Officials say 200,000 more homes need to be built in central Ohio over the next 10 years.
The region's leaders are launching a Regional Housing Coalition that aims to encourage housing construction to meet that need and add an additional 80,000 affordable homes. Central Ohio is growing rapidly compared to most of the state, but city leaders say the housing stock isn't enough to accommodate all of the new residents who are expected to move into the region.
The cities of Columbus, Sunbury and Reynoldsburg and Fairfield County are just four of the entities involved in this new coalition. The goal is to try and get the region ready for more population growth and to promote diverse housing options.
Fairfield County Commissioner Jeff Fix said at an announcement for the coalition in Reynoldsburg on Tuesday that government needs to get out of the way of developers. He also said attitudes about population growth in communities like Fairfield County also need to change.
"Lots of torches and pitchforks, right? When you talk about people wanting to grow in their community, people... they're afraid of that, right? Change is scary. We have to show them that change can be a positive thing and that growth can be beneficial to them," Fix said.
Lark Mallory, the former president and CEO of the Affordable Housing Trust said the demand for housing is what is causing a crisis, but the coalition will try to address the other side.
"With the Regional Housing Coalition, we looked at the other side. We looked at supply. What's stopping us from building more housing? What's stopping us from increasing our supply?" Mallory asked.
Mallory said the cost of capital, the cost of construction, the cost of labor permitting, zoning, are some of what is standing in the way for supply.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Reynoldsburg Mayor Joe Begeny both said the focus needs to be regional to build enough housing.
"This group, this start up, will be focused on how we get to 200,000 and each community's role in that as we work with leaders throughout the region. This is not just going to be about Columbus or Franklin County, although I can commit to you today as the mayor of the City of Columbus, we will do our part," Ginther said.
Ginther said Columbus will contribute half the housing the region needs over the next decade.
Begeny said other suburbs need to step up, so it isn't just Reynoldsburg shouldering the rest of the burden.
"It's not just going to be relegated to here in Reynoldsburg. It's going to be in every community, because it needs to be in every community. They are already living in our community as we speak, so let's make sure we find ways to get them the opportunities to live in those places," Begeny said.
Officials say the coalition will become a public-private partnership operating as a non-profit. Ginther said it will be a pass-through for funding projects and a way to prioritize different housing projects.
Ginther likened the group to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, or MORPC, in how it will operate to help regional entities collaborate. "This coalition will help us organize as a region just like we do with MORPC on infrastructure and other priority and transit projects," Ginther said.
