In 2023, Columbus saw nearly 24,000 eviction filings, marking a 12,000-case increase from the previous year. Early 2024 data shows this trend worsening, with evictions reaching a 20-year high in Franklin County. Across Ohio, landlords initiated almost 108,000 eviction cases in 2023 — the highest since 2015. A major driver behind the surge is sluggish wage growth, which isn’t keeping pace with skyrocketing rents. The “housing wage” — what a worker needs to earn per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment — rose 9% since last year. To afford such a home, full-time workers need an hourly wage of at least $20.81. In Columbus, however, this figure climbs even higher to $25.04 per hour. With a panel of regional leaders, CMC unpacks why evictions are climbing, the impact on communities when families lose their homes, and the strategies that advocates are leveraging to ensure more Central Ohio families stay housed.

Featuring Kate McGarvey, Executive Director, Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio; Shayla D. Favor, Columbus City Council Member, and Chair, Columbus City Council Housing, Homelessness & Building Committees; Gene Edwards, Director of Legal Research and Magistrate, Franklin County Municipal Court, and with moderator Danae King, Underserved Communities Reporter, The Columbus Dispatch.