Join us for our Q3 Policy Update as Emily Cadik and Jennifer Schwartz break down the affordable housing wins embedded in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and talk about the new “ROAD to Housing” proposed legislation.

While we’re not here to celebrate politics, we are here to acknowledge the meaningful impact: expanded support for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the potential to develop 1 million additional affordable homes across the country. We greatly appreciate Emily, Jennifer, and many others who worked so tirelessly to obtain this housing win!

But housing doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

That’s why we’re also turning our attention to the proposed Medicaid changes that could deeply affect the stability and well-being of the residents we serve. Ann Oshel, MS, will join us to unpack what these changes mean for access to care, housing retention, and supportive service delivery—particularly for our most vulnerable communities.  We will also be joined by Lisa Sloane to unpack the Administration’s recent homelessness Executive Order.

It’s a conversation rooted in reality—hopeful about what’s possible, and honest about what’s at risk.

Columbus Auto Dealers presents Concert for a Cause, in partnership with WCOL and iHeartRadio, starring Tyler Hubbard and Runaway June!

All proceeds benefit Star House, the Butterfly Guild at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and the Ryan & Christina Day Fund at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

📍 KEMBA Live
🗓️ Saturday, August 9

🎟️ Get your tickets below and enjoy a great night for three great causes!

Can't attend but want to support Star House? Click here.

Join us for a collaborative happy hour hosted by the Ohio Women’s Affordable Housing Network (OWAHN) and the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) as we uncork connections, empower community, and spotlight the women leading Delaware County’s housing future.

Together, we’re shining a light on women-led solutions for housing in Delaware County while supporting a powerful cause: the Young Adult Transitional Living Program at TreeHouse, which provides safe, stable housing and vital support services for young adults ages 18–24 preparing to live independently.

• Connect with leaders across housing, development, and advocacy
• Sip local wines at Oak & Brazen Wine Co. 
• Support future-forward housing solutions for young adults in our community

Let’s raise a glass to impact.

Virtual 1/2-Day Eviction Prevention Workshop for Professionals

About the Course

Learn the skills needed to assist tenants and landlords in preventing evictions and their harmful effects on a community.

What You Will Learn

• How best to help tenants and landlords reduce their risk of involvement in an eviction.

• Top 10 tenant mistakes that often lead to eviction and how to prevent them.

• Common eviction-related vocabulary used by the Court.

• Community resources available to help tenants during a housing crisis.

• Ways to help tenants with past evictions or poor credit access decent housing.

Continuing Education Credit

Lawyers: 3.25 CE hours
Social Workers, Counselors, & Marriage and Family Therapists: 3.25 CE hours (Accepted by the OH CSWMFTB based on approval from the Ohio Chemical Dependency Board.)
Nurses: Ohio Board of Nursing accepts CEUs approved for Counselors, Social Workers & Marriage and Family Therapists for CNEs, RNs and LPNs.
Chemical Dependency Professionals: 3.25 CE hours (RCHs)

Learn the skills needed to assist tenants and landlords in preventing evictions and their harmful effects on a community.

What You Will Learn

• How best to help tenants and landlords reduce their risk of involvement in an eviction.

• Top 10 tenant mistakes that often lead to eviction and how to prevent them.

• Common eviction-related vocabulary used by the Court.

• Community resources available to help tenants during a housing crisis.

• Ways to help tenants with past evictions or poor credit access decent housing.

2017 and 2018 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendments

Public Hearing

Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at 3:30 pm

Michael J. Dorrian Building
Commissioners Hearing Room

369 South High Street, Columbus OH 43215

Join virtually via Zoom: https://franklincountyohio.zoom.us/j/82228084899 

Franklin County Economic Development and Planning Department will conduct a public hearing on the Substantial Amendments to the 2017 and 2018 Annual Plans to solicit comments on the draft plans and proposed activities. The amendments are necessary to allocate unobligated HOME funds to Homeownership Assistance.

Public Comment Period Open
July 23, 2025 - August 22, 2025

The draft 2017 and 2018 Substantial Amendments are available for review and comment for a 30-day public comment period beginning on July 23, 2025 and ending on August 22, 2025.

