Columbus City Council will vote on an ordinance that would set aside a portion of the hotel bed tax revenue from a hotel planned at North Market to help subsidize affordable housing. Although advocates are questioning if the deal will deliver affordable housing.
Donald Strasser is the co-chair of the board for the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless.
“My concern about it is that they set the median income at a level that primarily serves people making higher incomes,” Strasser said.
Strasser said many of the families eligible will make between $75,000-$80,000 and that won't help people re-entering the workforce after homelessness.
“Homeless folks do not make like $75,000 and so I don't think this effort is unless it is targeted specifically to homeless people is going to have it much effect on them at all. The word affordable housing I am afraid suggests to me a lot of rhetoric it is just not the true story.
City officials said North Market Tower residential project will have a 20% set aside, 10% for those at 80% of the area's median income and 10% for families at 100% of the annual medium income.
