For decades COHHIO has amplified the voice of underrepresented Ohioans, advocating to end homelessness and ensure everyone has access to a safe, decent, affordable home.
What is Advocacy?
Government works best for everyone when elected leaders are well-informed about problems affecting their constituents, including the most vulnerable members of their community. Advocacy means educating officials about problems, like mass homelessness, and encouraging them to implement solutions like affordable housing. Advocacy can take many forms: an informal coffee break with your city council member, testifying on legislation at the Statehouse, calling your member of Congress, inviting your state senator to see the good work your agency is doing in their district.
Why Does Advocacy Matter?
We strive to build on the successes of past advocates who worked to end slavery and segregation, and create Social Security, housing assistance programs, Medicare, and Medicaid. None of these life-sustaining programs would exist without their dedicated, patient, persistent advocacy over many years. And nothing guarantees they will continue to exist, unless we continue to advocate.
How Does COHHIO Advocate?
Few elected officials have any personal experience with housing insecurity. COHHIO collaborates with local homeless services providers and people with lived experience to educate state and federal leaders about the daily struggles and systemic challenges that keep housing out of reach for so many Ohioans. Sharing personal stories, facts, and policy solutions is the key that often opens the door to change.
Advocacy Resources
We encourage COHHIO members and allies to reach out to their state and federal representatives to educate them about homelessness and housing insecurity in their districts and how they can help.
Who are my state legislators?
Who are my federal legislators?
COHHIO’s 2024 Advocacy Toolkit
This is the first edition of COHHIO’s comprehensive advocacy resource, with nuts and bolts information on how Ohioans can help advocate for the resources and policies necessary to end homelessness and expand access to affordable housing in Ohio.
What is Affordable Housing?
One-page fact sheet explaining what people really mean when they say “affordable housing.”
Ohio Housing Trust Fund – At-a-Glance
Fact sheet describing the history and impact of the state’s primary source of funding for local homelessness and housing programs.
Housing Affordability by Job & Income
See how much Ohioans can afford to rent and buy a house based on their jobs and income.
Homelessness in Ohio – 2024
One-page fact sheet on what we know about Ohio’s homeless population based on 2024 Point in Time count data.
Grants Pass and the Criminalization of Homelessness
Summary of the 2024 Supreme Court ruling that permits cities to criminalize homelessness.
What’s the Deal with Squatters?
Fact sheet that explains the truth about squatting in Ohio.
2024 Ohio Candidate Surveys
COHHIO asked all of Ohio’s identified candidates for Congress and the State Legislature what they would do about the affordable housing crisis and homelessness if they get elected to office. The purpose of this questionnaire is to inform voters and housing advocates about the candidates’ positions on the housing issues directly impacting them. COHHIO does not endorse any candidate and/or political party. If a candidate’s response is not listed below, no response was received. Not every candidate replied, but to see the responses we received, download the candidates’ responses below.
In addition to the written survey responses, COHHIO spoke directly with Rick Walker (D-Perry, candidate for the 57th Ohio House District), Wenda Sheard (D-Athens, candidate for the 94th Ohio House District), and Micah McCarey (D-Athens, candidate for the 95th Ohio House District), all of whom recognized the need to address Ohio’s affordable housing shortage and expressed concerns about the criminalization of homelessness.
| U.S. Senate | |
|---|---|
| Statewide | Sen. Sherrod Brown (D, incumbent) |
| U.S. House | |
|---|---|
| 7th District | Dennis Kucinich (I-Cleveland) |
| 10th District | Amy Cox (D-Eaton) |
| 11th District | Sean Freeman (I-Shaker Heights) |
| 13th District | Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron, incumbent) |
| 13th District | Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) |
| Ohio Senate | |
|---|---|
| 22nd District | Kathy Salem (D-Medina) |
| 28th District | Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) |
| 30th District | Ari Faber (D-Athens) |
| Ohio House | |
|---|---|
| 1st District | Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus, incumbent) |
| 5th District | Meredith Lawson-Rowe (D-Reynoldsburg) |
| 8th District | Aaron Neumann (R-Columbus) |
| 11th District | Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard) |
| 13th District | Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) |
| 27th District | Rep. Rachel Baker (D-Cincinnati, incumbent) |
| 28th District | Karen Brownlee (D-Cincinnati) |
| 36th District | Rose Lounsbury (D-Dayton) |
| 39th District | Dion Green (D-Dayton) |
| 73rd District | Michael Scarmack (D-Lancaster) |
| 74th District | Derek Alvarado (D-Springfield) |
| 84th District | Arienne Childrey (D-St. Marys) |
| 87th District | Craig Swartz (D-Upper Sandusky) |
| 89th District | Alicia Roshong (D-Huron) |
| 90th District | Kaitlyn Nunnelley (D-Manchester) |
| 94th District | Wenda Sheard (D-Athens) |
Advocacy Updates
2025 Gap Report Shows Shortage of Affordable Homes in Ohio
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 13, 2025 Report Finds Shortage of 264,000 Affordable Rental Homes in Ohio Advocates released a report Thursday showing that Ohio made [...]
COHHIO In Your Community – Findings
In early 2024, COHHIO Executive Director Amy Riegel set the goal of organizing community meetings throughout the state to reinvigorate the organization's connection to local [...]
March Federal Advocacy Alert
Updated March 7 Please join us in taking action to protect federal housing programs and HUD staff on March 10 National Day of Action! Elon [...]
Homelessness in Ohio – 2024
HUD's recent 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report shows overall homelessness in Ohio increased 3% last year to 11,759. While any increase in homelessness is concerning, [...]
COHHIO Statement on Gov. DeWine’s Executive Budget
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 4, 2025 COHHIO Statement on Gov. DeWine's Executive Budget Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio's Executive Director Amy Riegel issued [...]
Federal Funds Freeze Briefing
Thank you for joining us for Thursday’s briefing on the federal funding freeze. We had nearly 500 participants, so we know there’s a lot of [...]