View Draft Amendments

This self-guided, open-house-style event features five interactive stations where you can learn about the Zone In initiative and share your feedback on project goals, priorities and draft land use maps.

Depending on your level of engagement, your visit may take as little as 20 minutes or up to the full two hours. All are welcome to drop in at any time during the workshop.

A comprehensive Housing-Focused Street Outreach strategy must consider the health and safety of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, the broader community, and the dedicated staff who work with the most vulnerable populations. To achieve this, outreach teams must adopt practices that promote well-being, reduce harm, and foster safe environments for all. In this webinar, hear from communities that have successfully integrated health and safety practices into their Housing-Focused Street Outreach strategies. Communities will share lessons learned, practical approaches, and the impact of their efforts on both individuals and the wider community.

TALK ONE-ON-ONE with experts from every department

DISCOVER SERVICES that protect, support and inform

LEARN MORE about the Homestead Exemption , including application process and eligibility

Council President Shannon G. Hardin will host a public hearing to hear from the community regarding upcoming legislation on the Columbus Housing Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) policy. The hearing will include testimony from the Department of Development, which will provide background on the current policy and renewal details.

Those interested in providing testimony should email their remarks, name and address to Jessica Clinger at JNClinger@columbus.gov with the subject line "7/24 Housing CRA Hearing" by July 24 at 11 a.m.

When and Where:

Thursday, July 24

3 - 4:30 p.m.

Columbus City Hall

City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor

90 W. Broad Street

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Credit scores are a foundational component of the US housing finance system and a key indicator of a homebuyer’s ability to access homeownership’s wealth-building benefits. Credit scores are central to risk-based pricing decisions, loan terms, down payment requirements, and more.   

Join the Urban Institute for a data-driven, evidence-based discussion on the evolution of credit scores in the housing finance ecosystem. Experts and policy practitioners will examine the historical development of credit scoring, its applications across different aspects of housing finance, and the ways consumers can better understand and improve their scores. Finally, we will look ahead to how innovations and emerging technologies are driving the next phase of progress in credit scoring and the implications of these developments for the future housing finance system.    

Credit scores are a foundational component of the US housing finance system and a key indicator of a homebuyer’s ability to access homeownership’s wealth-building benefits. Credit scores are central to risk-based pricing decisions, loan terms, down payment requirements, and more. 

  
Join the Urban Institute for a data-driven, evidence-based discussion on the evolution of credit scores in the housing finance ecosystem. Experts and policy practitioners will examine the historical development of credit scoring, its applications across different aspects of housing finance, and the ways consumers can better understand and improve their scores. Finally, we will look ahead to how innovations and emerging technologies are driving the next phase of progress in credit scoring and the implications of these developments for the future housing finance system.    

This self-guided, open-house-style event features five interactive stations where you can learn about the Zone In initiative and share your feedback on project goals, priorities and draft land use maps.

Depending on your level of engagement, your visit may take as little as 20 minutes or up to the full two hours. All are welcome to drop in at any time during the workshop.

Join Columbus City Councilmembers Otto Beatty and Rob Dorans, together with CONVERGENCE Columbus, for a screening of United: The Hidden Story of the Humble Duplex, a film by Anita Kwan that explores how the duplex rose as a symbol of Columbus’ middle-class mobility, was nearly outlawed in the era of segregationist zoning, and is now an architectural icon being reclaimed by a new generation as a tool for growth, wealth, and individuality.

Afterwards, join a conversation on the future of housing, exploring parallels between duplexes and Columbus’ history of carriage homes and in-law suites.

Celebrate National Peach Ice Cream Day with the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio!

Join us for a film screening of the new documentary, “United: the Hidden History of the Humble Duplex.” This is a powerful story of how the duplex rose as a symbol of Columbus’ middle-class mobility, was nearly outlawed in the era of segregationist zoning, and is now reemerging as a tool for growth, wealth, and individuality.

Meet us at the Community Impact Center at 215 North Front Street Doors open at 5:45 PM. We’ll bring the ice cream!

The just-enacted reconciliation bill makes sweeping changes to the tax code impacting investment in housing and community development, including the largest expansion of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit resources in a generation.

