Taking Urgent Action to Support Ohio Housing Trust Fund budget cuts in SB 94!
About the Ohio Housing Trust Fund and Senate Bill 94
The Ohio Housing Trust Fund is the primary source of state funding for homelessness and affordable housing services. The OHTF typically provides approximately $65 million each year throughout Ohio’s 88 counties to help support: homeless shelters and supportive housing operations; home repair and accessibility modifications for low-income homeowners, and rental housing development and rehabilitation.
The OHTF is really the state’s only stable and consistent source of funding to address homelessness and create housing access to the lowest income Ohioans living in rural, suburban, and urban areas throughout the state. County recorders’ shift to digital and online document recording systems creates uncertainty for future OHTF revenues. Providing greater stability for funding the OHTF will reduce housing instability for vulnerable Ohioans – homeless families, women at risk of infant mortality, people with disabilities, and seniors who want to remain in their own homes.
More about Senate Bill 94
SB 94 cuts out the Ohio Housing Trust Fund from the proposed county recording fee adjustment in the bill. An amendment is needed to maintain the 50-50 split with the counties.
State lawmakers need to maintain support for the Ohio Housing Trust Fund, the primary source of state funding for local homelessness and housing programs throughout Ohio. If amended to preserve the 50-50 revenue split between the OHTF and counties, SB 94 would help stabilize funding to create more affordable housing and fight homelessness throughout Ohio.
How you can support Ohio Housing Trust Fund?
The Ohio Housing Trust Fund is under attack! We need you to take action TODAY to show your support for the OHTF and the established 50/50 split of County Recorder fees!
The Ohio House Finance Committee is reviewing SB 94 which cuts out the Ohio Housing Trust Fund from the proposed county recording fee adjustment in the bill. An amendment is needed to maintain the 50-50 split with the counties.
State lawmakers need to maintain support for the Ohio Housing Trust Fund, the primary source of state funding for local homelessness and housing programs throughout Ohio. If amended to preserve the 50-50 revenue split between the OHTF and counties, SB 94 would help stabilize funding to create more affordable housing and fight homelessness throughout Ohio.
As proposed, SB 94 would upset the historic agreement to equally divide recording fee revenue between counties and the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF). Voters approved the constitutional amendment on Ohio Housing Assistance in 1990, prompting the legislature to create the OHTF with broad bipartisan support.
Please reach out to members of the Ohio House of Representative and ASK:
Please amend Senate Bill 94 to ensure the Ohio Housing Trust Fund is not eroded. Please support an amendment that would modernize county recording fees while maintaining the traditional 50%-50% fee split between counties and the housing trust fund. Even with the optional fee language in the current SB 94, without this amendment, it would upset this 20+ year historic precedent by cutting the state’s most vulnerable residents out of possible increased fee revenue at a time when we are all very much aware that we’re experiencing a dramatic spike in housing insecurity.
To find out who your state representative is click here: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/members/house-directory.
And to find out who your State Senator is click here: https://www.ohiosenate.gov.
To e-mail your state representative it is all standard, it is the district number @ohiohouse.gov. For example, rep01@ohiohouse.gov is Rep. Dontavius Jarrells because he serves the first district. On the Senate side, it is the last name of the Senator with @ohiosenate.gov. For Senator Matt Dolan, it would be dolan@ohiosenate.gov
Another way to participate in this advocacy effort is to join us in signing this letter in support of the Ohio Housing Trust Fund by noon on June 20, 2024!
Read more about The Ohio Housing Trust Fund from Ohio Housing Trust Fund directly with their fact sheet.
Read more about Senate Bill 94 and how to support the OHTF with talking points.