Public Policy and Advocacy

Ohio CDC Association (OCDCA) advocates on behalf of CDCs and their communities to create public policy and a regulatory environment that will assist CDCs to be successful in their mission of revitalizing and strengthening communities.

What’s New

December 16, 2022

Request to Governor DeWine to veto provisions in Sub HB 45 related to Low-Income Housing Tax Credit property and historical rehabilitation tax credit eligibility

December 1, 2021

OHFA Releases 2022 AHFA and Additional Application Forms

OHFA has posted the 2022 Affordable Housing Funding Application for the 2022 Competitive Housing Tax Credit Round. Additionally, the Development Team Pre-Approval Form, The Design and Construction Features Form, and the Exception Request form have been posted. The last day to request a pre-application meeting with OHFA is December 1st. Please email QAP@ohiohome.org if you would like to schedule one.

November 30, 2021

Urge Senators Portman & Brown to Support the Build Back Better Act

The Senate is now considering the Build Back Better Act. Changes to the bill’s provisions are expected. Senate leadership is trying to pass the Build Back Better Act by Christmas Recess.

Take Action Today! Contact Senators Portman and Brown and mobilize your networks to get this landmark legislation passed:

Voice your support for the Build Back Better bill, noting the importance of preserving $150 billion in housing and community development investments.
Urge people in your professional and personal networks to call their Senators to support the Build Back Better bill.

November 8, 2021

Where Ohio’s larger cities stand with local ARPA

The Ohio Capital Journal has summarized where many of Ohio’s larger cities stand on investing their local American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

November 4, 2021

Neighborhood Homes Investment Act included in House Build Back Better Package

The Neighborhood Homes Credit (aka Neighborhood Homes Investment Act) is included in the House version of the Build Back Better Act. The bill would establish the Neighborhood Homes Credit (NHC) to promote new construction or substantial rehabilitation of affordable, owner‐occupied housing located in distressed neighborhoods. The NHC would allow project sponsors to claim a credit to cover the difference between the costs to rehabilitate a home in a distressed neighborhood, or build a new home on an empty lot, and the price for which the home is sold. As with the Housing Credit, the program would be overseen by the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, which would allocate credit authority to each state. Each state would be required to designate a single agency to award the credits, and each agency would be expected to develop a Qualified Allocation Plan for their NHC program. Each state’s NHC allocation would be equal to its state population times $3 (roughly $35 million for Ohio), with a small-state minimum of $4 million, except for in 2025 when the cap would be $6 times the state population ($70 million for Ohio) or $8 million. In years 2023 to 2025, those amounts would be adjusted upward for inflation. The program would sunset after 2025.

Thank you to all the members that signed on in support to Senator Sherrod Brown. We’ll be in touch for additional advocacy.

November 4, 2021

Homeowner’s Assistance Fund

Homeowners with gross annual incomes less than 150% of the household area median income who experienced a financial hardship due to a material reduction in income or material increase in living expenses associated with the coronavirus pandemic after January 21, 2020, MAY be eligible to apply for the Homeowners Assistance Fund through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.

November 3, 2021

Housing Would Get $150B in Biden’s Revised Spending Framework

From NACEDA: President Biden announced a tentative agreement with Congressional leaders on his Build Back Better agenda. The agreement includes over $150 billion in affordable housing and community development investments over ten years. While the announcement represents a historic investment in housing and communities, NACEDA is deeply disappointed that the plan left out the CHDO set aside in the HOME Program. Read more.

October 28, 2021

OHFA Posts QAP and Draft Multifamily Underwriting Guidelines

OHFA has posted the draft of the 2022 Multifamily Underwriting Guidelines and the draft of the 2022 Design & Architectural Standards. The drafts incorporate feedback received on the 2021 guidelines. The drafts will be posted for comment until November 24th. Comments must be sent to QAP@ohiohome.org.

OHFA has posted the 2022-2023 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). The QAP was approved by OHFA's Board on September 15th.

