Stout was engaged as the three-year evaluator of Cleveland’s Eviction Right to Counsel (“RTC-C”), working with Cleveland Level Aid (“Legal Aid”). Stout collaborated with Legal Aid to conduct a comprehensive analysis of RTC-C, including a robust process for data collection to demonstrate the impact of the program and inform future RTC-C strategy.

Stout’s analysis consisted of creating a data collection process centered on understanding client household circumstances and characteristics, case characteristics, client goals, and whether Legal Aid achieved clients’ goals. Stout built a dynamic data visualization platform to analyze Legal Aid data and data sets from other Cleveland eviction ecosystem stakeholders. The data visualization platform was used by Stout, Legal Aid, and United Way to monitor progress, measure impact, and iteratively refine RTC-C.

Our analysis allowed Stout to quantify the fiscal impact of RTC-C and to identify additional benefits that RTC-C would bring to Cleveland. Stout estimated that the potential fiscal impacts of RTC-C for 2021 were $4.3 million to $4.7 million for 2021, with quantified fiscal impacts including cost savings related to housing social safety net responses and the economic value preserved by retaining residency in Cleveland. Additional benefits included, but were not limited to, the effects of stabilized employment and the cost of providing public benefits when jobs are lost due to eviction or the eviction process.