Ohio legal aid and pro bono attorneys have helped save 2,370 homes from foreclosure since 2008, according to the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation 2011 annual report, which was released this week.

Ohio legal aid and pro bono attorneys have helped save 2,370 homes from foreclosure since 2008, according to the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation 2011 annual report, which was released this week.

Ohio legal aid and pro bono attorneys have helped save 2,370 homes from foreclosure since 2008, according to the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation 2011 annual report, which was released this week.

Created in 1994, the foundation funds civil legal aid for low-income Ohioans by supporting Ohio’s legal aid societies.

To address the state’s foreclosure crisis, the foundation has provided legal aid societies with discretionary grant money for more than three years as part of the Statewide Ohio Foreclosure Project. Cases are also handled by housing counselors and pro bono lawyers encouraged by the Ohio Supreme Court through the Save the Dream Ohio statewide collaboration.

“Critical to the success of SOFP is the public-private partnership between Ohio’s legal aid societies and the private bar,” the report states.

Since 2008, legal aid staff and pro bono attorneys have completed more than 16,000 cases on behalf of low-income homeowners facing foreclosure.

In addition to the foreclosure assistance efforts, the annual report also includes information on initiatives to provide access to justice for the poor in the areas of education and health care.

To find a civil legal aid provider, call 1.866.LAW.OHIO (1.866.529.6446) or visit http://www.ohiolegalservices.org/.