The Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio (COHHIO), an NLIHC state partner, hosted on October 9 its first post-pandemic Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse. More than 60 advocates – from service providers to people with lived experience of housing injustice – participated in 50 meetings with members of Ohio’s House of Representatives and Senate. Collectively, they strove to paint an accurate picture of homelessness in their local communities, highlighted the crucial work they are carrying out to prevent and end homelessness, and discussed ways the state can help advance their aims. The Advocacy Day was one of several events held in Ohio’s capital region recently to draw attention to the deepening housing crisis and compel action from elected officials.
The Advocacy Day legislative priorities included funding for the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF), supporting Ohio Senate Bill 245 to allow eviction record sealing and expand access to counsel, and preventing the criminalization of people experiencing homelessness. With regard to the OHTF, advocates focused on the human and economic impacts of the funds and the housing needs across Ohio that require consistent and expanded funding. Meanwhile, SB 245 would seal eviction records at the point of filing or give a tenant the opportunity to file for sealing after five years. Additionally, SB 245 would expand free legal access to counsel for lower income tenants with at least one child. Finally, SB 245 would require real estate buyers to disclose certain information, such as who would be responsible for overseeing the property, as a measure to prevent predatory practices by corporate landlords. In terms of preventing the criminalization of people experiencing homelessness, advocates referenced the recent Supreme Court ruling in Johnson v. Grants Pass and raised awareness about how to reduce homelessness using the Housing First approach.
Most of the legislative meetings included people with direct experience of homelessness and housing injustice who shared how the housing crisis has affected them personally. Multi-sector partners from the healthcare, legal aid, and disability justice sectors also participated to underscore how housing affordability intersects with other social issues and is foundational to living a healthy, productive life. The Advocacy Day wrapped up with a meeting with the Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Housing, who is a primary sponsor for SB 245. The committee held hearings on housing across the state in 2023, in which COHIIO and its partners actively participated. In 2024 the committee issued a report encapsulating insights from the hearings and offering 23 recommendations to address Ohio’s complex housing challenges. Advocates are pleased to see the state legislature focusing on the issue of housing and moving forward with bipartisan policy solutions.
In addition to the Statehouse Advocacy Day, several other events took place across the Columbus area over the fall to draw attention to the growing homelessness and housing crisis and create opportunities for the public to weigh in with decision makers about solutions. COHHIO hosted a screening of the documentary Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness at the Lincoln Theatre, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers. The filmmakers traveled across the country to answer the question: How can the U.S. solve homelessness in a comprehensive way? Through these events, they hope to change the national discourse about solutions to homelessness and address the upstream causes and the downstream needs to end homelessness. The Community Shelter Board held the “I AM..” Community Summit to bring together advocates, community leaders, and elected officials to drive real change and disrupt the systems that perpetuate homelessness. In September, the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio hosted The Big “Kitchen-Table” Talk on Affordable Housing, which invited the public to discuss what they wish candidates understood about housing in the Heartland. As camping bans are introduced across Ohio, advocates hope that these community discussions and legislative advocacy conducted in Central Ohio can help show other parts of the state that there is a more effective and humane approach to ending homelessness than through criminalization.
“Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse was more than just a way to encourage lawmakers to take action on issues of homelessness and the need for affordable housing,” said Amy Riegel, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. “It was also a way to demystify advocacy and show our members and allies that elected officials are really just people they can talk to about issues in their community. We’re working to democratize our advocacy and mobilize local networks to advocate for solutions to homelessness and the cycle of eviction.”