COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Central Ohio leaders announced the creation of the Regional Housing Coalition on Tuesday.
Leaders said the coalition would amplify the efforts of communities to increase the speed and scale of new housing projects.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther was among the leaders who announced the coalition. He said the Central Ohio Region needs to create 200,000 more homes over the next decade in order to sustain the growth the region is anticipating.
According to the regional leaders, for over a decade, the pace of new housing construction has lagged behind the pace of job creation and population growth.
“For the last 15 years, we have under-built our housing supply across the region by half,” President and CEO of One Columbus, Kenny McDonald, said. “By 2030, there will be fewer homes than families in the Columbus Region. That’s an alarming statistic.”
In 2021, regional leaders, including Ginther, convened to determine how to maintain the region’s affordability amid significant economic growth.
Lark Mallory, of Mallory Economic Advisors, said there were four task forces established. Each focused on addressing a specific challenge facing the region: supply, affordability, equity and advocacy.
“We brought in experts to help come up with housing solutions,” Mallory said. “We took bold and collaborative action to address an issue that is plaguing our entire region. When we unite, we can create change.”
The task forces engaged with more than 150 community stakeholders to develop a comprehensive list of actions that would, at a regional level, meet Central Ohio’s housing needs while supporting its growth and promoting equitable prosperity.
“We can’t hit the gas as a region and continue to operate in silos,” Ginther said. “The decisions we make in each of our communities impact the overall health of the region.”
During the announcement of the coalition on Tuesday, regional leaders announced plans for adding housing of all types, including market rate, workforce, and 80,000 new affordable options.
Ginther committed to supporting the development of 100,000 of the necessary housing units.
“We will do our part,” Ginther said. “We will do half of what the region needs over the next ten years.”
We can’t solve the crisis alone. We need to solve it regionally. – Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther
“The lack of affordable housing impacts everyone, from senior citizens and those on fixed incomes to families just starting out and everyone in between,” Reynoldsburg Mayor Joe Begeny said. “While each of us must take a unique approach to address the needs of our individual communities, by working together, we can make a meaningful impact in the lives of our community members.”
Currently, Reynoldsburg and Franklin County are partnering to build affordable housing in the city’s core across from city hall. See more information about that project here.
ABC6 spoke to residents of Columbus and Reynoldsburg, who told them that paying for housing is a struggle for them.
“Finding affordable housing, affordable rent is nearly impossible,” a Columbus mom said. “I have been struggling the last two years. I’ve been on the low-income waitlist for two years.”
“I am 80 years old, and my husband is 90 years old, and we live on social security, which isn’t enough to live on,” a Reynoldsburg resident said. “People are really strapped right now.”
According to the City of Columbus, in the coming months, the Regional Housing Coalition will be collaboratively developed through conversations with regional partners, stakeholders, and leaders to create a business plan for the new organization.
ABC6 asked Ginther how quickly he believed the development of the 200,000 new housing units could be accomplished. He did to give a solid date, but said “This is going to be one of the most ambitious housing goals in all of America. We owe it to ourselves to do it with urgency but to make sure we are doing this the right way.”