Right to Counsel
Providing free legal representation in Housing Court
About
Right to Counsel provides free legal representation and rental assistance to tenants whose income is at or below the federal poverty guideline and who have at least one child in their household.
Right to Counsel is a partnership between United Way of Greater Cleveland and The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Impact
The 2024 evaluation of Right to Counsel found that, in 2023:
- 4,519 Cleveland residents were represented in 1,234 eviction cases
- 81% of people helped through Right to Counsel avoided an eviction or involuntary move
- Tenant representation has increased from 2-3% to 16% since the implementation of Right to Counsel
The establishment of the right to representation in Housing Court in Cleveland
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 the fourth in the United States to provide such a right.
Launched on July 1, 2020 as a partnership between United Way of Greater Cleveland and The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Right to Counsel Cleveland provides a right to free legal representation to eligible households.
Learn more:
Free Eviction Help
If you are facing eviction, freeevictionhelp.org can help connect you to resources for Cuyahoga County residents and people who live within the City of Cleveland.
United Way 211
United Way 211 connects callers to nonprofit agencies that provide emergency housing and other housing-related needs. Dial “211” or visit 211oh.org to connect with a navigator.
Eviction Lab
Review Cleveland’s real-time eviction statistics on Eviction Lab. The Eviction Lab at Princeton University creates data and interactive tools that document the eviction crisis.
