Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

By the Coalition for Housing and Homelessness in Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio-As unsheltered homelessness has increased since the beginning of the pandemic, we've seen alarming efforts to criminalize unhoused citizens in Ohio around the country, despite ample evidence that this approach is ineffective, inhumane, and expensive. This week the Urban Institute issued new research detailing just how much time, money, and effort Denver wasted on policing their homeless population, while showing that a Housing First approach helps police focus attention on actual crime.

Another article this week highlights the effort to expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit in Congress's lame duck session. Here in Ohio, we are advocating for the Statehouse to pass our $308 million ARPA proposal during lame duck session. This would lay the groundwork for a major long-term increase in affordable housing production as we support the Ohio Housing Council's efforts to create a state LIHTC next year.

HUD asked us to spread the word that there's still time to apply for the expanded Child Tax Credit (up to $3,600 per child) before the Nov. 15 deadline. You can help your clients, residents, and neighbors apply using this simple tax filing tool: GetCTC. Agencies can also access these outreach resources to share info about the Child Tax Credit and EITC.

Marcus Roth
Communications/Development Director

Policing Doesn't End Homelessness. Supportive Housing Does.
(Urban Institute) Instead of addressing the issue's root causes—a lack of housing and supportive services—many cities have leaned into punitive responses that criminalize homelessness, such as arresting people for sitting or sleeping in certain public places. But this approach is costly and ineffective. Police don't solve homelessness, they only move it around—to other neighborhoods, jails, and emergency rooms—rather than connecting people with the housing and services they need. What would it take to actually end homelessness for people living on the street? And how would that affect the time and resources police spend managing the problem without solving it? New data from a supportive housing program in Denver show what could happen when communities address the underlying causes of homelessness rather than continuing the status quo.

Lawmakers, advocates eye year-end bills for housing credit
(Roll Call) WASHINGTON, DC - Lawmakers and advocates are eyeing year-end legislation as vehicles to expand a low-income housing construction incentive as opportunities dwindle to address a growing affordability crisis before the next Congress. Despite bipartisan support for the low-income housing tax credit, or LIHTC, its expansion in a year-end bill may come down to cost and negotiations around bigger partisan priorities, including the child tax credit, and research and development incentives. Supporters see the year-end tax and appropriations bills as the last, best chance to take action on housing in this Congress and warn there may be fewer opportunities if Republicans retake the House after the November midterms.

Some families staying homeless longer as housing shortage squeezes local market
(Dayton Daily News) A Greene County homeless shelter for families with children says the shelter is chronically full, and families are being granted extended stays because of an ongoing housing shortage... choices for affordable housing are becoming slimmer, and families are having to work harder to find a permanent place to live. Previously, families would stay in the shelter for 60 days. However, earlier this year, the shelter extended the program to 90 days, and then extendable on a week-by-week basis until the family finds housing.

Columbus can fight affordable housing crisis at ballot box |Opinion
(Columbus Dispatch) Fortunately, Columbus voters on Nov. 8 will have the opportunity to help our city take a significant step toward increasing affordable housing options. The bond package on the ballot will invest $200 million in affordable housing – the single most tangible and impactful action we can take to overcome this crisis. It would address four key priorities – $80 million for construction of affordable rental units, $50 million for affordable homeownership, $40 million to preserve existing housing affordability, and $30 million for programs and permanent housing to address homelessness.

Affordable housing spending is on the ballot in cities across the US
(SmartCitiesDive) This election cycle, about 80 local jurisdictions have placed some housing measure on the ballot, whether that's related to funding new housing, making it easier to build new housing in their communities, or helping those who can't afford it, said Ben Kelly, a Denver-based public affairs consultant focused on housing development among other issues... "This is happening in jurisdictions in all states and sizes trying to address some segment of their affordable housing challenges," Kelly said. "The pressures are reaching a level that local jurisdictions are really actively looking for local solutions."

Council amends Affordable Housing Trust Fund rules as the first subsidized project is announced
(WVXU) A lengthy debate in a Cincinnati Council committee Tuesday resulted in a compromise over the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, but not one most advocates are pleased with. The committee voted 5-3 to restrict $5 million of the fund to units affordable to households making 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI)... The three council members opposing the motion sided instead with affordable housing advocates who say the money should be restricted to lower-income units as outlined in the original trust fund ordinance in 2018: all money going to units affordable at 60% or less AMI, and at least half the funds going to units affordable to 30% AMI.

Cleveland introduces $15 million in new 'housing for all' requests: Stimulus Watch
(Cleveland.com) Mayor Justin Bibb wants to spend $15 million on two newly detailed proposals aimed at improving housing throughout the city. The largest of the two proposals would establish a $10 million fund to help homeowners and landlords pay for improvements on their homes. Officials also proposed spending an additional $5 million to create a revolving loan fund to repair 100 vacant and abandoned homes throughout the city. Both requests would be funded entirely by the American Rescue Plan Act. The $15 million in new housing proposals are in addition to $53 million in separate ARPA-funded housing proposals city council has already approved. Those proposals include $35 million to incentivize public/private housing and nearly $18 million in an ARPA-funded Housing and Urban Development Grant to address homelessness with non-aggregate shelters and to provide affordable housing.

'Predatory investing' is obstructing efforts to improve housing in Cleveland: Stimulus Watch
(Cleveland.com) Many real estate investors – often, but not always from outside Cleveland -- have exploited the city's relatively high rent and low housing prices to scoop up properties that are often left to rot. "Predatory investors," as some experts call them, buy cheap houses in economically distressed neighborhoods, but either refuse to make improvements or fail to receive permits for upgrades, despite cashing rent checks. Then, they sometimes sell the homes – often to other, similarly situated companies – for a quick profit.

Ohioans Cope with Rising Rents
(Public News Service) Between December 2019 and December 2021, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Ohio's five most populous counties increased between 15% and 18%, according to data from Zillow. But median household incomes in Ohio increased by just 6% between those years, according to census data... Organizations like Community Legal Aid are working to support tenants as rents rise. For example, some cities are expanding legal representation for tenants facing eviction cases. Cleveland and Toledo city councils created right-to-counsel ordinances, which provide attorneys to extremely low-income tenants.

Corporate Landlords Profit from Segregation, at Cost of Black Homeownership and Wealth
(Shelterforce) An investigation by a United States House of Representatives subcommittee has revealed that despite the COVID-19 eviction moratorium, corporate landlords still evicted tenants and did so at three times the rates previously recorded in public data. Additionally, even though rents were already rising, tenants of corporate landlords frequently faced even higher rent hikes. These findings follow a record-setting quarter when investors bought over 90,000 U.S. homes.

Black Families Fall Further Behind on Homeownership
(Stateline) The persistence of redlining, the Great Recession, gentrification and the increasing number of homes being scooped up by investors all have contributed to a growing Black-White disparity in homeownership, which is larger now than it was in the early 1960s, before the 1968 Fair Housing Act and other civil rights legislation. The Urban Institute is working with cities in a dozen states and the District of Columbia on strategies to bring Black homeownership back up. Among them are financial assistance to Black homebuyers to help them cover down payments and closing costs, and support for current homeowners facing foreclosure.

Events

Nov. 28 – 30: Ohio Housing Conference – The Ohio Housing Conference, hosted by Ohio Housing Finance Agency and Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing takes place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Registration is now open!

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com the most read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio and in the Midwest Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.