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

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 28 Please join us in taking action to protect federal housing programs and HUD staff! Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is [...]

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, [...]