The City of Cincinnati and the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts have been selected to receive the Intergovernmental Cooperation Award from the Ohio City/County Management Association, recognizing their collaborative efforts to build a coordinated eviction prevention system serving residents across the community.
The partnership, which brings together the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Help Center, Clerk of Courts Pavan Parikh, the Cincinnati City Manager’s Office, Meeka Owens and United Way of Greater Cincinnati, began in late 2023 in response to a sharp increase in eviction filings. Following City Council’s passage of the Access to Counsel Ordinance, which guarantees legal representation for qualifying low-income tenants, partners worked to design a system that shares data, coordinates services, and delivers real-time support to residents facing eviction.
In September 2024, the collaboration launched same-day legal representation in eviction court, led by the Clerk of Courts Help Center. The program ensures eligible tenants can meet with an attorney the morning of their hearing. From September 2024 through September 2025, attorneys filed 890 appearances on behalf of more than 450 households. Of those cases, 93.7% resulted in positive outcomes for tenants, and 88.8% of completed cases were dismissed.
United Way 211 serves as the centralized intake and coordination hub, managing data sharing and administering rent assistance payments. With support from philanthropic partners, the initiative has expanded from operating two days per week to four days per week, increasing access for both City and County tenants facing eviction.
The OCMA award honors exemplary intergovernmental cooperation that strengthens public service delivery and improves outcomes for the community.