Around the Alliance: September 2019
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Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio News
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Many paths to one goal
--EJ Thomas, AHACO Chair and
President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity - MidOhio
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For the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, this year has been one of remarkable momentum, as Columbus, Franklin County, and private and philanthropic leaders have committed new affordable housing resources. These funds will help preserve and develop much-needed affordable housing units. We remain appreciative of the time so many in the public and private sectors and the media have invested in not only listening to our message, but then acting in their respective spheres to help address this issue in central Ohio.
These substantial commitments clearly get us on our way. As we move forward, it is important for the Alliance to continue informing our community about the magnitude and types of affordable housing needs, along with our recommended strategies to address them. With all that has been accomplished, we are just getting started in addressing the growing gap that we have highlighted since the Alliance began its work more than four years ago.
Development is essential to creating affordable housing, but it is not the only strategy. Programs and policy change are also affordable housing tools and are often required to make development more affordable.
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We can think of these as the "three P's" of a comprehensive affordable housing strategy:
- Projects--Physical development to construct, preserve, or improve affordable housing units.
- Programs--Housing stabilization resources to improve outcomes of anti-poverty and economic mobility initiatives and prevent homelessness and eviction.
- Policies--Addressing regulatory and policy barriers to housing development and housing stability.
The Alliance and our members are working with partners in all three of these areas, including actively participating in developing the Regional Housing Strategy. Yes, there is much to be done, but we are optimistic about the extent to which central Ohio is mobilizing to address the affordable housing challenge and recognizing it as critical to the economic success of our region and the prosperity of all of our residents.
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LOCAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES: UPDATES
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Franklin County Begins Implementation of New Affordable Housing Initiatives
On August 20, the
Franklin County Commissioners voted to increase the permissive conveyance fee
by $1, which will produce about $6.5 million per year in new revenues for affordable housing. Of this total, $2.375 million will fund the new
Central Ohio Community Land Trust
, and $4.125 million will be used for a County Housing Magnet Fund to provide gap finanancing for affordable housing development near employment centers and public transportation. County staff are working with stakeholders on the details of how the Magnet Fund will be administered. This is part of a
new county economic development strategy
that recognizes the role of affordable housing in spuring job creation. The county is also considering
using tax increment financing and tax abatements for affordable housing and allowing a sales tax exemption on capital leases for low-income housing. In addition, c
ode recommendations for increasing housing density and allowing accessory units are expected early next year for the 10 of 17 townships where the county administers zoning.
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Work Underway to Launch $100 Million Housing Action Fund
The Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County (AHT) is working with individual investors to execute the legal documents required to launch the new $100 million Housing Action Fund (HAF).
The HAF, which was announced on June 24
by government, corporate, and philanthropic partners, will provide a flexible source of low-cost capital dollars for affordable housing developers who commit to specific affordability requirements. The AHT will manage the fund, which will include "quick-strike" acquisition resources and longer-term financing. The founding investors are:
AHT, Columbia Gas/NiSource Charitable Foundation, The Columbus Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Heartland Bank, Huntington National Bank, Nationwide, Park National Bank, and PNC.
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Regional Housing Strategy Process Underway
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), the City of Columbus, Franklin County, and additional regional partners announced the start of the
Regional Housing Strategy
on July 31.
The strategy will recommend the most effective ways to spend public and private dollars to ensure that housing is available at all price points, including Columbus’ $50 million housing bond package and the $100 million Housing Action Fund loan pool. Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., a non-profit out of Washington, D.C., is the lead consultant for the project. The team also includes local agencies Ice Miller, RAMA Consulting, and Vogt Strategic Insights. The study is being funded by the cities of Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Grove City, Lancaster, Whitehall, Upper Arlington, New Albany, Marysville, Delaware, and Westerville; Franklin, Union, and Licking counties; the Columbus Partnership and many of its members; and The Columbus Foundation. It is expected to be completed by spring 2020.
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Ohio Housing Trust Fund Gets First Increase in 16 Years
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One Columbus Definition of Prosperity includes Housing Opportunity
Columbus 2020 is rebranding
– and setting the goals and metrics for its second decade of economic development in Central Ohio. The nonprofit 11-county economic development organization has renamed itself One Columbus and it set a goal to make Central Ohio "the most prosperous region in the United States."
Growth alone is not enough, CEO
Kenny McDonald
said to told
Business First
. The group recognizes that true prosperity also addresses affordable housing and disparities in wealth and income.
The new
One Columbus Strategy
describes h
ealth, wealth and education gains as measures of prosperity:
An expanding economy is a necessary prerequisite to increase the well-being of people and the health of our communities. However, if disparities in income, wealth, education and health are to improve, our region must take action above and beyond what we’ve traditionally done. Indicators include measures such as median wages, racial employment and labor participation, and community measures of housing opportunity, educational attainment, healthcare disparities, and the physical and economic mobility of the workforce.
