Latest news with #CoalitiononHomelessnessandHousinginOhio
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio sees slight dip in affordable housing shortage, according to new study
Stock photo from Getty Images. Ohio is lacking more than 264,000 affordable rental units, according to a new report. This is actually about a 1% decrease compared to last year — which had a shortage of 267,382 affordable units available, according to the 2025 Gap Report released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. 'The new housing programs that Ohio created in the last budget bill are having a positive impact, even as pandemic-era housing assistance expired and rents continued rising,' COHHIO Executive Director Amy Riegel said. Ohio has more than 438,000 extremely low-income households with only 40 affordable units available to every 100 extremely low-income household, according to this year's report. Extremely low-income is income that is at or below either the federal poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income. Columbus has 25 affordable housing units available for every 100 extremely low-income (ELI) household — making it less affordable than other major cities, according to the report. San Francisco has 31 units per every ELI 100 households and New York City has 34 units, according to the report. And it's not just Columbus. Rural and suburban counties in Ohio also have shortages of affordable and available housing: Van Wert has 18 units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Wayne County has 26 units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Wood County has 24 units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Delaware County has 26 units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Williams County has 28 units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Darke County has 28 units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Fairfield County has 31 units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Allen County has 33 units for every 100 extremely low-income households. Ohio's 2023 budget created the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which is modeled after the federal version. The Ohio House Finance Agency reserved $87.5 million in tax credits for new projects during fiscal year 2024 and low-income households moved into more than 5,000 new affordable rental housing units. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's state budget proposal would invest $100 million to the Ohio Housing Investment Opportunity Program in fiscal year 2026. Lawmakers in the Ohio House are currently working on the budget, which he must sign by July 1. NLIHC Interim President and CEO Renee Willis said pending cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would make the country's affordable housing crisis worse. The Department of Government Efficiency plans to reduce HUD's staffing by about half. 'There is no path to addressing the housing crisis for the lowest-income renters that doesn't involve increasing resources for assistance and supporting the agencies that administer our housing programs,' she said in a statement. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. DeWine's proposed budget would invest $100 million to increase housing in rural parts of Ohio
Stock photo from Getty Images. As America's housing crisis continues, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's proposed two-year state budget would add more funding to building homes. The governor's state budget proposal would invest $100 million to the Ohio Housing Investment Opportunity Program in fiscal year 2026. 'This budget invests $100 million of the biennium and the infrastructure needed to increase available single and multi-family housing for rural communities, particularly rural communities along our borders, where economic development is driving increased demand,' DeWine said in a press conference earlier this week. Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio's Executive Director Amy Riegel was pleased to see this in the budget. 'Gov. DeWine's new proposal to invest $100 million in rural housing opportunities has the potential to create more affordable housing in high-need areas where development is especially challenging,' she said in a statement. The Home Matters to Ohio Coalition said the budget is a good start to adding affordable housing. 'The Governor's new $100 million Housing Investment Opportunity Program has the potential to bridge critical gaps, particularly in rural communities that need more affordable housing options,' the coalition said in a statement. 'More than 1 million Ohioans spend over half their income on housing, putting economic stability out of reach for too many families.' The proposed budget would give the Ohio House Finance Agency $18.9 million for fiscal year 2026 and $19.6 for fiscal year 2027. DeWine's total state budget is $218 billion. Lawmakers are working on a budget to send back to DeWine, which he must sign by July 1. The most recent budget created the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which is modeled after the federal version. The Ohio House Finance Agency reserved $87.5 million in tax credits for new projects during fiscal year 2024 and low-income households moved into more than 5,000 new affordable rental housing units, according to the budget proposal. COHHIO wants the budget to include efforts to help people experiencing homelessness, stabilize the Ohio Housing Trust Fund, prevent the eviction of families with children and allow Medicaid to provide housing stability services. 'The state must fund the services necessary to prevent people from falling into homelessness, to quickly get people out of homelessness, and to keep people stably housed,' Riegel said. There were 11,759 people experiencing homelessness in Ohio in 2024, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development annual Homelessness Assessment Report. The Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio recently released a survey showing a majority of residents support laws and policies that increase housing choices and lower home prices. About 1,350 people responded to the survey, which was conducted in the fall, and more than 80% of those surveyed support: Converting offices, hotels and other commercial buildings to housing. Building more apartments near bus stations or job centers. Requiring quick and clear decisions on building permits. Allowing nonprofit organizations to easily build affordable housing on their land. Allowing homeowners to add a backyard or over-garage apartment. Building more apartments in areas used for offices, stores or restaurants. Allowing homeowners to convert a basement or attic into an apartment. Slightly more than half of those surveyed said they were 'personally and negatively affected' by the housing shortage. 'Ohio is supposed to be a place where you can build a life without breaking the bank,' Carlie J. Boos, executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, said in a statement. 'The housing shortage is that identity away from our region and this survey shows that people are sick of it.' Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal funding freeze spreads panic, uncertainty through Ohio organizations
