Cleveland housing court judge outlines 2025 budget, describes tactics to hold out‑of‑state landlords accountable

Cleveland Municipal Court’s housing division administrator Judge W. Monet Scott presented the division’s 2025 budget and described operational changes the court says have reduced evictions and raised compliance among absentee landlords. Scott told the City Council Finance Committee the court has expanded virtual access, deployed kiosks in public libraries and trained housing specialists to mediate landlord‑tenant cases.

Scott said the court moved quickly at the start of the COVID‑19 pandemic, converting in‑person dockets to virtual hearings and using grant funds to buy equipment. “We chose Zoom as our virtual platform as it was the most user friendly when thinking about the public,” Scott said, describing technology and rule changes the court adopted in March 2020.

The judge credited city investments and local partners for reducing eviction filings since 2020. Scott said the division worked with Legal Aid and the United Way to connect tenants with right‑to‑counsel services and helped disperse rental assistance in 2020 that she said prioritized tenants at imminent risk of eviction.

Nut graf: The judge asked council to view housing court’s 2025 request in context of pandemic changes, a city “residence first” law and new certificate requirements for rental properties. Council members probed budget details — including a projected rise in salaries and benefits, a larger professional‑services line and whether the…