Panel urges leveraging $500 million housing bond, affordable‑housing trust to stem rising costs

At a Columbus Metro Club forum at the Ellis in Columbus, panelists urged using the City of Columbus’ proposed $500 million housing bond and existing trust financing to expand and preserve affordable housing across the region.

Panelists said housing is foundational to residents’ ability to access jobs and childcare, and they called for public dollars to be leveraged, recycled and paired with private financing to complete projects.

The Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County provides gap financing for deals ranging from single‑family homes to 300‑unit low‑income housing tax credit projects, Ian Labattu, president and CEO of the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County, said. “We are a nonprofit lender. We are funded by the county through real estate conveyance fees and also by the city, through a portion of bed taxes,” Labattu said.

Labattu called the city’s $500 million housing portion of a broader bond package “a real investment” that must be leveraged and recycled to reach more projects and residents: “That $500,000,000 is a real investment because it cannot and should not be just $500,000,000 … it has to be leveraged and also recycled.”

William Murdoch, executive director of the Mid‑Ohio Regional Planning Commission, framed the urgency with recent population growth: “Last year, we added about 24,000 people to the region. Overall, we've added about 100,000 people in the last four years.” He warned that Central Ohio’s historical affordability is eroding and that failing to invest now risks worsening the gap between housing supply and demand.

Panelists described how housing policy links to other priorities discussed at the forum. Lynn Ann Gutierrez, president and CEO of Groundwork Ohio, said housing stability affects families’ ability to pursue job training and childcare, and she noted cross‑sector partnerships such as Franklin County’s RISE program that tie housing supports to other services.

Labattu described the Trust’s role in transactions and the necessity of low‑cost capital for many deals: “Deals don't get done without low cost capital. Deals don't get done without public private partnership.” He said the Trust finances both large tax‑credit projects and smaller single‑family or duplex units that meet area median income definitions.

Panelists emphasized collaboration among municipal, county and regional actors. Murdoch and others said a regional housing coalition now being organized aims to coordinate education, technical assistance and funding to help jurisdictions adopt context‑appropriate housing strategies rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach.

Ending: Panelists said the $500 million housing allocation on the ballot marks a significant infusion of public capital but stressed that voters and officials must pair that funding with recycled trust dollars, developer partnerships and supportive services to preserve affordability. They urged continued regional coordination and public education so local governments and residents understand how changes in zoning, financing and projects would translate to accessible housing in their communities.