by Todd DeFeo
House Democrats are renewing their call for a prohibition of evictions and foreclosures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Supreme Court of Ohio handed down guidance to local courts that eviction filings should be postponed, but it is not an official court ruling, Democrats say.
“We passed a sweeping, bipartisan bill last week (HB 197) that addresses many of the concerns of our constituents, but gaps still remain,” House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes, D-Akron, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, too many Ohioans are still facing financial hardships through no fault of their own due to this crisis.”
As of Friday, Ohio had 3,312 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 895 leading to hospitalization. A total of 91 deaths have been reported.
Gov. Mike DeWine was one of the first governors to issue a statewide stay-at-home order, forcing nonessential businesses to close.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 272,129 Ohio residents filed for unemployment benefits in the week ending March 28. That number jumped by more than 196,309 from the week ending March 21, when the department reported 75,820 people filing for unemployment in the state.
– – –
Todd DeFeo is a contributor to The Center Square.
