Reynolds Announces Housing Report Findings and Recommendations

COLUMBUS-State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) today announced the release of the Senate Select Committee on Housing report and recommendations. The report is the product of a series of hearings throughout Ohio that occurred over six months. Senator Reynolds was joined by Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), State Senator Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), State Senator Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township), and State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware).

"The Senate Select Committee on Housing has been on a mission since our first hearing in August 2023. Over the course of 6 months, we facilitated 12 live-streamed meetings across Ohio to hear first-hand from our constituents. We heard over 35 hours of testimony from more than 200 witnesses, and conducted various site tours to explore Ohio’s current housing inventory and better understand what role the State can play to encourage housing revitalization," Reynolds said. "This report represents a compilation of what we heard from Ohioans across the state and the Committee’s collective work that we believe will serve as a model and framework for future housing policy and further conversation."

“This is important work,” said Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima. “Senator Reynolds has taken the lead on this critical issue, and has put together a comprehensive, detailed report offering a vision for the future.”
The Select Committee on Housing Report includes several recommendations for consideration, such as:

• Recommendation 1: Encouraging the creation of the Ohio Housing Dashboard
• Recommendation 2: Developing the Ohio Housing Toolkit to provide an online resource hub for local governments as they navigate housing development and community planning
• Recommendation 12: Reviewing third-party services for building plans and permitting
• Recommendation 14: Assess the successes and barriers to the Welcome Home Ohio program and consider changes to improve its work
• Recommendation 18: Consider funding to administer an Ohio Housing Capacity Building Grant fund that encourages political subdivisions to build responsible density and assist local communities with housing challenges

Read the report here. Watch the full press conference on the Ohio Channel.