Foreclosure filings are climbing across central Ohio and long-time homeowners are suddenly finding themselves in court fights to keep the roofs over their heads. In Prairie Township, resident Aimee McCoy says she fell behind on payments and is now scrambling to hang on to the house she bought back in 2002.
Statewide, nearly 27,000 foreclosures were filed in Ohio in 2025, according to statistics from the Ohio Supreme Court cited by ABC6 On Your Side. That report notes that some central Ohio counties saw filings jump by more than 60 percent year over year. "It's embarrassing. It's something I don't normally tell anyone. But, I really want to keep my house," McCoy told the station as she described mounting bills on a fixed income.
A national pattern, local pressure
Property-data firm ATTOM Data Solutions has tracked a nationwide uptick in foreclosure activity through 2025 as lenders work through a backlog of older cases and more files move toward auction or repossession. Those national trends help explain why Ohio, already among the states with elevated filing rates, is seeing steeper increases in some counties.
What’s driving the surge
Analysts point to several overlapping pressures that are boxing in homeowners: higher mortgage carrying costs tied to past interest-rate hikes, rising property-tax and insurance bills, and the tapering of pandemic-era relief that once shielded many borrowers. State housing research and program reviews also note that temporary assistance programs have been drawn down or paused, leaving more households exposed to court action. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency has published work tracing how shifting assistance and market forces affect homeowner stability.
Help and next steps for homeowners
The Supreme Court of Ohio maintains a set of foreclosure-mediation resources and guidance that encourages local courts and stakeholders to look for negotiated solutions where possible, and it lists statewide assistance contacts and options for borrowers. According to the court’s materials, homeowners can also seek free legal help through statewide legal-aid channels and counseling resources outlined on its foreclosure page. For basic legal help, the court points to statewide aid hotlines and mediation program information hosted on its site.
Housing advocates say the recent spike is a warning sign for policymakers and a reminder that more targeted relief and added mediation capacity may be needed if filings keep climbing. Reporters will keep an eye on county dockets and state data as new figures and local responses emerge.
