[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6622772,"mediaKeyId","2781368-96569546c5d4527d8020572b32546d6a","parentId",2781368,"title","Columbus staff outline CRA expansion, affordability rule changes and program outcomes","audioSeconds",684,"startMs",1139000,"endMs",1823000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2781368-96569546c5d4527d8020572b32546d6a&start=1139&end=1823","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2781368-96569546c5d4527d8020572b32546d6a/thumbnail_1139000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6622772/Ohio/Columbus-staff-outline-CRA-expansion-affordability-rule-changes-and-program-outcomes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622772-73cc485683d94d477bcf4abcc659b98e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770998910&Signature=EQnA3ZtATg-nfRhXdi30c5uNmzbRCtiqyKOhpfJ-D-3bqWEneX8njBdYEwNoEUezO3H9yi3Mh9bohe8qjmWFod-WUlZ01P~qdTGsmTB0bFKUmcS59-FwhujGpu3BFiG-LwYaqA39y6d2tSO3Khr9AkA~xAPR0vMyzPdTjVedBe3WY1X049m3Xj6S-cbTPIgmP5bMnI3lpL6fqEtkjrFA4HAy5cKNmWrqf3b0TcYGeGTbFHr8Zc9N3JLNhGEXV0mibf02YtIFSXUNfl5XrXE~TgwQBp9W4cbbB6acPQJXS9Tcgsiej8~1cok1mNpTyp7muH8welmsM176mWp2iuRelw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Columbus","date","2025-03-26T19:10:07.91Z","article","City of Columbus housing staff briefed the Housing Council on program changes that expanded the geographic reach of the Columbus Housing CRA and revised affordability requirements, and presented year-end 2024 program outcomes showing modest affordable-unit production and cumulative fee-in-lieu receipts.

Jeremy Heater Druitt, development program manager for the residential tax-incentive program, told the council that city legislation in December 2023, which staff said took effect Jan. 10, 2024, dissolved most legacy community-reinvestment-area (CRA) boundaries and replaced them with a single Columbus Housing CRA. He said the expanded CRA now covers roughly 85% of city parcels and retains a three-tier affordability framework based on census-tract designations: market-ready, ready-for-revitalization and ready-for-opportunity. A small number of legacy CRAs and certain economic-development areas such as active TIF districts were intentionally exempted.

Druitt summarized affordability rules first adopted in 2018 and revised in 2022. Under the 2022 adjustments for rental projects, staff said options now include a deeper-affordability path (10% of units at or below 60% area median income and 10% at or below 80% AMI) or a wider-affordability path (30% of units at or below 80% AMI). For owner-occupied home-ownership products in market-ready and ready-for-revitalization areas, owners must be at or below 120% AMI and housing expenses cannot exceed 35% of income to qualify for abatement. Ready-for-opportunity areas were described as having lower affordability thresholds, including a rental option of 10% at 80% AMI and 10% at or below 100% AMI; ready-for-opportunity was exempt from the owner-occupied home-ownership requirement.

The fee-in-lieu option, available for certain rental projects, was revised in 2022 so payments go directly to the city housing fund rather than to a community development corporation. Druitt said some fee-in-lieu payments have been received but none of that money has yet been spent. Staff reported a cumulative fee-in-lieu total of about $1.1 million since the program's affordability requirements took effect in 2018.

On program outcomes at year-end 2024, Druitt said the program was monitoring about 220 units at or below 60% AMI, about 518 units at or below 80% AMI and about 221 units at or below 100% AMI; staff also counted 629 units produced under Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects that are fully affordable and must average 60% AMI across units. Druitt reported that approximately 1.5% of city parcels are currently receiving abatements; the combined appraised value of abated properties was reported as about $11.8 billion, with a payment value of about $97 million. He said the first home-ownership product under the 120% AMI rule was approved by staff at the meeting.

Druitt said the program is required to undergo a triennial review and that the next review is due by July 31 this year; staff said that review could result in no changes or in refinements to tiers and requirements. He also described a single-family pilot for projects of 100 or more owner-occupied structures that, subject to a waiver process, could proceed by offering 30% of units at or below 120% AMI; staff have offered one waiver so far but had not approved any applications at the time of the meeting.

