Columbus officials want residents to vote in favor of the $1.9 billion bond package this November, allowing the city to borrow money to fund more affordable housing and improvements to utilities and parks.
Mayor Andrew Ginther, Councilmember Nick Bankston and Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio Executive Director Carlie Boos pitched the bond issue at a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum Wednesday. The forum was moderated by WOSU News Director Mark Ferenchik.
Ginther spent the first part of the forum explaining the bonds to "nerd out" about what the money would go towards if it is approved. The five bond issues in total will not raise taxes on residents and will be the largest bond issue in city history.
The city is targeting $500 million for neighborhood development in affordable housing; $250 million for safety, health and infrastructure; $250 million for recreation and parks; $400 million for public service; and $500 million for public utilities.
Ginther said the city needs the money to treat the housing and affordability crises with the urgency each one requires. He compared the urgency to a hypothetical situation where Ohio State University suddenly decided to leave Columbus.
"What would we do as a community to fight like hell? To protect that critical part of our community, our competitive advantage," Ginther asked. "We would move heaven and earth. And that's what we have to do for housing."
Central Ohio facing a housing crisis isn't new, but Boos said it is important to recognize the concern is new in the history of Columbus. She said housing insecurity is creeping up the income ladder fast and will affect more people as time goes on if the issue isn't addressed.
"This is not something us or our parents or our grandparents have encountered. This is new and different and bad," Boos said.
Ferenchik asked the panelists about the city's affordable housing strategy.
Bankston went to bat for the city's strategy of funding projects with a mix of units that are affordable to a range of incomes. The city often funds projects that are affordable to people making 30% to 80% percent of the area median income. This includes the construction that started this week to renovate the downtown YMCA into housing.
"We know what concentrated poverty does," Bankston said. "These, in the buildings that we are doing now in partnership with the administration and what council has passed, is even when you do that mix of units, can't be all one bedrooms, can't be in all studios. It has to be a mix across the portfolio of that building."
Bankston said the city should remain focused on housing in this range for "working people." He said the city's strategy should be to build, preserve, invest and to get more housing stock.
"Remove red tape and get more of those units online because naturally what will happen is as you get more supply, it will become more competitive and naturally we will get back to more rents that are competitive and affordable for folks," Bankston said.
Ginther, Boos and Bankston also called on suburbs to do their part to build more housing. Ginther said Columbus is committed to fulfilling half the need for another 200,000 units in the next 10 years.
"I need the rest of the region to meet us for the other half," Ginther said.
Ginther called negotiations with other cities and towns "productive" and touted conversations with Republican leaders in the area.
Boos said the city's "doomsday" isn't to become like California or New York, but rather it risks becoming like the city of Detroit.
"It's that the jobs and the economy don't come here anymore," Boos said.
Tax abatements were also brought up at the forum. Ferenchik asked how abatements should be used to address housing as some candidates for Columbus City Council and the Columbus City Schools' Board of Education express concerns over the city's usage of the tool as the district faces increasing budget concerns.
Ginther said tax breaks for developers remain an important tool for development. He said only about 5% of the parcels within the Columbus City School District are receiving an incentive and abatement.
Ginther said although there is a short term incentive offered, after a period of time, those abatements and incentives roll off. He gave Easton as an example.
"So you think about what Easton is providing to the Columbus City School District today after an abatement and incentive has rolled off there is of significant benefit to the school district," Ginther said.
Ginther said his administration is the first to require affordability to be built in to any developments by the private sector that are receiving incentives and abatements.
"It remains an important tool but it is. Land use and zoning code reform, regional housing coalition, continuing to embrace the LinkUs efforts around transit-supportive infrastructure, transit-oriented development and incentives have to be part of this to make sure that we're making Columbus more affordable and we deal with this supply crisis," Ginther said.
Ginther urged residents to register to vote, update their voter registration and get to the polls. The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 6. and early voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 7.
