Housing shortages, disparity in building versus buying. Renting feels like a trap we’ll never get out of and buying a house feels nearly impossible for the younger generations. So let’s talk about it!

Affordable Housing

The data provided by Ohio Senate shows that Columbus, and Ohio is in a severe housing deficit. It has even been called a “Housing Crisis” by some. Regardless how how you frame it, Ohio is in need of 260,000 homes.

Columbus alone needs over 58,000 affordable units. The current plans are not working fast enough. By the end of 2025, we will still be in need of roughly 55,000 homes.

I would put forth a plan to not only build more Extremely Low Income - Affordable Housing Units such as Duplexes, Triplexes, and Townhomes in areas near the city. I would also propose that we reclaim old municipal and old school buildings that have been closed or are slated for demolition. By claiming those lands, we would have ample space to build new Duplexes, Triplexes and Townhomes in those places.

I would also propose the $1 House Plan that has helped Minnesota revitalize their communities and neighborhoods. This would allow individuals and families (NOT BIG RENTAL COMPANIES) who want to revilitise our neighborhoods that have suffered from houses being left derelict and uninhabitable to take on the renovation of those houses for $1, which will officially transfer the title of the home to new owners, and allow them to make those homes livable again. This would encourage families who want to turn an empty shell of a house into a home and encourage more small construction companies to stay in Columbus. This will also encourage the growth of our trades because Ohio will need more skilled laborers in order to meet the demand for these renovations.

To add to this, I would also like to propose a RENT CAP and RENT FREEZE throughout Columbus and also throughout the entire State of Ohio. There is a HUGE gap in what Rent and Mortgage Costs are versus what our Earnings can keep up with due to stagnant wages throughout the state. If we can freeze Rent prices so that more people can afford to stay in their homes rather than being forced out because their rent increased so much year over year that they can no longer afford the place they have been living, hopefully, it will create more stability in our communities.