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Sponsor says rural infrastructure bill aims to clear barriers to single‑family housing
Summary
Senate Bill 192, described as a policy marker, would target state support for water, sewer and related infrastructure in counties of 75,000 or fewer to boost single‑family housing on smaller lots; sponsors said it does not appropriate funds now but sets priorities for future support.
Senate Bill 192 would signal the legislature’s intent to support infrastructure projects that enable more single‑family housing in Ohio’s rural counties, sponsors told the Senate Housing Committee.
Senator Reynolds, offering sponsor testimony, said the bill focuses on counties with populations of 75,000 or fewer and those issuing fewer housing permits than the statewide average, targeting roughly 50 counties that most need support. She told the committee that high costs of extending water and sewer lines often make private development financially unfeasible in smaller communities and that the proposal aims to direct future funding to medium or smaller lots (no larger than one quarter acre) to make housing more affordable and attractive to working families and first‑time buyers.
“ Senate bill 192 does not appropriate funds or change existing law at this time. It is a policy marker, a conversation starter,” Reynolds said, underscoring that the bill is intended to guide later program design rather than immediately authorize spending.
Committee members thanked the sponsor and offered support; the testimony framed SB192 as complementary to larger proposals (such as Senate Bill 184) by focusing on infrastructure in rural areas so that nearby communities can attract development when larger investments occur.
The bill stood for further consideration following sponsor testimony; no appropriation or final action was taken at this hearing.