October 11, 2021

New Loan Programs to Help Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses

The new Women's Business Enterprise Loan Program and Ohio Micro-Enterprise Loan Program were both priority initiatives of the DeWine-Husted Administration included in the 2022-2023 operating budget, which was passed in June by the Ohio General Assembly. Read more.

Women’s Business Enterprise Loan Program: These loans will be offered at or below market rate and currently are up to 3%. The minimum loan amount is $45,000 up to a maximum of $500,000. Loans will be repaid within 10 years for equipment and machinery and 15 years for owner-occupied real estate. Businesses must be 51% ownership and control by women or be certified as a Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE).
Ohio Micro-Enterprise Loan Program: These loans will have a 0% interest rate. The minimum loan is $10,000 up to a maximum of $45,000. Loans will be repaid within five years for permanent working capital and seven years for equipment. Businesses must be certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) or a Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE).

October 11, 2021

Pandemic Grant Programs Still Available to Businesses

Many small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic still have access to four grant programs initiated by the DeWine-Husted Administration. The Ohio Department of Development is administering the grants. Read more.

September 29, 2021

Build Back Better Act in Flux

The Build Back Better Act is a transformational plan to invest in America’s people and communities that includes affordable housing and community development ($300 Billion+), permanently extending the child tax credit, establishing universal pre-K, federally paid family and medical leave, climate change mitigation and renewable energy, among other initiatives. This would be paid for by tax increases on large corporations and the wealthy (2017 witnessed substantial tax reductions). The Build Back Better Act is unfortunately referred to by the oft-cited (without context) amount of $3.5 Trillion in spending. It’s important to note that political attacks and media coverage rarely cite the important nuances of corresponding revenue raised and that the amount is over a whole decade and only represents 1.2% of the American economy over this time period. Read more.

September 29, 2021

Revised Financial Literacy Bill Clears House Panel

A measure that would require Ohio high school students to receive financial literacy instruction advanced in the House on Tuesday after it saw a raft of changes. Read more.

September 9, 2021

OCC Issues NPR to Rescind 2020 CRA Rulemaking

On September 8, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued an official notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to rescind its June 2020 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rulemaking and replace it with rules largely based on the 1995 CRA rules, as revised. Read more.

September 1, 2021

Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces Immediate Steps to Increase Affordable Housing Supply

Today, the Biden Administration announced several administrative strategies that can be implemented without Congressional approval to increase the nation’s affordable housing supply. The goal of today’s announcement is “to create, preserve, and sell to homeowners and non-profits nearly 100,000 additional affordable homes for homeowners and renters over the next three years, with an emphasis on the lower and middle segments of the market.” View the White House fact sheet on this supplement to the Build Back Better Agenda. Read more.

Get Involved

Advocacy is not easy for everyone, but anyone can be an advocate for change. Check out these resources for ways to get involved!

Advocacy Quick Links:

More ways to get involved:

Housing and Community Coalition

Sign on to support the coalition’s family empowerment & community rebuilding platform.

Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding

Find sample articles and tweets from CHCDF.

HOME Coalition

Sign the HOME Coalition's letter urging Congress to protect and restore funding for HOME.

Voices for National Service

Join them in asking Congress to protect the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), AmeriCorps, and Senior Corps.

Rebuilding Ohio

Sign on to support the coalition’s pandemic recovery platform.

Join OCDCA’s Advocacy Efforts

Please contact Torey Hollingsworth to discuss any policy concerns:
Email: thollingsworth@ohiocdc.org
Phone: 614-461-6392 x 207

Sign up for news & alerts!

Sign Up For News

Get the OCDCA monthly newsletter, advocacy alerts, and other communications.

It’s easy to call your Congressperson. Here is a video of OCDCA Director, Nate Coffman calling Senator Portman’s office.

Main Street Job Recovery Program

July 12, 2022: OCDCA to provide $500,000 in grant funding for three Ohio nonprofits.

