COLUMBUS, OH (WLIO) - Ohio hands out billions of American Rescue Plan dollars and looks at addressing the lack of housing in the state. Gov. Mike DeWine signed a spending bill with nearly $6 billion in federal and state dollars to support programs like mental health services, hospitals, and school coronavirus relief. The spending bill put aside $500 million to assist Ohio’s childcare industry. It also had a controversial provision to allow county auditors the authority to set values for low-income housing projects, which could affect real estate tax collection. But DeWine says addressing low-income housing will be one of his priorities in his next two-year budget that need to be completed this summer.
“We will ask the general assembly to establish a state low-income housing tax credit,” says DeWine. “This is something that we have looked at. Something that we have been thinking about. It is something that a number of states have. We do not have it. I believe that I will be a gamechanger if the legislature does in fact approve that.”
Also expected in the proposed next two-year budget, will be a request to create a tax credit to build single family homes, and use existing tax credit to promote more home ownership.
“I think Ohio will have a very aggressive approach towards both affordable housing, workforce housing, and home ownership,” adds Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. “Which we need in this state because the economy is growing and people are looking to move here, to find work here, to stay here, and build their lives and housing is a very important component of that.”
DeWine says his administration will be announcing his proposed two-year budget for the state in the next few weeks.
