Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
FINDLAY, OH – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined local elected and nonprofit leaders for a roundtable to discuss housing needs as Congress works to make new investments in communities.
“Ohio towns like Findlay can’t reach their full potential and can’t attract new jobs and new residents if people don’t have an affordable place to live,” said Brown at the roundtable. “That’s why I’m working on a significant investment in housing and communities across the country, to help bring down housing costs and grow communities.”
Brown was joined at the roundtable by Findlay and Hancock County nonprofit, government and housing advocacy leaders.
“Senator Brown has always been a champion of helping those in need. His leadership in ensuring the availability of these funds to help families remain stably housed, and to keep landlords whole, is greatly appreciated and is measurably improving the lives of many,” said Josh Anderson, President/CEO, Hancock Hardin Wyandot and Putnam Community Action Commission.
“Everyone, regardless of where they live or their circumstances, needs housing stability and security. Throughout the pandemic we have been able to provide this through our emergency rental assistance programs. Supporting both the client and the landlord has been critical to the successful implementation of eviction prevention. CARES Act funds have allowed us to actively pursue effective distribution methods thereby tripling the number of landlords we typically work with and more than doubling the number of clients served,” said Sue Lehman, CEO, Hope House.
“Our clients are families with children and many households are led by single mothers. They are having difficulty finding housing because of the dearth of affordable housing. Many landlords are selling their properties because the market has increased the value of the houses substantially. Rental prices have increased as landlords have more individuals seeking housing. Our clients are staying in hotels and with families in cramped homes. Despite the availability of rental assistance, evictions are still happening every day,” said Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc.
Housing and other local infrastructure needs factor heavily into efforts to attract businesses, industry, and residents to Findlay. According to a June 2020 study, more than 4,100 households in Hancock County pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing, and 22,000 people who work in Hancock County commute from outside the county.
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