Ohio CDC Association (OCDCA) today announced three Ohio nonprofits - CleveLawn, Co-Op Dayton, and Community Development For All People (CD4AP) - will be awarded $500,000 in state funding through The Main Street Job Recovery Program for job creation efforts to benefit local communities. Read our official press release here.

March 29, 2022: OCDCA, through ODOD, launches the Main Street Job Recovery Program

OCDCA is excited to launch this program we worked hard to advocate for! Learn more about the Main Street Job Recovery Program as a funding opportunity.

July 1: Main Street Job Recovery Program Included in Budget

The final budget included $500,000 in funding for the Main Street Job Recovery Program that will provide state funds for community development organizations that address the economic needs of low -and moderate-income individuals and families through the creation of permanent business development and employment opportunities. The program will focus on creating jobs for Ohioans while rebuilding neighborhoods by addressing priorities such as blight remediation, vacant properties, housing, and the reentry population. Although the final amount was not the goal this is still positive as it’s rare to have new programs funded on the first attempt. Efforts are underway to increase this amount through American Rescue Plan Act funds. We were pleased with the amount of bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. OCDCA would like to thank all of the members that advocated to their legislators and the organizations that signed on in support!

April 13: Main Street Job Recovery Program Included in House Budget

The Main Street Job Recovery Program will provide state funds for nonprofit organizations that address the economic needs of low-and moderate- income individuals and families through the creation of permanent business development and employment opportunities. The program will focus on creating jobs for Ohioans while rebuilding neighborhoods by addressing priorities such as blight remediation, vacant properties, housing, and the reentry population.

We’re pleased that a bipartisan group of 10 submitted the proposed amendment to the House budget version that include Rep Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township), Rep Sara Carruthers (R – Hamilton), Rep Jeff Crossman (D – Parma), Rep Laura Lanese (R – Grove City), Rep Lepore-Hagan (D – Youngstown), Rep Gayle Manning (R – North Ridgeville), Rep Mike O’Brien (D – Warren), Rep Tom Patton (R – Strongsville), Rep Jean Schmidt (R – Miami Township), Rep Bride Rose Sweeney (D – Cleveland). The program was included in the House-passed budget but at a lower than requested amount of $500,000 a year. This is still positive as it’s rare to have new programs funded in the budget. Efforts are underway to increase this amount in the Senate and to access state resources for community development in the American Rescue Plan Act.

March 21: Main Street Job Recovery Program Update

Ohio CDC Association (OCDCA) is advocating for the Main Street Job Recovery Program at the Statehouse during this budget season in order to increase resources for community development organizations.

We’re pleased that a bipartisan group of 10 submitted the proposed amendment to the House budget version that include Rep Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township), Rep Sara Carruthers (R – Hamilton), Rep Jeff Crossman (D – Parma), Rep Laura Lanese (R – Grove City), Rep Lepore-Hagan (D – Ytown), Rep Gayle Manning (R – North Ridgeville), Rep Mike O’Brien (D – Warren), Rep Tom Patton (R – Strongsville), Rep Jean Schmidt (R – Miami Township), Rep Bride Rose Sweeney (D – Cleveland). If you or your organization are represented by one of the below reps, will you please send them a quick email thanking them? Look up your Rep quickly to know for sure who they are.

About the Main Street Job Recovery Program

The Main Street Job Recovery Program will create employment opportunities, support small businesses and startups, and increase self-sufficiency among Ohioans—particularly those with low- to moderate-incomes (LMI) – while working to strengthen and restore the community.

The initiative will build on and augment the federal government’s existing Community Economic Development (CED) grant program and address the economic needs of residents through the creation of permanent businesses and job opportunities. The state program will support community efforts that drive catalytic investment that is needed most on Ohio’s Main Streets.

OCDCA is advocating for the Main Street Job Recovery Program at the Statehouse during this budget season in order to increase resources for community development organizations to rebuild their communities around the state.

Read more about the program.

