Join our request for a one-time investment of federal funds to expand access to affordable housing in Ohio!

The American Rescue Plan passed in March included $350 billion in flexible funding to help states and local governments recover from the health and economic devastation of the pandemic. Since Covid has demonstrated the importance of having a safe, decent, affordable home, we believe Gov. DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly should invest a modest portion of Ohio’s $5.6 billion in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFR) to expand access to housing for Ohioans who were hardest hit by the pandemic.

Please add your organization to this sign-on letter asking Gov. DeWine and the General Assembly to make a one-time investment of at least $391 million in SLFR funds to increase the supply of affordable homes for our most vulnerable neighbors – people with disabilities, low-income seniors and families, domestic violence survivors, youth aging out of foster care, and families at high risk of infant mortality.

We are requesting the following in accordance with the State’s guidance that SLRF funds be used for one-time investments that bolster existing infrastructure without increasing ongoing operating costs, and must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2024 and fully expended by Sept. 30, 2026:

  • $150 million for housing development in gap financing through Ohio’s housing tax credit programs to develop up to 1,000 units of permanent supportive housing to serve survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, chronically homeless individuals with severe behavioral health challenges;
  • $150 million for housing development gap financing to leverage the 4% housing tax credit and Multifamily Bond programs to develop and preserve up to 5,000 rental units that are affordable to lower-income Ohioans;
  • $45 million over three years to rehabilitate more homes for low-income homeowners through the CHIP program, and expand home repair and accessibility modifications through the Housing Assistance Grant Program to keep seniors and Ohioans with disabilities in their own homes;
  • $15 million to fund one-time capital projects that increase housing opportunities for homeless youth;
  • $12 million to expand the FUSE Initiative to house justice-involved Ohioans in five additional counties, and;
  • $6.75 million to expand the Healthy Beginnings at Home pilot for families at risk of infant mortality to four additional counties;

Other SLFR fund investments of at least $12 million that should be considered include:

  • Creation of a state-administered landlord risk mitigation fund to attract and retain more property owners willing to rent to individuals with disabilities and other challenges;
  • Housing supports for people with developmental disabilities, which could include Smart Home investments to equip homes with technology needed to increase safety and self-sufficiency, and funding to build or purchase youth respite home facilities, and;
  • Capital funding to preserve small permanent supportive housing properties, service enriched housing, and class 2 and 3 residential facilities.

Please add your organization’s name to this letter to show Ohio leaders broad support for investing in Ohio’s affordable housing infrastructure.

Letter signers, as of Sept. 28, include:

