WORTHINGTON, Ohio — The City of Worthington has something in common with many central Ohio cities — it’s hard to find somewhere to live at an affordable price.
The results of a new study, commissioned by Worthington City Council, show the city needs more than 2,000 additional housing units, including rentals and owned properties, in order to keep up with demand.
Of those 2,000 units, the study showed 783 of the units should be houses under $250,000.
At a City Council meeting in May, consultants from Camoin Associates that executed the study acknowledged that building homes at that price point is not financially feasible.
They also acknowledged the lack of available land in Worthington to build on, but said this data can be used as a jumping-off point when creating strategies for Worthington’s housing goals in the future.
The real estate market in Worthington is competitive, according to longtime realtor Kathy Holcombe.
“It is very hard to find a house,” she said. “You'll find when people make offers. It is usually way over list price in Worthington and they usually have to take a lot of extra steps in order to secure that house.”
Holcombe said it can be especially difficult for seniors or people looking to downsize.
“A lot of these people that have been here since the 1960s are moving on and they don't want to move out of this area, so we have to find them something and it is not in Worthington,” she said.
Holcombe explained there is a limited supply of condominiums, apartments and housing for seniors.
The study revealed it can also be competitive to rent in Worthington.
The cost of rent is 17% higher than in the surrounding areas, and according to the study, more than a third of renters are paying more than a third of their income on rent. Of those, 53% are seniors.
Al Harris has been renting in Worthington for seven years, after moving from Upper Arlington for a more affordable option.
“It has gone up,” Harris said.
Rent increases while on a fixed income can be stressful.
“I am on social security and retirement so you never know what you are going to run into if you get a cost of living increase,” Harris said.
The study also showed that people who work in Worthington and may want to live in the city are unable to due to cost and housing availability.
Worthington's plan moving forward is to review the data and use it to inform the development of a comprehensive plan which is expected to begin this fall. For more information, click here.