Read the Main Street Job Recovery Program Support Letter

May 2021

Honorable Senate President Matt Huffman
1 Capitol Square, 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

Dear Senate President Huffman,

As a member of the Ohio CDC Association, we write to ask for your support for creation of the Main Street Job Recovery Program in the biennial operating budget. Our organizations are locally based rural and urban non-profits that work to rebuild neighborhoods through initiatives such as economic development, affordable housing, financial counseling and local food access.

Ohio communities have been hard-hit by the ongoing pandemic. With unemployment numbers continuing to increase and businesses being forced to close their doors permanently, now is the time to invest in catalytic programs to rebuild Ohio communities.

The Main Street Job Recovery Program will provide state funds for nonprofit organizations that address the economic needs of low-and moderate- income individuals and families through the creation of permanent business development and employment opportunities. The program will focus on creating jobs for Ohioans while rebuilding Main Streets by addressing priorities such as blight remediation, vacant properties, housing, and the reentry population. The Development Services Agency will administer the program and work with grantees to track the impact on these metrics. Program success will be measured based on the number of businesses created and expanded, the number of jobs created, and the amount of funds leveraged as a result of the Main Street Job Recovery Program.

We know this is a successful model because it is similar to the federal Community Economic Development grant program housed under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. CED awards funds to private, non-profit organizations that are community development corporations, including faith-based organizations, that have as their principal purpose planning, developing or managing low-income housing or community development projects to create employment opportunities that lead to increased self-sufficiency for individuals with low income.

On average, one Ohio nonprofit community development organization has been awarded a CED grant each year. Currently, five community development organizations have seven active CED grants awarded over the past five years totaling just under $5 million. These projects are self-sustaining as nonprofit recipients have leveraged an additional $80 million in public and private funds for job creation and revitalization efforts.

Funding for the federal program is limited and competition nationwide is fierce for these grants. Sub. House Bill 110 includes $250,000 each fiscal year for this program, which would support two projects over the biennium. We ask for your support of an amendment to increase the appropriation to $1.5 million each fiscal year, that would support up to 14 project sites in rural, suburban and urban areas of the state, and would generate up to an additional $20 to $30 million in private investment.

Nonprofit organizations are uniquely positioned to spur economic development by leveraging public resources to draw additional private investments. It is difficult to assess the total impact that COVID-19 has had on Ohio’s economy, but we know that countless Ohioans and their communities have suffered through this crisis, and it will take strategic, local-driven actions to rebuild our great cities, counties, villages, and townships.

Please support creation of the Main Street Job Recovery Program to create a powerful tool for Ohio communities to create permanent skilled jobs while strengthening and restoring their communities.

Sincerely,

Sign the letter!

Community Reinvestment Act

July 22, 2022: OCDCA submits Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) comments to Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

OCDCA submitted a five-page letter to the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation addressing concerns and improvements in their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) on the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Comments are due at 11:59 PM on August 6th 2022. Read our comment letter.

February 12, 2021: OCDCA Submits Comment on Federal Reserve’s ANPR on CRA

OCDCA submitted a four-page letter to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors on Friday addressing concerns and improvements in their Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Comments are due at 11:59 PM on February 16th. Read our comment letter.

February 2, 2021: Deadline approaching to submit comment to the Federal Reserve

Submit comments by February 16 for the Federal Reserve Board's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The Fed proposal improves upon the current CRA exam structure in contrast to previous rulemaking by the Office of the Comptroller, which dramatically weakens CRA. These two federal agencies regulate different banks and were unable to agree upon common rulemaking. NCRC has posted sample comment letters.

December 1, 2020: Updates to the CRA

The Federal Reserve Board of Governors released an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Comments are due by February 16. Suzanne Killian from the Fed summarized the ANPR at the NACEDA Summit in October. President-elect Biden made CRA reform a notable piece of his policy platform during the campaign. However, hurdles remain for him to implement his agenda as it relates to CRA, including an uncertain partisan makeup in the Senate, and how (or if) he can replace Brian Brooks, Acting Comptroller of the Currency. The OCC finalized its rule in May. Advocates have called on President-elect Biden to scrap the OCC's rule and proceed with a new CRA rule under the Federal Reserve's leadership.