  1. Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO)
  2. Corporation for Supportive Housing
  3. Huntington National Bank
  4. Ohio REALTORS
  5. Ohio Bankers League
  6. PNC
  7. Ohio Credit Union League
  8. CareSource
  9. Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  10. Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Inc.
  11. National Church Residences
  12. Ohio Apartment Association
  13. Habitat for Humanity of Ohio
  14. Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing
  15. Ohio Housing Council
  16. Ruscilli Construction Co., Inc.
  17. Ohio Housing Authorities Conference
  18. Ohio Domestic Violence Network
  19. Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging
  20. National Association for Rural Mental Health
  21. Ohio Conference of Community Development, Inc.
  22. Ohio Association of Foodbanks
  23. The Ohio Council of Churches
  24. Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland
  25. Model Group
  26. Buckeye Community Hope Foundation
  27. National Affordable Housing Trust
  28. Ohio CDC Association
  29. Finance Fund
  30. The Woda Cooper Companies, Inc.
  31. Wallick Communities
  32. CHN Housing Partners
  33. Enterprise Community Partners
  34. Equitas Health
  35. PrimaryOne Health
  36. Homeport
  37. Millennia Housing Development
  38. NeighborWorks Collaborative of Ohio
  39. Novogradac & Company LLP
  40. The Provident Companies
  41. Ohio Grandparent Kinship Coalition
  42. Tidwell Group
  43. Greater Ohio Policy Center
  44. AIDS Healthcare Foundation
  45. Policy Matters Ohio
  46. UHCAN Ohio
  47. Ohio Federation for Health Equity and Social Justice
  48. A Guided Home
  49. Abuse & Rape Crisis Shelter of Warren County
  50. ACCESS,Inc.
  51. Adams County Homeless Shelter
  52. Affordable Housing Advisors, LLC
  53. Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio
  54. Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus & Franklin County
  55. Alliance for Children & Families, Inc
  56. Area Agency on Aging District 7
  57. Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board
  58. Aurora Project, Inc
  59. Avondale Development Corporation
  60. Barbara Poppe and Associates
  61. Broken Connections, Inc
  62. Catholic Charities Bishop William M. Cosgrove Center
  63. Cincinnati Development Fund
  64. City of Whitehall
  65. Columbiana County Educational Service Center
  66. Columbus Apartment Association
  67. Columbus Coalition for the Homeless
  68. Columbus Early Learning Centers
  69. Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority
  70. Community Action Commission of Fayette County
  71. Community Action Organization of Scioto County
  72. Community Building Partnership
  73. Community Development for All People
  74. Community Housing Network
  75. Community Shelter Board
  76. COMPASS Family & Community Services
  77. Cradle Cincinnati
  78. Creative Housing | Creative Renovations
  79. Crisis Care Line
  80. EDEN Inc.
  81. Erie Metropolitan Housing Authority
  82. Fair Housing Contact Service
  83. Fair Housing Resource Center, Inc.
  84. Famicos Foundation
  85. Family Promise of Delaware County
  86. Findlay Hope House for the Homeless, Inc.
  87. First English Lutheran Church
  88. Franklin County Recorder’s Office
  89. Freshwater Future
  90. Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition
  91. Green National
  92. Grovedale Consulting
  93. Habitat for Humanity of Findlay/Hancock County
  94. Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley
  95. Habitat for Humanity of the Tri-State
  96. Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio
  97. HAPCAP/Southeast Ohio Foodbank
  98. Haven of Portage County
  99. Heart of Ohio Homeless Shelter – Marion Shelter Program, Inc.
  100. Heart to Heart Family Support Center
  101. Home Is The Foundation
  102. Homefull
  103. Hooker DeJong, Inc.
  104. Humility of Mary Housing
  105. Hunger Network in Ohio
  106. IMPACT Community Action
  107. Inclusive Housing Resources
  108. Ironton Lawrence CAO
  109. JOVIS
  110. Kings Local Food Pantry
  111. Knox Metropolitan Housing Authority
  112. Lance Fred Greene Corporation
  113. Liberty Center of Sandusky County
  114. Licking County Coalition for Housing
  115. Lighthouse Youth & Family Services
  116. LISC Greater Cincinnati
  117. Lorain County Coordinated Entry
  118. Lowenstein Development, LLC
  119. Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition
  120. Luken Solutions
  121. Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry
  122. Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio
  123. MACHDO
  124. Mahoning County Homeless Continuum of Care
  125. Maximum Accessible Housing of Ohio
  126. Medina Metropolitan Housing Authority
  127. Mercy Manor, Inc.
  128. Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati
  129. MHARS Board Lorain County
  130. Miami Valley Community Action Partnership
  131. Miami Valley Fair Housing Center, Inc.
  132. Montgomery County Commission
  133. Montgomery County Homeless Solutions Policy Board
  134. Mota Design Group, Inc.
  135. Move to PROSPER
  136. My Sister’s Place
  137. Neighborhood Housing Partnership of Greater Springfield
  138. Neighborhood Housing Services of Hamilton, Inc.
  139. Neighborhood Properties, Inc.
  140. NEO Black Health Coalition
  141. New Sunrise Properties
  142. Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission
  143. Ohio Animal Advocates
  144. Over-the-Rhine Community Housing
  145. Parsons Avenue Redevelopment Corporation
  146. Price Hill Will
  147. Public Health -Dayton & Montgomery County
  148. Reeb Avenue Center
  149. Regionomics
  150. RESULTS Columbus
  151. Right Path Financial Coaching
  152. Saad & Saad LLP
  153. Saint Vincent de Paul, Dayton
  154. Saint Vincent de Paul Society, St. Teresa of Calcutta conference
  155. Sawmill Road Management Company
  156. Siemer Institute
  157. Slavic Village Development
  158. St Matthew Episcopal Church
  159. Paul’s Community Center
  160. Star Title Agency LLC
  161. Strategies to End Homelessness
  162. Summit Community Development Corp., Inc.
  163. Sunset Development
  164. Tender Mercies, Inc.
  165. The Ability Center of Greater Toledo
  166. The Akron Leadership Foundation
  167. The Community Builders
  168. The Homeless Families Foundation
  169. Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board
  170. Tom Albanese Consulting, LLC
  171. Torrey Hill Apartments
  172. TouchPointe Marriage and Family Resources
  173. Tri-County LLC
  174. TUSCARAWAS METROPOLITAN HOUSING AUTHORITY
  175. United Methodist Church for All People
  176. Urban Strategies Inc
  177. Vacant and Abandoned Property Action Council
  178. Vincentian Ohio Action Network
  179. Vogt Strategic Insights
  180. Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation
  181. YWCA Greater Cincinnati
  182. YWCA Mahoning Valley
  183. Zanesville Housing Development Corporation