During this July 16 members-only webinar, NCSHA and key affordable housing industry partners will break down modifications to tax law that will impact how our nation finances affordable rental housing with the Housing Credit, revitalizes Opportunity Zones, and invests in community and economic development with the New Markets Tax Credit.

Registration is complimentary and open to all NCSHA members: HFAs, Associates, and Affiliates. Preregistration is required by July 14. On July 15, each registrant will be emailed a unique Zoom link to access the broadcast. Please contact sromanoff@ncsha.org if you do not receive that link by COB on July 15.

he City of Columbus, Department of Finance and Management is holding a public meeting on July 10, 2025 at 3:00PM to present and collect public input on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project applications received by the City and anticipated allocations for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants.

The meeting will be held at the Columbus Metropolitan Library – Hilltop Branch at 511 S. Hague Avenue, in Meeting Room 1. There will be an opportunity at the end of the meeting to provide public comment on project applications and anticipated allocations. For those who are unable to attend, a recording will be available on our webpage following the meeting: www.columbus.gov/grants-management.

A summary of project proposals is also available on our webpage. We are accepting public comments on this document until July 31, 2025. Comments should be sent to grantsmgmt@columbus.gov.

If you are in need of any reasonable accommodations or modifications in order to access this meeting, please email grantsmgmt@columbus.gov in advance of the meeting to ensure we can best serve you.

Want to learn more about Ohio’s LIHTC programs available for your organization to utilize? Ohio CDC Association, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency are co-hosting a Webinar to go over the basics of the Ohio Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program and the 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

Our country has the resources to ensure that all of us have the freedom to live where we want and take care of our families, without fear of being evicted. But some lawmakers point the finger at immigrants to divide, distract, and disempower us. Join the National Housing Law Project for a webinar to learn how to protect immigrants and keep immigrant families whole and housed. The 90-minute webinar will feature a range of speakers from NHLP and the Housing Justice Network covering critical topics including immigrant eligibility in subsidized housing, fair housing issues impacting immigrants such as language access and national origin discrimination claims, as well as key insights and practical tips for representing immigrants in housing cases in today’s challenging environment.

Join the Housing Solutions Lab for a free, 45-minute lunchtime webinar, the ninth of our Data Talks series. This episode will focus on how cities can use local data sources to identify, analyze, and address tangled title issues in their communities.

Join us on Thursday, July 10, starting at 12 p.m. Ryan Brenner, Research Analyst at the NYU Furman Center, will provide an overview on tangled titles, from the causes of title issues to the risks they pose to residents and cities alike. A fireside chat will follow with Vinita Wagh, Project Manager at Detroit Future City. She will share her approach to tracking heirs’ properties in Detroit and how other localities can learn from her experiences. Register below for Session 9 of Data Talks: Navigating Tangled Titles to join the live session, where you will be able to ask the panelists your questions.

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), the federal law passed by Congress in 1977 as a response to redlining, is an important tool that we can use to help the communities we serve. CRA requires banks to meet the lending, investment, and banking services needs of the entire community, including low- and moderate-income (LMI) people.

While there is still much work to be done, over the years, banks working to comply with CRA regulations have made huge strides in their work to finance affordable housing, provide home and business loans, community development investments to affordable homes, and financial services that meet the needs of the entire community, especially LMI people and neighborhoods.

But in recent months, opponents have managed to prevent needed updates to CRA. Join CRA experts Kevin Hill, Senior Policy Advisor at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) and Bethany Sanchez, Senior Administrator for Fair Lending at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council to learn more about how CRA can help us with our work to increase affordable housing. We can work together to not only protect it against attacks, but strengthen this important tool for our work!

Spotlight Innovators from the Valuing Homes in Black Communities Challenge, hosted by Economic Architecture and the Brookings Institution, will share new innovations and strategies in the housing equity space. Hear from Doug Ryan of Grounded Solutions Network and Tamara Knox of Frolic on how new approaches to sustainable homeownership are creating impact at the local, state and national level to advance fairness in the housing market. 