November 4, 2020: Federal Reserve seeks comments on an approach to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is publishing for public comment an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit public input regarding modernizing the Board's Community Reinvestment Act regulatory and supervisory framework. The Board is seeking comment on all aspects of the ANPR from all interested parties and also requests commenters to identify other issues that the Board should consider.

This is an important time to make your voice heard! You can read the proposal and submit comment here. Comments are due February 16, 2021.

June 6, 2020: US House of Representatives Expected to Vote on Congressional Act Resolution

The US House of Representatives is expected to vote as soon as next week on a Congressional Review Act resolution to reverse the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's (OCC) new Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rule which takes effect in October.

The new final OCC rule will divert money from low-and moderate-income communities and the community development sector. The core of the final rule is the same as the proposal: a flawed CRA evaluation measure, maintains the "single-metric" approach to CRA exams, banks can invest outside of their assessment area and get credit, makes illogical activities eligible such as defining bridge infrastructure as community development and so on. An analysis from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) spells out the serious problems. Neither the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation nor the Federal Reserve signed on to the final rule changes.

Please urge your US House Representative to Co-Sponsor and Vote for H.J. Res 90.
Strong Congressional support for this resolution could lay the groundwork for the next Congress to reverse the OCC's harmful new CRA rule.

May 29, 2020: OCC Issues Final CRA Rule in the Face of Massive Flaws and Opposition

On May 20 the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced a final CRA rule with a list of CRA qualifying activities. Comptroller Joseph Otting, the Trump appointee who slammed through the rule, has resigned and will be leaving his post today in the middle of a national economic crisis. Surprisingly the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) decided not to join the OCC. The Federal Reserve was already in disagreement.

Reaction from advocates has been clearly negative. Jesse Van Tol, CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) said “This is an awkward, disjointed and rushed move by a single agency that couldn’t get agreement from the two other agencies that regulate banks within the same administration. The OCC should have been able to agree and work with the other two agencies that oversee enforcement of the same law. It couldn’t. It failed. That’s an administrative fiasco…. He (Otting) just made a regulatory mess and he isn’t sticking around to fix it.”

Comptroller Otting also took the highly unusual step of privately lobbying the country’s largest financial institutions to support his crusade. Think about that – the regulator lobbying the regulated.

“I'm not at all surprised by the reckless speed at which the OCC finalized the rule,” said NACEDA Executive Director Frank Woodruff. “Comptroller Otting has choreographed the illusion of rulemaking since day one, putting forward his misguided single ratio approach over the objections of communities, advocates, banks, and his fellow regulators. I find it exceedingly hard to believe the OCC has carefully considered over 7,500 comments in 41 days while simultaneously managing our country's financial health during a global pandemic.”

“The OCC’s approach to CRA reform was always misguided, secretive, and suspect. The fact that the OCC would issue a new rule in the midst of a global pandemic and just a few weeks after the overwhelming majority of the 7,500 comments raised a myriad of serious concerns, directly illustrates that this effort was never about bolstering access to capital in low-income communities. It was always about gutting this most important law while dismissing our beloved communities,” said Nate Coffman, Executive Director of the Ohio CDC Association.

This is not over. NCRC and partners have pledged to file litigation. Practically rolling out the new rules will take a couple of years or more also creating potential opportunities for legislative and/or administrative solutions. Although the OCC may have ignored the overwhelming dissent in the public comments, the comments remain valuable to future litigation and legislative/administrative advocacy. OCDCA greatly appreciates the many members that have advocated against this harmful rule.

Thank you to everyone who submitted public comment to the OCC and FDIC. View OCDCA’s comments.

