Opinion: The Future of Affordable Housing in Columbus

Jul 9

In case you didn’t know before June 26th, Jordan McLaughlin doesn’t pull his punches.

I’ve been following his work to combat institutional investors — Evict Private Equity — for over a year. He’s dogged, genuine, and he has a better finger on the pulse of a generation struggling to break into homeownership than anyone I’ve met in a decade.

He’s pissed — with good reason — and he has solid instincts. In fact, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act picked up his ball and ran with it, taking the first substantial steps to dampen predatory investors’ manipulation of our housing market.

Do I agree with everything he says? Absolutely not. I’m a proud contrarian. But, when we happen to end up on other sides of a policy debate, that’s an opportunity for a friendly lunch and a vibrant discussion.

That’s why I sent him a copy of this response before I shared it with Columbus Underground. I respect him and won’t jeopardize a relationship I cherish to voice some gentle disagreement that I believe can help illuminate a slightly different perspective.

And here’s that point of disagreement. His column states, “[t]he city spends too much on rental housing and too little on homeownership.” I disagree.

Our community’s work in support of homeowners, as critical as it is, does not need to come at the cost of helping our renters. Especially those with the lowest incomes. This can’t be about who gets more… it must be about all of us having enough.

Jordan’s instinct is to give aid directly to aspiring homebuyers. Count me in for robust down payment assistance programs too. (Columbus’ American Dream Downpayment Initiative program got an extra $1 million infusion this year is now taking applications, you can find it and two dozen other down payment initiatives at Bloom614.)

But I’d also argue, with conviction, that lower rents are one of the most effective homeownership programs we can advance. When rent doesn’t consume such a huge slice of our income, we can save for whatever we need in life. For some, that’s buying a home. But for others, it’s a more reliable car, or a bigger rainy-day fund, or the cash to take the side hustle full-time. It’s that element of self-determination that’s missing from housing today.

That tremendous and unprecedented lack of choice is what so many of us – Jordan included – are fighting against. We don’t have a full range of housing prices to choose from anymore, they’re all high.

Nor do we have a full range of housing styles to choose from anymore. Many of the traditional homes that built our middle class, from the missing middle designs to the classic starter homes, are endangered species now.

Instead, the few affordable options we have are far from jobs, ratcheting up traffic, while we miss the diversity and charm that make our cities so fascinating and inclusive.

And, yet, it’s in those missing spaces that I find so much excitement for our future. Duplexes (ICYMI, I’m a huge fan!) and small townhomes are in revival and hopefully will be re-legalized in the city soon. Land trusts are creating new ways to curb speculation. Resilient, connected, and accessible neighborhoods are trending again.

Were these policies at the top of the priority list for the first affordable housing bond package? Honestly, some were, some weren’t. From my view, the city did the right thing at the right time… they addressed the dangerous supply shortage head-on by leveraging external affordable housing resources 12:1 to stretch those limited dollars as far as they could and investing in equitable transit-oriented design that can also lower commuting costs.

Are we in a new era now with deeper needs and broader resources that call for a more substantial tool kit? Absolutely. And the city’s new “Notice of Funding Availability” to distribute the next tranche of bond funds hits those high notes, especially the need for deeper affordability as Jordan rightly championed. And extra-especially when coupled with the $20 million preliminary commitment to the Central Ohio Community Land Trust to advance permanently affordable homeownership.

We need to support our homeowners better. I am optimistic that pending legislation at the Statehouse to reform taxes, especially Circuit Breaker and Residential Stability Zone policies, can find the support they need to pass. And the Alliance is a proud champion of the Promise Land Act, Senator Michele Reynolds’ bill to incentivize construction of affordable starter homes by place-based nonprofits and churches.

It’s that ‘whole of community’ approach that we must continue to advance. Not just bonds, but a robust toolkit that melds public investments, regional reforms, private innovation, and a renewed commitment to loving thy neighbor. I see this magic emerging in Columbus and, increasingly, in our neighboring communities, and that gives me great hope.

I will close by expanding on Jordan’s call to action. He encouraged Columbus voters to get engaged and keep our leaders accountable. Let’s aim higher. We have phenomenal leaders stepping up to the plate at all levels of government. Let’s give them all our support and our feedback to keep progress moving forward.

Carlie Boos