During this week’s chaotic lame duck session, Statehouse leaders passed two last-minute amendments threatening the continued viability of affordable housing and the availability of Emergency Rental Assistance in Ohio.

Please join us in urging the Governor to veto these harmful amendments in House Bill 45! Here’s how you can help.

1. Affordable Housing Taxes: Legislators included changes that jeopardize existing and future affordable housing AND make it harder to develop new affordable housing and rehabilitate historic properties. This will make our efforts to end homelessness in Ohio even more difficult.

One provision would effectively increase taxes on Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties. Given state and federal rent restrictions, some affordable housing developments may be forced to close. Similar language appeared in last year’s budget bill, but was eventually removed after nearly 350 organizations voiced opposition.

Lawmakers added another provision to prohibit developers from combining Historic Preservation Tax Credits with Low Income Housing Tax Credits. This would affect at least a dozen innovative projects that rehabilitate historic buildings to create affordable homes for low-income Ohioans.

  • Please contact Gov. DeWine and ask him to veto this attack on affordable housing! Use this letter to create your own veto request – call 614-644-4357 and/or paste your message on the governor’s website.

2. Emergency Rental Assistance: HB 45 includes a $161 million appropriation of Emergency Rental Assistance 2, which we support. However, it restricts eligibility to rental and utility arrears incurred before Dec. 31, 2021, rendering these funds practically unusable since these tenants have already moved out or been evicted. Furthermore, this amendment will prevent Ohio from meeting federal ERA2 expenditure deadlines and will likely result in these funds getting reallocated to other states. (COHHIO’s veto request letter)

  • Please contact Gov. DeWine and ask him to veto this amendment rendering Ohio’s Emergency Rental Assistance useless! Use this letter to create your own veto request – call 614-644-4357 and/or paste your message on the governor’s website.

Thank you for supporting our advocacy!

Amy Riegel
Executive Director