President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House. (Photo by) Ohio nonprofits and organizations are breathing a sigh of relief – for now – as it seems federal funding will continue flowing to them, despite an executive order freezing trillions in federal funds for grants and loans. Confusion reigned starting Jan. 20 when President Donald Trump signed executive orders on topics ranging from immigration enforcement and fair housing and civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people to diversity and inclusions policies and a hiring freeze for federal agencies. On Jan. 27, the confusion continued with the federal Office of Management and Budget issuing a memo that federal financial assistance and grant spending would be frozen. 'The use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,' the since-rescinded memo stated. But for those receiving federal grants and loans throughout the country, the memo wasn't clear on which programs would be impacted, and concern spread when organizations couldn't access their funding systems the next day, hours before a federal judge temporarily stopped the freeze. 'Many of you did notice that all your funding systems were down,' said Amy Riegel, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. 'That, of course, did create a lot of confusion amongst the nonprofit world.' For Lisa Mertz, president and CEO of the Cincinnati-based nonprofit Addiction Services Council, when the funding freeze was in place, it was a harrowing day from the very beginning. 'Wednesday felt like a punch in the gut to me when I woke up and realized that 1/3 of my staff and 1/3 of my programs might have to be cut very quickly,' Mertz said. The federally qualified community health center The HealthCare Connection, which provides health services for low-income, underinsured and uninsured people in Hamilton County, saw the loss of services as a loss of salaries for physicians, and therefore the loss of the ability to care for patients. According to Dr. Jolene Joseph, CEO of The HealthCare Connection, the loss of the federal grant the facility receives would mean 'potentially, within a couple of months, we would be forced to make a decision to possibly close.' Mertz and Joseph were part of a media call with Ohio Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, who said he and others are 'treating this as a disaster, either a disaster that's happening or may happen.' 'The idea of taking trillions and trillions of dollars out of our community … taking away health care, taking away domestic violence support, food assistance, housing support, you name it, it's not only chaotic and cruel, it could be incredibly dangerous,' Landsman said. Landsman and fellow Ohio U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur had similar ideas as to why the funding freeze was happening. They don't think it's fiscal responsibility, so much as a play to gain $4 trillion back into the government coffers to benefit the richest Americans. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Kaptur called the events surrounding the federal freeze order 'the president's decision to jeopardize lifelines to the American people and impede progress by manufactured, unnecessary chaos, but it's part of the plan, so get ready.' 'We will fight with every inch of strength that we have against the wealth transfer in this country,' Kaptur said at a news conference at the Glass City Pavilion in Toledo. Now that a federal judge has paused the order, organizations like COHHIO are getting back to work, but not without wariness when it comes to next steps, including federal agencies reviewing their programs to comply with the executive orders, or the lifting of the legal pause. 'The funding freeze has been lifted, but we do have to caution that this is still an evolving situation, it's still an evolving action,' Riegel said in a virtual information meeting on Thursday. The chaos was stressful and upsetting for those who went through it, but they recognized that the efforts in opposition to the order made their mark. 'The members of Congress heard loud and clear that there were problems with that freeze, and that made a huge difference,' said COHHIO's Gina Wilt. Lindsay Duvall, senior housing advocacy organizer for the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said the group counted more than 6,000 contacts with congressional offices within the first 24 hours after their call to action against the funding freeze. As the uncertainty over future moves continues, Wilt advised nonprofit groups and their staff to engage with legislators, even invite them to visit the facilities that benefit from these grants and loans, giving them a chance to change their minds about issues in their districts. Even if a visit isn't feasible, contact is just as important, according to Wilt. 'We need to call them once, we need to call them twice, we need to call them three times,' she said. Kaptur said she's sent a 'note' to Trump inviting him to tour Toledo with her. 'I said would he come to Toledo and visit with me, and I'll show him neighborhoods and places and work that I doubt he's ever seen in his life,' Kaptur said. Landsman said he has had discussions with other members of Congress, including the Ohio delegation, on the orders and the funding plans the Trump administration has made known, and he said he'd 'gotten good feedback' that there are legislators who don't support the moves. 'I don't think that money that is supposed to be coming to Ohio and to our communities, having that money get diverted, is something that folks who serve this state want to see,' Landsman said. Requests for comment were sent to Ohio's Reps. Warren Davidson, Dave Joyce, Max Miller, Mike Carey and Joyce Beatty, along with U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno. None of the requests received a response on Thursday. A message on the voicemail at U.S. Sen. Jon Husted's D.C. office said the mailbox was full. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
