cash or money orders and to set a cap on late fees.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

Toledo

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced the establishment of the Toledo COVID-19 Emergency Renter Assistance Fund (ERAF) on May 28. The city is allocating $1 million in Community Development Block Grant - Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funding and an additional $1 million from the COVID-19 Emergency Solutions Grant dollars to fund the rental assistance program. The ERAF will assist approximately 700 eligible households with up to three months of rent payments.

Updated on June 12, 2020.

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The city of Toledo announced a $2 million COVID-19 Emergency Renter Assistance Fund that will help renters and landlords impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will help approximately 700 households with up to three months of rental payments.

Article Title	Link
Editorial: COVID-19 pandemic worsens the housing crisis	The Columbus Dispatch
Nowhere to Shelter in Place	Recordnet.com
Letter: Financial assistance crucial to prevent mass evictions	The Columbus Dispatch
Columbus to thwart evictions with federal assistance funds	The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio Sen. Brown proposes bill that would help residents pay rent amid COVID-19 pandemic	WLWT
Sherrod Brown: Helping Ohioans pay the rent	Richland Source

Federal, state, and local eviction moratoriums are rapidly expiring and the CARES Act supplemental unemployment benefits will end soon; at that time, millions of low-income renters will be at risk of losing their homes. The NLIHC estimates at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance is needed to keep low-income renters stably housed during and after the pandemic. This tracker links to news reports of the growing evictions crisis in various cities and states. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of eviction updates.

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The eviction case of a Cleveland single mother of two highlights the growing challenge among Americans to pay rent during the pandemic. Internal estimates from Cuyahoga County indicate that renters who have been unable to pay owe a combined $43 million per month since the pandemic started to spread in mid-March.

Updated on August 28, 2020.

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Trying to hang on: Eric Heisig tells the story of a Cleveland woman trying desperately to avoid eviction to illustrate how many Americans are struggling to pay rent during the coronavirus pandemic. Latisha Gonzalez “is part of a growing group of Americans waiting for help in the form of a Congressional stimulus package to help families during the pandemic,” Heisig writes. 

Updated: August 17

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The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland says requests in the last month for help in landlord/tenant issues are up 25 percent from the same time period last year.

Updated: August 12

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No state-wide moratorium issued, left up to local discretion. The Governor did request (not require) landlords refrain from eviction. The Ohio Supreme Court suggested (not mandated) that local courts pause eviction related matters and extended court deadlines to July 30, but there is still a high level of local discretion. 

Updated: July 31

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In the third week of July, 23.1% of adults in Ohio reported they had missed their previous housing payment or had little confidence they would make their next one on time, according to a weekly survey conducted by the Census. In the same survey, over half a million renters reported they had not paid their previous rental payment.

Updated: July 29

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Ohio never instituted a moratorium. The Census estimates 565,000 Ohio households didn't pay their rent in May, including 336,000 with children.

Franklin County	Franklin County, Ohio is processing 100 eviction cases a day. In Columbus, Ohio, eviction hearings are taking place in a convention center in order to accommodate the number of cases and adhere to social distancing guidelines.	June 18
Hamilton County	When eviction hearing resumed mid-June, Hamilton County had over 1,000 eviction cases pending.	June 15
Cuyahoga County:	When their Housing Court reopened on June 15, 500 cases were pending and 125 were being accepted each day. Most hearings were being conducted remotely with no way for the public to observe.	June16

Updated: July 16