March 19, 2020: Check out the latest edition of the Doorsteps podcast, put out by Dr. Cody Price at the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, which features our Executive Director, Nate Coffman discussing CRA reform. No Community Reinvestment Act, No Community Development: Proposed Changes to the CRA.

Articles & Op-Eds:

NEWS RELEASE: New Bank Rules Threaten Investment in Ohio’s Struggling Communities

Pulling the Rug from Under Community Development? - Shelterforce

Civil rights and housing advocates warn proposed change to federal law could spell return of redlining - Cleveland Plain Dealer

New Rules Would Bring Back Redlining - Cincinnati Enquirer

Reduce lending in low-income neighborhoods? Incredibly, the government has a plan that could help banks do that - The Hill

Redlining Would Be Relegalized By CRA Reform Proposal - Shelterforce

Changing Rules to Help Bankers and Hurt Poor Neighborhoods - New York Times

Rule Change Could Allow Redlining to Resume - Columbus Dispatch

Op Ed - Don’t Gut the Community Reinvestment Act

January 29, 2020: You may have heard the term “redlining,” a practice started in the 1930’s to describe the discriminatory act of marking off neighborhoods, using a red marker or pen on a map, where banks would deliberately avoid lending based on race, ethnicity, or religion. The results are unfortunately well known and are still with us today. In fact, a recent study confirmed that 74% of neighborhoods marked off and declared hazardous in the 1930's are low-to-moderate (LMI) income today.

Not until civil rights activists led the national fight in 1977 to pass the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), were banks required to invest in the communities they serve. CRA is now at risk of being dismantled allowing for modern-day redlining.

CRA requires lending to poor communities, and banks are evaluated on their lending practices. Forty-plus years later, we can say with confidence that the CRA has made significant improvements to provide access to credit. The law has led lenders to make billions of dollars worth of loans and investments in underserved communities for affordable housing, small businesses, and economic development.

We may be taking a trip back in time reversing hard fought progress. On January 9, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) led by Trump appointee Comptroller Joseph Otting released a proposal to dramatically revamp the regulations behind the CRA. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) joined the OCC, and the Federal Reserve is not in agreement. There’s much to be concerned with in the 240-page proposed technical rule, but three issues demonstrate its danger to communities throughout Ohio.

How it counts – Banks are currently assessed on the goal of serving all communities where they do business. The proposed rule would institute an overly simplified scoring system (known as single metric) that would disregard whether the lending needs of the local community are being served by the banks. It incentivizes large deals over access to loans for LMI mortgages and small businesses.

Where it counts – The new rating system would allow banks to disregard up to 50% of their assessment area and still get a passing grade — something that isn’t possible under current CRA regulations. This is an invitation to a modern form of redlining where one can envision bank investments deployed in gentrifying neighborhoods while disinvesting in historically disenfranchised neighborhoods.

What counts – It dramatically and irresponsibly expands what activities would be eligible for CRA credit to investments unrelated to the intent of CRA. For example, the building of stadiums or luxury boxes in many cases would count toward CRA and would in effect diminish small business and mortgage lending. Eligible activities would no longer be required to primarily benefit LMI communities departing from the CRA’s original intent.

Capital is the fuel for the American dream. Without access to capital dreams of homeownership go unfulfilled, businesses don’t open, and our Main Streets deteriorate. To get a sense of what’s at stake, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) estimates that in Ohio, just a modest decrease of 10% in CRA lending would result in a $975 million loss in home and small business lending over a five-year period. That’s nearly $1 billion exiting out of Ohio communities for every 10% reduction in CRA lending.

Why is this happening especially so soon after communities across Ohio are still dealing with the ravages of the great recession’s foreclosure crisis? It’s very telling that the proposal is being led by Comptroller Otting, the former CEO of OneWest Bank, an institution that was forced to settle discriminatory lending practices. When he ran OneWest, government records show only one percent of home purchase loans went to African Americans and three percent to Latinos, even though the bank was headquartered in Southern California home to Los Angeles where 49% of the population is Latino. Otting has a history of dismissing local communities and their needs.

