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Franklin County approves $5M CO19 payment to Nationwide Children’s for Lynen healthy‑homes work and affordable housing projects
Summary
The board adopted Resolution 53825 to authorize a $5 million CO19 recovery payment to Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Lynen healthy‑homes program, funding home repairs, renter assistance and predevelopment work on multifamily affordable-housing projects; commissioners discussed tax-credit and contingency plans for 2150 Inis Road.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize a third and final payment of $5,000,000 under the county’s CO19 recovery grant to Nationwide Children’s Hospital to support the Lynen Healthy Homes program and related affordable‑housing work.
Curtis Brown, county community partnerships administrator, introduced the resolution and said the county has funded the program since 2023 with a total contract value of $15.5 million. Gretchen West, executive director of Healthy Homes, presented the program’s 2024 impact: county funds supported 46 critical home repairs (homeowners averaged 67 years old with median household income near $32,000), 29 new roofs, 455 new windows, and 388 ADA‑compliant ramps. Staff reported 100% of awarded contracts went to minority‑owned businesses and that a renter-assistance stream provided about $44,000 total to 34 households (an average of roughly $1,300 per household).
The program’s multifamily pipeline includes two projects highlighted to the board. The first, at 2150 Inis Road (the former Zetler hardware site), was described as planned for 173 affordable homes — approximately 140 rental units and about 20 home‑ownership opportunities to be developed with the Central Ohio Community Land Trust; staff said construction could begin in 2026 pending Ohio Housing Finance Agency approvals. The second, at 1975 Agler Road, is a smaller multifamily project that staff said could yield roughly 75 affordable rental units after land assembly and due diligence.
Commissioners pressed staff on financing. West told the board the county’s affiliate did not win the recent 9% LIHTC round and is preparing a resubmission for the state’s next competitive round with an August 14 deadline. She said if the 9% tax-credit application is unsuccessful the team would reposition the proposal as a 4% tax-credit transaction, which would require additional equity to fill the gap. When asked whether the project team expects to return to the board for more county funds, West replied the current plan does not include a request for additional county funding and added that the primary contingency would be increased investment by the hospital or other equity partners.
The board adopted Resolution 53825 with Commissioners Grady and Cwley voting yes and Commissioner Boyce recording an abstention.
The decision provides the final scheduled CO19 payment to Nationwide Children’s to continue home repairs, renter assistance and predevelopment work on the Lynen projects; staff said they will return with updates on LIHTC outcomes and project milestones.
