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Evictions in Detroit heading back to pre-pandemic levels

Eviction filings are rising even as rents spike and inflation cuts deeper into household budgets.
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Eviction filings are rising even as rents spike and inflation cuts deeper into household budgets.

A little over a year after Detroit’s eviction moratorium ended, the city is on track to return to pre-pandemic eviction levels. That’s according to a new report from the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions team.

The report looked at 68,000 eviction cases over two and a half years. It finds one in five tenants had full legal representation.

Detroit passed a Right to Counsel Ordinance that was supposed to guarantee legal representation to tenants facing eviction beginning in October. The city hadn't hired anyone by its start date.

City Council President Mary Sheffield said it's the on the mayor's office to now implement the ordinance.

"We’ve done our part. We passed the ordinance. We’ve allocated funding. We’ve also reached out to the administration about additional funding as well," Sheffield said.

The report found that at the city’s current filing rate, 61,000 tenants will face eviction this year.

Briana Rice is a reporter/producer operating out of Detroit.