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IN THE KNOW: LOCAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEWS
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Welcome new AHACO members!
We are pleased to welcome two new members to our organization:
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The mission of
The Columbus Foundation
is to assist donors and others in strengthening and improving our community for the benefit of all its residents. More than 2,500 individuals, families, and businesses have partnered with the Foundation, creating unique funds to support the causes they are most passionate about. Established in 1943, the Foundation today is one of the top 10 largest community foundations in the United States, managing $2.27 billion in assets and awarding more than $2.27 billion to a wide range of philanthropic interests.
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The
YMCA of Central Ohio
is an inclusive organization of men, women and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility. The YMCA’s supportive housing program for adult men and women offers the assistance and support needed to stabilize and maintain independent housing, while providing access to those supportive services needed in order to achieve the highest possible standard of living.
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Applicants Camp Overnight to Apply for New Affordable Housing in Reynoldsburg
They lined up by the dozens, even camped overnight, before the doors opened Wednesday morning for a chance to get an affordable home. By the time applications were closed Thursday afternoon, 126 people applied for one of 30 apartments in the new Blacklick Crossing rent-controlled complex in Reynoldsburg, providing the latest illustration of how demand outpaces the supply of low-cost homes in the Columbus area. "We just can’t build these fast enough,” said Bruce Luecke, president of Homeport, which built Blacklick Crossing. “We could fill as many as we could build.”
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Columbus Breaks Ground on First Land Bank House
On July 25, a construction crew counted off before raising the third quarter of a new modular home — the city’s first land trust property. The house is located at the corner of Deshler and Heyl Avenues on the Southside. John Edgar, executive director of the nonprofit Community Development for All People, was instrumental in Mayor Andrew J. Ginther’s plan
to turn the city’s land bank into a land trust
in an effort to help provide affordable housing in every neighborhood in Columbus. The City of Columbus and Franklin County have committed funds for the Land Trust.
Read the Dispatch Article
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CSB Wine Women & Shoes on November 8
Wine Women & Shoes benefiting the Community Shelter Board is a night of fashion and compassion, combining wine tasting, designer shopping, and auctions with a meaningful cause. This wildly popular event raises funds to make sure everyone in our community has a place to call home. Tickets for the November 8 event are on sale now at
winewomenandshoes.com/columbusoh/
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YWCA Columbus 2019 Activists and Agitators
YWCA Columbus has partnered with mental health and social justice activist Achea Redd for the October 17 event: Activists and Agitators—Find Your Voice, Let it Out. Achea will help foster dialogue, provide practical resources and educate the Columbus community on how to create meaningful change in their lives and the lives of others. More information and tickets are available at:
https://www.ywcacolumbus.org/aanda/
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NEWS and INFORMATION FROM ACROSS THE NATION
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Affordable Housing Initiatives in Ohio and the Country
Communities and states are taking steps to understand and address housing affordability. The
National Alliance of Community Economic Development provides a good overview of 2019 funding and policy initiatives in its
Summer 2019 State and Local Government Legislative Update
. Below are other recent articles about what is happening across the country:
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Federal Housing Policy and the 2020 Election
Democratic presidential candidates, the Trump administration, and members of Congress have a variety of policy proposals to address housing affordability and the housing market:
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Solutions to the Affordable Housing Crisis: Innovations and Research
Communities, researchers, developers, and businesses are looking at innovative ways to address the affordable housing crisis:
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Segregation, Income Inequality, and Housing
Housing patterns, housing affordability, and real estate ownership are linked with issues of segregation, income inequality, race, and poverty, as examined in these articles:
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How to Contribute to the Alliance
With your financial support, we are working to cut the Franklin County affordable housing gap, which will make our community the best it can be.
The Alliance is a 501(c)(3), and contributions are tax deductible. Checks can be made
payable to: Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, 175 South Third Street, Suite 1060, Columbus, OH 43215. For more information contact Bobbie Garber at garber.ahaco@gmail.com.
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The members of the Affordable Housing Alliance are
organizations that have as a principal mission or function to develop, improve, provide, or fund affordable housing for low-income households in central Ohio. Members are committed to working together to engage with community, policy, and business leaders to advocate for affordable housing solutions in central Ohio.
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AHACO Members
• The Columbus Foundation
• Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority
• Community Development for All People
• Community Housing Network
• Community Shelter Board
• Creative Housing
• Finance Fund Capital Corporation
• Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio
• Homeport
• Homes on the Hill
• National Church Residences
• National Affordable Housing Trust
• The NRP Group
• Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing
• United Way of Central Ohio
• Wallick Communities
• Woda Cooper Companies
• YMCA of Central Ohio
• YWCA Columbus
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