COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Senate Select Committee on Housing released a report on Wednesday detailing what can be done to fix the supply and cost of housing in the state.
The 93-page report, titled "Housing Reimagined," outlines 23 recommendations for the short-term and long-haul fixes on Ohio housing.
State leaders say it's a problem that has been pervasive and only getting worse
Committee chair Senator Michele Reynolds said the first thing the state needs to do is take action.
“We can no longer be casual about this issue,” Reynolds said. “It is a priority and we need to make it a priority because we're facing challenges that are increasingly getting worse."
The committee said the demand for housing is higher than the supply of homes everywhere in Ohio, keeping mortgages and rental rates high. They also said having competition in the market among builders would help bring costs down.
Some of the key recommendations are:
- Create a housing dashboard to increase transparency about home prices, rental rates, inventory of houses and foreclosures
- Encourage alternative housing, such as modular homes and tiny homes
- Review consumer protections in the home-buying process
- Update codes for renters
- Look at property taxes and incentives for builders
Senator Hearcel Craig introduced four bills Wednesday morning, but the committee acknowledges it will take a long time to fix the housing challenges.
"To be categorically clear, we must recognize that there is still work to be done. Together we can build a future where every Ohioan has a place to call home,” Craig said.
