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Housing advocates urge Senate not to dismantle Ohio Housing Trust Fund in budget
Summary
Housing, homelessness and disability service providers urged the Senate not to remove state administration of recorder‑fee revenue that funds the Ohio Housing Trust Fund, saying the change would undermine emergency repairs, accessibility modifications and affordable housing development.
Multiple housing and homelessness organizations, including the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHIO), the Ability Center of Greater Toledo, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Yellow Springs Home Inc., told senators the House budget amendment to shift administration of recorder‑fee revenue would effectively dismantle the Ohio Housing Trust Fund and harm programs that serve low‑income, elderly and disabled Ohioans.
Amy Bridal, executive director of COHIO, said the Ohio Housing Trust Fund has supported emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, supportive housing and development and rehabilitation projects that reach rural and urban areas. "Rather than strengthening the Ohio Housing Trust Fund, the House amended the budget to remove the requirement for counties to remit the Ohio Housing Trust Fund fee revenue to the state. The House amendment would effectively gut the Ohio Housing Trust Fund," she said.
Katherine Thomas of the Ability Center described the program's home accessibility grants and said her agency completed 105 ramp projects last year funded with Trust Fund money; she warned a county‑by‑county funding administration model could create bureaucratic hurdles and inequities across multi‑county nonprofit service regions.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Yellow Springs Home Inc. recounted projects that relied on Trust Fund awards to rehabilitate homes, create affordable rental units and leverage private investment; witnesses asked the Senate to replace the House amendment with a study to evaluate and improve the Trust Fund rather than dismantle it.
Ending: Housing stakeholders asked the Senate to reject the House restructure, preserve state administration of the Ohio Housing Trust Fund and consider a studied approach to strengthening the program instead of immediate decentralization.
