Evictions climb in Franklin County

Eviction filings in Columbus are exceeding pre-pandemic levels, citing data compiled by the Eviction Lab at Princeton University.

Why it matters: Sweeping eviction moratoriums helped keep some Ohio families in their homes during the heart of the pandemic. With those protections gone, many Central Ohioans are even more exposed to the threat of displacement.

• That's especially true as renters are spending record shares of their paychecks on housing.

By the numbers: On average this year, there have been 462 weekly eviction filings in Columbus, per Eviction Lab data as of March 4.

• That's up 13.2% from the same time last year — and is nearly 85% higher than the 250 weekly average when moratoriums were in place.
• Franklin County as a whole recorded a record-breaking 20,897 eviction filings in 2022, per data the United Way of Central Ohio provided to Axios.

Between the lines: The eviction crisis tends to disproportionately affect minority groups, particularly Black women, Eviction Lab research specialist Jacob Haas tells Axios.

Methodology: The Eviction Lab's data set of 34 cities, collected from court filings and other sources, is the closest thing available to a nationwide evictions database.

• Even so, the data set doesn't capture illegal evictions or cases where renters are effectively forced out by large rent hikes.

• That data void makes it all but impossible to adequately track — and address — this problem at scale.

What we're watching: Columbus City Council dedicated $1 million to support tenants facing eviction last year — $900,000 to provide legal representation through the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and $100,000 for a cost-benefit analysis.

• A new website can connect area tenants and landlords with programs for help.
• Other initiatives, including an affordable housing bond issue Columbus voters approved last year, aim to proactively prevent evictions and homelessness.