Key Topics: Models for shared equity, cooperative ownership, community control 

Speakers: Doug Ryan of Grounded Solutions Network, Tamara Knox of Frolic, and other Spotlight Innovators from the Valuing Homes in Black Communities Challenge by Economic Architecture and the Brookings Institution 

Join YWCA Columbus on Monday, June 30, at the Coleman Garage Conference Room (141 North Front Street) from 2 to 4 p.m. for a public FRAC meeting on housing and homelessness. Your attendance will help the committee and the broader community understand the critical importance of funding for shelter.

Every day, we see how access to shelter can mean the difference between folks getting back on their feet or falling through the cracks. But, right now, that lifeline is under threat.

Overall homelessness in Franklin County rose by more than 7% in 2025, outpacing population growth six times over. Without a change, unsheltered homelessness is predicted to surge by 68% by 2028, per the Community Shelter Board’s 2025 Point-in-Time Count Report.

And, dually, the shelter system that our neighbors rely on is facing a $25 million funding gap this year. For the last several decades, the YWCA Family Center and other emergency shelters have faced an absence of meaningful, systemic investment in shelter infrastructure. At the national level, homelessness is regarded as a local problem; yet the cost of shelter far exceeds what local governments like the city of Columbus and Franklin County can sustain through their general revenue funds.

We have an opportunity to turn the ship -- but we need your help.

As you may have heard during YWCA Columbus' advocacy call on May 28, we are deploying a comprehensive strategy to secure long-term funding for emergency shelter, which currently includes an assessment from the Funding Review Advisory Committee (FRAC) on public revenue options to identify sustainable funding models and apply those directly to shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

Come tour the new Franklinton Condominiums created by the Central Ohio Community Land Trust.

Learn the skills needed to assist tenants and landlords in preventing evictions and their harmful effects on a community.

What You Will Learn

• How best to help tenants and landlords reduce their risk of involvement in an eviction.

• Top 10 tenant mistakes that often lead to eviction and how to prevent them.

• Common eviction-related vocabulary used by the Court.

• Community resources available to help tenants during a housing crisis.

• Ways to help tenants with past evictions or poor credit access decent housing.

Continuing Education Credit

Lawyers: 3.25 CE hours
Social Workers, Counselors, & Marriage and Family Therapists: 3.25 CE hours (Accepted by the OH CSWMFTB based on approval from the Ohio Chemical Dependency Board.)
Nurses: Ohio Board of Nursing accepts CEUs approved for Counselors, Social Workers & Marriage and Family Therapists for CNEs, RNs and LPNs.
Chemical Dependency Professionals: 3.25 CE hours (RCHs)

Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025Time: 2:00 – 5:30 pm ET

Location: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

This year, the US housing market is shrouded in uncertainty and unease. High home prices and interest rates have pushed sales to their lowest level in 30 years; insurance premiums and property taxes are on the rise; high rents have left record numbers with cost burdens; and wildfires have highlighted the growing dangers of climate disasters. Meanwhile, households find diminished federal support, with the possibility of an economic downturn that would only exacerbate these challenges.

Join us at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (or online) for the release of The State of the Nation's Housing 2025.

Speakers:

• Susan Collins, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

• Chris Herbert, Managing Director, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

• The Hon. Lydia Edwards, Massachusetts State Senator

• Eric Belsky, Director, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, Federal Reserve Board of Governors

• Prabal Chakrabarti, Executive Vice President & Community Affairs Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

• John Barros, Managing Principal, Civitas Builders

• Andrew Brinker, Housing Reporter, The Boston Globe

• Clark Ziegler, Executive Director, Massachusetts Housing Partnership

• Other speakers to be announced

Join this virtual informational session to learn more about ULI Columbus's REDI program and ask questions about the program and application process. Register for free, in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the zoom details.

ULI Columbus's Real Estate Diversity Initiative(REDI) is a comprehensive, 12-session curriculum designed to advance the real estate careers of traditionally underrepresented groups. Participants step into the role of a real estate developer, gaining direct knowledge and experience working in teams to produce a development plan, pro-forma, and marketing plan for a real project. REDI meets weekly from September 2- November 18 (Tuesdays, 5:30-8:00pm). Additional time outside of class is expected to successfully complete individual readings and group work activities. Participants are taught by a volunteer faculty of experienced, multidisciplinary, top-tier practicing real estate professionals serving as instructors, mentors and facilitators who share market-based knowledge and the wisdom from their experience.