Banks and community organizations such as ours agree that the CRA needs to be modernized and strengthened. Modernized so it reflects the way mobile and online banking has reshaped the industry and strengthened so that it truly reflects community economic needs. This version of reform is not the answer.

This proposal guts CRA and effectively takes us toward a modern form of redlining. We need to encourage robust investment in struggling communities and not rig the system against them yet again.

Nate Coffman is executive director of the Ohio CDC Association

Neighborhood Homes Investment Act

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) is proposed federal legislation that would create a tax credit to spur investment in homeownership in weak markets. Low- and middle-income neighborhoods in cities and towns throughout Ohio struggle with vacant and abandoned properties. As a result, our neighborhoods have property values too low to support the costs necessary to renovate these homes, to build new homes in their place when they are demolished, or for existing homeowners to leverage the equity needed to make critical repairs to their homes.

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act would offer an innovative solution to this market failure by providing a tax credit to cover the gap in construction and rehabilitation costs of homes for owner-occupancy. The new tax credits would be administered by state agencies through annual competitive application rounds and would only be available for modestly priced homes in communities characterized by high poverty, low incomes, and low home values.

To learn more about the bill, and look at the detailed mapping tool for what census tracts will qualify, visit: https://neighborhoodhomesinvestmentact.org/

September 29, 2023: Sign-on letter for Senator Vance

The Ohio CDC Association and our members have supported the passage of the NHIA for several years, and OCDCA members have successfully added several new bipartisan cosponsors to the bill. Your advocacy is important to ensure this bill can become law, and Ohio's communities have access to this powerful new tool to spur responsible investment. OCDCA hosted a webinar to explain more about the bill, and to share how OCDCA members can advocate for their members of Congress to express support.

Click here to view the Webinar

We are encouraging Senator Vance to sign on as a co-sponsor to the bill, and need OCDCA members to show their overwhelming support for this legislation. We have drafted a sign-on letter for Ohio housing and economic development advocates which is available for review here.

November 4, 2021: Neighborhood Homes Investment Act included in House Build Back Better Package

The Neighborhood Homes Credit (aka Neighborhood Homes Investment Act) is included in the House version of the Build Back Better Act. The bill would establish the Neighborhood Homes Credit (NHC) to promote new construction or substantial rehabilitation of affordable, owner‐occupied housing located in distressed neighborhoods. The NHC would allow project sponsors to claim a credit to cover the difference between the costs to rehabilitate a home in a distressed neighborhood, or build a new home on an empty lot, and the price for which the home is sold. As with the Housing Credit, the program would be overseen by the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, which would allocate credit authority to each state. Each state would be required to designate a single agency to award the credits, and each agency would be expected to develop a Qualified Allocation Plan for their NHC program. Each state’s NHC allocation would be equal to its state population times $3 (roughly $35 million for Ohio), with a small-state minimum of $4 million, except for in 2025 when the cap would be $6 times the state population ($70 million for Ohio) or $8 million. In years 2023 to 2025, those amounts would be adjusted upward for inflation. The program would sunset after 2025.

Thank you to all the members that signed on in support to Senator Sherrod Brown. We’ll be in touch for additional advocacy.

April 30, 2021: Neighborhood Homes Investment Act Introduced in House

From Enterprise…On March 23, Representative Brian Higgins (D-NY-26) introduced the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) in the House (H.R. 2143). Identical companion legislation was introduced by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) in the Senate late January (S. 98). The NHIA, modeled after the successful Housing Credit and New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), would create a federal tax credit to encourage investment in distressed urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods that face a “value gap” – where the cost of rehabilitating or building a home is greater than the post-construction value of that home. The program would target communities facing the greatest need – those with high poverty rates, low median family incomes, and low home values – and could revitalize an estimated 500,000 homes, creating $100 billion in development revenue over the next 10 years.

