Cincinnati and Hamilton County Earn State Award for Eviction Prevention Partnership

The collaboration provides same-day legal aid, rent assistance, and coordinated intake to keep tenants housed.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County have been recognized with a statewide award from the Ohio City/County Management Association (OCMA) for their coordinated eviction-prevention partnership. The program, led by the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Help Center, the city manager's office, and local nonprofits, offers same-day legal representation, rental assistance, and real-time case coordination to tenants facing eviction. From September 2024 to September 2025, the program filed 890 appearances on behalf of over 450 households, resulting in positive outcomes for tenants in 93.7% of cases and dismissals in 88.8% of completed matters.

Why it matters

The award highlights how cross-agency collaboration can effectively prevent displacement and homelessness, addressing a growing eviction crisis in the region. The program's success has prompted calls for more durable public funding to expand the model and serve more households at risk of losing their homes.

The details

The eviction-prevention partnership was launched in late 2023 in response to climbing eviction filings in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The model provides same-day legal representation to tenants as they arrive at the courthouse, with United Way 211 serving as the centralized intake and rent-assistance hub. An independent evaluation found the program supported hundreds of households and that tenants who received legal help were far less likely to experience disruptive displacement.

  • The partnership took shape in late 2023.
  • The same-day legal representation program launched in September 2024.
  • From September 2024 through September 2025, attorneys filed 890 appearances on behalf of more than 450 households.
  • The program expanded from operating two days a week to four in early 2026.

The players

Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Help Center

The lead organization behind the eviction-prevention partnership.

Cincinnati City Manager's Office

A core collaborator in the coordinated intake and rent-assistance flow.

United Way of Greater Cincinnati

Serves as the centralized intake and rent-assistance hub for the program.

Meeka Owens

A Cincinnati City Council member involved in the partnership.

Pavan Parikh

The Hamilton County Clerk of Courts.

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What’s next

Officials say their next goal is more durable public funding for rent assistance and legal services, and the Stout evaluation recommends investing more in early-intervention resources that can stop eviction filings before they start.

The takeaway

The Cincinnati and Hamilton County eviction-prevention partnership demonstrates how cross-agency collaboration can effectively address the growing eviction crisis, providing a model for other communities to replicate in order to keep vulnerable residents housed and prevent long-term displacement and homelessness.