The plan to fix Ohio's affordable rental housing shortage
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It's no secret that Columbus-area housing is getting more expensive and harder to come by — and housing activists are offering a roadmap toward fixing it.
Why it matters: Ohio has nowhere near the number of available affordable rental housing units needed to serve low-income families, per a new report from the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
- Per the report, Ohio needs an additional 254,000 units — including tens of thousands more in Columbus alone.
State of play: Columbus' widespread housing shortage leads those with higher incomes to snatch up cheaper units, says Marcus Roth, COHHIO's communications and development director.
- "It's a decades-old issue that's slowly gotten worse over the years," Roth tells Axios.
- The pandemic accelerated the problem, with rents skyrocketing across Ohio's biggest cities in 2021.
Yes, but: Ohio received upwards of $5 billion in relief money through the American Rescue Plan Act. COHHIO wants to see that funding put to good use.
- The group's plan calls for building thousands of new rental units, expanding a housing program that assists local mothers and rehabilitating homes for seniors and people with disabilities.
- A spokesperson for Gov. Mike DeWine tells Axios the governor's office is reviewing the proposal.
What they're saying: "This is just putting numbers to what everybody knows," Carlie Boos, executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, tells Axios.
- Boos says the widespread support from entities like the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Nationwide Children's Hospital demonstrates how this issue impacts other community needs, from jobs to public health.
- She also credits Mayor Andrew Ginther with seeking a $150 million bond package toward affordable housing projects on the November 2022 ballot.
Of note: Boos highlighted local resources available to help struggling residents pay rent and prevent eviction.