The Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio released today its latest survey tracking COVID-19 impacts to the local affordable housing market. The April results show an evolving and deepening housing crisis. Effects were most pronounced in family and workforce housing populations, in which all respondents reported higher nonpayment rates, with 40% of housing providers seeing "much higher" arrears (exceeding 26% of all households). Nonpayments are expected to worsen in May as relief funds and individual savings are depleted.
Click Here to Read the Infographic Report
Outside of rent payments, affordable housing challenges also increased in nearly all tracked sectors, with many indicators already exceeding initial worst-case projections. One growing challenge is the ability to provide supportive services, particularly critical for senior residents that require assistance meeting basic needs during isolation or quarantine.
AHACO's two-page infographic report linked above continues to offer a data-informed approach for policy solutions to relieve individual household strain and enhance the capacity for the affordable housing and public service sectors to address the worsening emergency. Readers can access the full survey results online here.
One measurement improved from March to April: the ability to obtain building permits and design plan approvals. AHACO credits the City of Columbus and Franklin County for quickly identifying and responding to this challenge which stemmed from the adaptation to work-at-home requirements. This adds to a list of innovative housing interventions advanced by local leaders to ease affordability pressure, including delaying eviction hearings and supporting the homeless shelter system's response to coronavirus.
Follow us on Twitter @AffordHouse_OH to access shareable graphics from this report and stay tuned into our latest updates. The Affordable Housing Alliance will continue to monitor the situation and release additional information as it becomes available.