Joplin & Springfield Real Estate Investor Association

Title: Ohio's quest to regulate residential PACE lending.
Please see the attached article from Crain’s Cleveland Business on PACE loans in Ohio and where HB 646 currently stands.

Title: Landlords offered cash incentives to participate in voucher program.
Please see the attached article from The Toledo Blade regarding a new regional initiative focused on addressing Toledo’s housing crisis by enticing landlords to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher Program through a cash incentive.

Title: Columbus plans to fast-track affordable housing, help cover permit fees for small and medium-size developers.
Please see the attached article from Columbus Business First regarding comments from Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther on the city’s plans to start fast-tracking affordable housing projects by the end of the year.

Title: Ohio's largest business organization outlines blueprint for the state's economic future.
Please see the attached article from The Statehouse News Bureau regarding a new report from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce containing several recommendations for Ohio businesses and outlining the group's policy objectives for the coming decade. A copy of the Chamber’s executive summary and the full report are also attached for your review.
&ck=c442755c-bfa6-4f31-8ec4-4614a43f69f2 ... Read More…

Title: New Legislation Introduced - HB 726.
We would like to make you aware of the following legislation that was introduced on October 3rd, 2022  in the Ohio House:
HB 726 – PROPERTY TAX FREEZE AUTHORIZATION (Patton, T) - To allow certain counties to authorize a property tax freeze for certain owner-occupied homes.
Attached you will find a copy of the bill for your review.

Title: Ohio meets deadline for COVID-19 rental assistance money, but slow to get money out.
Please see the article from The Columbus Dispatch regarding the deadline for Ohio to use its portion of the federal COVID-19 rental assistance money passed on the 30th of September, 2022.

Title: Ohio General Election Information - November 8, 2022.
Early voting for Ohio’s November 8th General Election will begin on October 12th, and we at Governmental Policy Group, Inc. and RH Resources would like to provide you with a few tools to help you follow the various races throughout the state.
Attached you will find a 2022 General Election Guide containing a list of candidates and statewide issues appearing on the ballot this November. This year, Ohio will be voting on several statewide and congressional candidates, all 99 Ohio House and odd-numbered Ohio Senate districts, and two statewide issues. Because of redistricting, new congressional map and state legislative maps (house of representatives districts & senate districts) will be in place for this election, and your current district numbers may have ch ... Read More…

Title: Report Breaks Down Economic Impact Of Housing Finance Agency Programs.
Please see the article below from Gongwer regarding a recent economic impact report from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency showing that the agency's efforts each year generate about $432.2 million in direct and indirect tax revenue while sustaining more than 27,000 jobs. A copy of the full report is also attached for your review.
Gongwer Article:
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency continues to be an economic generator for the state despite a tumultuous housing industry, according to a new analysis.
OHFA's new economic impact report calculated that the agency's efforts each year generate about $432.2 million in direct and indirect tax revenue while sustaining more than 27,000 jobs.
All that came as the agency and the state at large navigate the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted supply chains and driven up costs for homebuyers and construction firms.
"The work we're doing here at OHFA to create safe, affordable housing improves the health, education, and economic outcomes for Ohio families," Executive Director Shawn Smith said in a statement. "It also is an economic driver, supporting nearly 7,000 construction jobs, more than 4,800 health care and social assistance jobs and more than 3,000 jobs in the finance and insurance sector.
"The report, based on data over the last five years, determined the agency is responsible for a $4.5 billion output for the state each year, translating i ... Read More…

Title: HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge on soaring cost of buying and renting homes.
Please see the interview transcript from PBS with Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Marcia Fudge on the rising costs for housing across the U.S. To listen to the audio of the interview, please click here.

Title: Controlling Board Agenda - September 19, 2022.
We would like to make you aware of the following Department of Health request that has been added to the agenda for the next Ohio Controlling Board meeting, which is scheduled for today Monday, September 19, 2022.
73 DOH0105018 – The Department of Health respectfully requests Controlling Board approval for a waiver of competitive selection in the amount of $40,000 from Fund GRF, ALI 440527 (Lead Abatement) in FY 2023 to contract with Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP), Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (OHHLPPP).

Title: Ohio Launches 'Cut Red Tape' Website.
Please see the article below from Gongwer regarding the launch of the new “Cut Red Tape Ohio” website, which allows Ohioans to provide input on how agency rules work in the real world or to ask questions about rules. The website was created as a result of SB 9, which seeks to limit regulatory restrictions and create a more business-friendly environment in Ohio.
Gongwer Article:
Business owners and citizens can more easily raise concerns about Ohio regulations through a new online tool ... Read More…

Title: Housing Group Seeks Funds For Second Study.
Please see the article below from Gongwer regarding housing advocates seeking an additional $9 million to expand a pilot program that has shown a positive connection between housing security and infant and maternal health. A copy of the program’s executive summary is also attached for your review.
Gongwer Article:
Housing advocates are seeking an additional $9 million to expand a pilot program that has shown a positive connection between housing security and infant and maternal health.
Launched in 2018, Healthy Beginnings at Home studied 100 families and found those that received interventions had higher rates of babies born at full-term and at a healthy birth weight and spent less time in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Those who received housing supports also saw significant Medicaid savings ($4,175 per claim) compared to those who did not ($21,521), Amy Riegel, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, told the Infant Mortality Commission Wednesday.
"Research showed this was a pilot that had all the makings of taking it to the next level for replication and scale," Ms. Riegel said.
COHHIO, which is leading the program, has secured $2.25 million from the Department of Health to replicate the pilot program with 30 households in Akron and 60 in Columbus.
"The funding is greatly appreciated and was championed by many leaders here in the caucus and at the governor's office," Ms. Riegel said. "Thi ... Read More…

Title: Biz Groups Back Use Of Federal Funds For Affordable Housing.
Please see the article below from Gongwer regarding statewide business organizations showing their support behind efforts to steer a portion of Ohio's ARPA funding toward affordable housing initiatives in a letter to Gov. DeWine. A copy of the letter is also attached for your review.
Gongwer Article:
Several statewide business organizations have thrown their support behind an effort to steer a portion of Ohio's American Rescue Plan Act funding toward affordable housing initiatives.
The groups noted in a letter to the DeWine Administration that the U.S. Treasury Department recently updated guidance for the money that clears the way for such uses.
"This means affordable housing developers can now utilize these funds in full compliance with the proposal to invest $308 million in ARPA funding that was submitted to your office earlier this year by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) and over 225 other Ohio-based companies and organizations," the groups wrote.
The letter was signed by the Ohio Housing Council, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio REALTORS, Ohio Bankers' League and Ohio Apartment Association.
"These groups recognize that affordable housing is the foundation of a strong, healthy and productive workforce," COHHIO Executive Director Amy Riegel said in a statement. "Businesses need a diversity of workers in order to thrive, and those workers need a range of affordable housing options."
The p ... Read More…