Get Eviction Help Before Notices Start

Jun 24, 2021

While the CDC eviction moratorium has expired, help is still available to avoid evictions..  
 
Tenants at risk need to act now to ensure they beat an eviction notice before it’s filed. The city of Cleveland recently received an additional $16,507,009.20 to keep people in their homes from the American Rescue Plan Act, in addition to the original $511 million allocated to the city.
 
Cleveland-based non-profit organization CHN Housing Partners offers 12 months of back rent payments and potentially three months of future payments for eligible renters. The funding has come from the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, but was greatly expanded through federal funding.

The state of Ohio also has programs to help. Go here: link. If you have questions you can email them at EnergyHelp@Development.Ohio.Gov or call 800-282-0880. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also offers information where to get help.
                                                    
Housing experts say to:

• Don’t wait - try to get rental assistance from the various social service agencies before an eviction is filed. Once that eviction is filed, it's on your record and it becomes so difficult for people to find housing.
• Talk with your landlord, tell them your working to get the back rent to be up-to-date
• If you do get an eviction notice, show up to court and reach out to Legal Aid to bring a lawyer. If you don’t show up, evictions are granted.

Cleveland-based non-profit organization CHN Housing Partners offers 12 months of back rent payments and potentially three months of future payments for eligible renters and have served more than 8,000 households and paid out more than $29 million in rental payments, with more than 1,600 now applying a month.
 
It's also important that tenants do research to know their rights. You do have the right to due process. And so the landlord cannot simply shut you out.

• Landlords do have to give you a notice, a three-day notice.
• If you have a right to the court hearing, you have a right to come in and tell the court that you've made payments.

 
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland can help you get free legal service to in case of evictions. Go here: Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (lasclev.org).
 
More information about CHN Housing Partners’ rental assistance program can be found here.