Sponsor Testimony on House Bill 553 — State Representative Ismail Mohamed (House Development Committee)

Summary

Sponsor testimony on House Bill 553 to the House Development Committee, from State Representative Ismail Mohamed, followed by a statement from State Representative Terrence Upchurch. The testimony states that the bill requires landlords to provide written notice and a reasonable opportunity to resolve missed rent before filing for eviction, and gives both parties the option to enter into a short payment plan. It states that more than 25,000 eviction cases were filed in 2024 in Franklin County, up from a pre-pandemic average of around 18,000. The closing statement says the bill would decrease the demand for emergency rental assistance and urges the committee to support it.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

                           Sponsor Testimony: House Bill 553
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         State Representative Ismail Mohamed
Chair Hoops, Vice Chair Lorenz, Ranking Member Brownlee, and members of the House
Development Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on House Bill 553.

House Bill 553 ensures that before a tenant faces eviction for nonpayment of rent, they are
given written notice and a fair chance to make things right.

Across Ohio, we are seeing a worsening housing crisis that continues to push families to
the edge. In Franklin County, more than 25,000 eviction cases were filed in 2024, according
to the Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk’s Office, a sharp increase from the pre-
pandemic average of around 18,000. In Cuyahoga County, nearly 90,000 renter
households, more than half of all renters, spend over 50 percent of their income on
housing, as reported by the Cleveland Housing Equity Plan (2023). These numbers make
one thing clear that too many Ohioans are just one unexpected expense away from losing
their homes.

Most tenants know when their rent is due, that is not the problem. The issue arises when
life happens such as a lost job, an unexpected medical bill, or a family emergency. Under
current law, a single missed payment can quickly spiral into eviction, even when both
tenants and landlords would prefer to work things out.

House Bill 553 introduces a more balanced and practical approach. It requires landlords to
provide written notice and a reasonable opportunity to resolve missed rent before filing for
eviction. It also gives both parties the option to enter into a short payment plan, opening
the door for communication and solutions before cases reach the courthouse.

This bill is not about giving anyone a free pass, it is about fairness and stability. Most
landlords want dependable tenants, not turnover costs, court filings, or vacant properties.
Evictions take time and money, and once a tenant is gone, it can take weeks or months to
recover.
By reducing unnecessary evictions, House Bill 553 saves landlords’ money, keeps families
in their homes, and strengthens our communities. This legislation strikes the right balance
by protecting property owners’ rights while giving tenants a fair chance to get back on track.



                      State Representative Terrence Upchurch
We are witnessing a housing crisis unfold across the state that has resulted in families
losing their homes and rising eviction rates. Our state is consistently failing to keep pace
with the demand for affordable housing, and the cost of living continues to increase every
year. We are putting forth this legislation to help address this issue by allowing tenants and
families a second chance by ensuring that they can opt into a payment plan, before
landlords can file for eviction.

We have heard from constituents across Ohio who are struggling to make their rent
payments on time, and they are often subject to minimal notice before they are forced into
eviction proceedings. Funds for emergency housing payments and rental assistance are
being quickly depleted due to the increased demand for these funds. It is our intention to
provide a framework that will help families put themselves back on track with their rent
payments, keep tenants in their homes, and ensure that landlords can recoup any
payments that may have been missed. This has the added benefit of decreasing the
demand for emergency rental assistance.

This is an economically sound approach, that allows tenants enough time to adjust their
budgeting, stay on track, and remain in their homes. I humbly urge this committee to
support this legislation and protect the rights of tenants.


File and source

File

2025-11-18_development_testimony_testimony-13039.pdf

Size

79,150 bytes

SHA-256

f4f087ad5f020b684530f286cd2d2aab349ef2ae4aebfc7eba12ef4d1316fddd

Our copy

2025-11-18_development_testimony_testimony-13039.pdf

Original

No public link identified.