(The Center Square) – The National Low Income Housing Coalition, or NLIHC, released its annual report on the affordable housing shortage with Ohio coming in with a shortage of 266,000 affordable and available units.
The Gap report found that about half of the state’s renters are paying more than they can sustainably afford to stay housed.
The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, or COHHIO, joined with the NLIHC in releasing the report, highlighting the state’s 422,000 “extremely” low-income renters who earn less than $33,000 annually for families of four. The report found that 73% of families in this category spend more than half their total income on rent, a 7% increase over five years.
Ohio’s major cities follow a pattern the NLIHC has identified nationwide – metropolitan areas simply do not have what they need to affordably house their populations. Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland were each short by more than 50,000 units.
Advocates are pressing lawmakers to increase subsidies, housing programs and emergency assistance. It’s an issue that has dominated recent elections across the United States, perhaps most notably buoying progressive Zohran Mamdani to executive office in New York City.
NLIHC President and CEO Renee M. Willis pointed to Congress for solutions in order to prevent the downstream effects of housing instability. Housing unaffordability often leaves families unable to shoulder the burden of health care costs and other essentials, while homelessness frequently impacts school attendance and academic performance.
“Policymakers must focus on the most vulnerable – the hundreds of thousands of hard-working Ohioans who are living on the edge, where a sudden illness or car repair can lead to eviction and potentially homelessness,” said COHHIO Executive Director Amy Riegel. “The time for complacency is over. We need action, and we look forward to working with elected officials to find a path out of the housing crisis.”
The state’s legislators agree that affordable housing is a top priority. The Center Square reached out to Housing Committee Chair Michele Reynolds, R-Canal Winchester.
“Ohio’s housing shortage is real, and it’s one we must confront with solutions that increase supply and expand opportunity,” said Reynolds.
“As chair of the Senate Housing Committee, I have championed investments in the state budget such as REDD grant funding and the Rural Housing Development Fund to help communities build and rehabilitate housing where it’s needed most.”
The Residential Economic Development District, or REDD, Program awards local municipalities grants toward housing initiatives for workforce in areas where major economic developments are underway.
“Alongside legislative efforts like the Promised Land Act, these initiatives are focused on closing Ohio’s affordable housing gap by supporting development, revitalizing communities, and ensuring more Ohio families have access to safe, stable housing they can afford,” said Reynolds.
The Promised Land Act, introduced by Reynolds in September of 2025, would offer a 10% tax credit to nonprofits and churches for non-rental housing projects, which they could claim or sell to developers. The law would cost taxpayers $25 million annually.
Critics have worried that, if passed, the law could blur the boundaries between church and state and pave the way for entities to capitalize on nonprofit status to grow business ventures.