Ending: Council members asked to be kept informed about the fee-in-lieu working group and any outcomes from the upcoming triennial review. Staff agreed to identify working-group members and to report back to the council on recommended uses of the fee-in-lieu funds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Housing Council 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff described the Columbus Housing CRA expansion to cover roughly 85% of parcels, changes to affordability requirements made in 2022, a single-family pilot, and program outcomes including monitored units, appraised value of abated properties and $1.1 million in fee-in-lieu receipts.","taxTitle","Columbus City Council, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio","taxId",75950,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6622777,"Columbus housing council appoints two members, authorizes inspection findings letters",344,207000,551000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2781368-96569546c5d4527d8020572b32546d6a&start=207&end=551","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2781368-96569546c5d4527d8020572b32546d6a/thumbnail_207000.jpg","/articles/6622777/Ohio/Columbus-housing-council-appoints-two-members-authorizes-inspection-findings-letters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6622777-5fd6a1af248237239b4f1ed2adfc2bc7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770998910&Signature=WbY4z-v8~lT9FvorqkV75dV9uv9pu3D1bf95JaRW8jmjyG9~FH~Om4AfNnx7ef8BWdilbjyI-HRRz1bSv5QOBDq-uN6v20Be0HKhA-6BS9YbFAnngp9ylnuoZzVey-kcKcgy2L7IKsKnve4SOxUqALe5q6A4wF-Cq7w9IGtXSTgEb9O4u1FPQ44UgCv9bfPZozYgdcpxPEVQB9uFnqv5iEjDmpbi0qAJtIF39U2n0AwKB2RhpwE4AB03LOj5N93usdbbFrRyld64s~nCyipLWAmrFuwh4910FblEOD7KlHE74hpAhcljf6J7bRdsg2WbZMq5cW5teXci6iT-7gLo7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Columbus Housing Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to appoint Matthew Hanson and Deborah Diggs to the council and to accept the residential tax-incentive program's annual exterior inspection findings, authorizing the administration to issue letters to property owners asking them to remedy identified issues within six months.

Jeremy Heater Druitt, development program manager for the residential tax-incentive program, opened the annual meeting and introduced staff from the division, including Edward Donis Madison, Aaron Prosser and members of the ResTax team. He said the council now has a full seven-member roster after the appointments were approved by a unanimous vote. \"Welcome, Matthew and Deborah as of a few moments ago,\" Druitt told the group.

Druitt described the inspections as the program's \"key annual item,\" saying the housing-technical team completed an exterior inspection cycle in January and February for properties that currently have an active abatement. \"We want to make sure under Ohio Revised Code rules that these properties are kept in good shape, both in terms of cosmetics, but also in terms of safety,\" he said.

Staff reported that the housing-technical team inspected 2,768 properties this year and that the administration reduced an initial list of roughly 85 findings to about 70 items they considered appropriate for remediation. Druitt gave three examples cited by inspectors: painted boards made to look like windows on a single-family home at Dakota Avenue; leftover wooden concrete forms at a new-build in the Grandview Yard development; and a repeat finding on a historic structure on Deshler Avenue where repairs must follow historic-preservation channels.

Druitt said the administration will send letters to owners of properties with findings asking for repairs within six months and noted the city has the authority to revoke an abatement for repeated or continual negligence. \"It is within our right to revoke the abatement. That is not our goal. We do want to help the property owner get the property in good condition first,\" he said.

During discussion, new council member Robert Williams asked whether inspectors use a prescriptive metric. Druitt answered that the inspections are not the same as code violations and that inspectors apply professional judgment within broad categories such as safety, physical character and signs of neglect. He said the initial inspection list was pared down so that minor deterioration that would not justify revocation (for example, a single missing board in a back fence) was excluded.

The council voted to accept the inspection report and to authorize staff to issue the finding letters; the vote was unanimous. The meeting concluded with routine scheduling and a reminder that the council is required to meet once a year in March, though the chair said staff can convene additional check-ins or an orientation for newer members.

Ending: Council members said they would like an orientation or refresher materials for new members explaining the council's role and the division's processes. Druitt agreed to provide documentation and to schedule a January touch point ahead of the required March meeting.","The Columbus Housing Council voted unanimously to appoint two members to fill its seven-seat roster and to accept exterior inspection results for properties with active tax abatements, authorizing staff to send compliance letters giving property owners six months to remedy findings.","actionData","errors"]

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Columbus staff outline CRA expansion, affordability rule changes and program outcomes

Columbus housing council appoints two members, authorizes inspection findings letters