TOLEDO — Eviction filings in Toledo have reached their highest monthly level in more than six years, according to data from Princeton University's Eviction Lab, underscoring a deepening housing crunch in the Glass City.
The lab recorded 621 eviction filings in Toledo in July — the highest monthly total since its Toledo records began in January 2020. Over the past year, the city has averaged an 11 percent filing rate, or 11 filings for every 100 renter households, well above the national rate of 7 to 8 percent.
"For context, we know that nationally speaking, the rate is between 7 and 8 percent," said Juan Pablo Garnham, the lab's communications and policy engagement manager. He said evictions fell to historic lows during the pandemic under moratoria and rent assistance programs, then climbed again as those protections expired, with monthly filings settling around 400 to 500.
George Thomas, director of the Fair Housing Center, said the numbers match what residents are experiencing. "We are definitely in a housing crisis," Thomas said. "I think most people in Toledo see and feel the effects of that."
The data comes as Toledo City Council considers an ordinance strengthening protections against landlord retaliation, an issue tenants raised repeatedly during city-sponsored meetings this spring. The Princeton lab tracks eviction data in more than 40 cities nationwide using court records and data firms.
Advocates say the proposed ordinance would give tenants stronger legal footing as filings continue to run well above pre-pandemic norms.
— NewsForce Staff