The NHIA, which was first introduced last Congress in both the Senate, S. 4073, and the House, H.R. 3316, was also included in the House passed, H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. More recently, the Biden administration called for $20 billion to incentivize the building or rehabilitation of over 500,000 homes for low- and middle-income homebuyers through the NHIA through its American Jobs Plan. Enterprise applauds Representative Higgins, other members of Congress, and the Biden administration for their championship of this critical legislation, which could improve property values, increase family wealth, and decrease blight and abandonment in distressed communities.

January 28, 2021: Senator Portman Reintroduces Tax Credit Bill to Encourage Revitalization of Distressed Homes

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) was introduced on January 28 by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), and co-sponsored by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Todd Young (R-IN), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH). NHIA would encourage private investment in an estimated 500,000 homes that currently cannot be developed or rehabilitated because the costs to do so exceed the value of the home. The tax credit supports development of homes in rural communities struggling with the costs of new construction, as well as the rehabilitation of homes in distressed urban communities.

December 9, 2020: OCDCA Hosts Webinar on the Neighborhood Home Investment Act

On December 8th, OCDCA hosted The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act Movement: Bipartisan Tax Credit to Invest in Communities. We're glad to have had Matt Josephs from LISC, Kim Cutcher of LISC Toledo, and Kate Monter Durban of CHN Housing Partners present with our Executive Director, Nate Coffman.

Here is the link to the recording. You will need to enter your name and email to view the recording. View Matt Josephs's slides or Kate Monter Durban's fact sheet about Cleveland.

Mapping Tool & More Info
There are more eligible areas than the four maps shown in the presentation yesterday. Some rural areas and small towns are eligible too. View the interactive census track map tool. Note, you'll want to zoom in to get a real sense of the map.

You can also learn more at the Neighborhood Homes Coalition website.

What You Can Do Now
We are thrilled to say that both Ohio Senators support the bill. Senator Portman is the lead sponsor and Senator Brown is a co-sponsor. We are also excited that five of Ohio's house delegation co-sponsored this bipartisan bill.

To date, Representatives Joyce Beatty (D-3), Marcy Kaptur (D-9), Tim Ryan (D-13), Steve Stivers (R-15), and Anthony Gonzalez (R-16) have co-sponsored this bill.

But there is still work to do! We want to make sure our other Ohio Congressional Representatives support this bill. Also, this bill will "start over" in January with the new Congress, so we'll want to make sure the current supporters introduce and co-sponsor the bill again.

If your Representative has co-sponsored the bill, it'd be great to thank them. If your Representative hasn't co-sponsored the bill, please reach out to them.

Here is a sample letter from the Neighborhood Home Coalition that you can use.

Ohio Congressional Representatives who haven't co-sponsored the bill:
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-1)
Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-2)
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-4)
Rep. Bob Latta (R-5)
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-6)
Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-7)
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-8)
Rep. Mike Turner (R-10)
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-11)
Rep. Troy Balderson (R-12)
Rep. Dave Joyce (R-14)

Look up your U.S. House Representative here.

OCDCA will be sending updates and calls to action in the upcoming months and year on this legislation.

Background in case you missed the webinar
The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act calls for the creation of a new federal tax credit that will produce new equity investment dollars for the development and renovation of 1-4 family housing in distressed urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods.

In communities throughout the Ohio, neighborhood revitalization is being stymied by the "value gap" - the situation in which the cost of rehabilitating or building a home is greater than the post-construction value of the home.

The value gap contributes to three interrelated conditions that challenge urban prosperity: blight, vacancy, and abandonment; conversion of homeownership neighborhoods to absentee landlord neighborhoods; and racial inequity.

It's estimated that each $1 billion in NHIA investment would result in the following impacts nationwide:

25,000 homes built or rehabilitated
$4.25 billion of total development activity
33,393 jobs in construction and construction-related industries
$1.82 billion in wages and salaries
$1.25 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues and fees (strike last two points if need room)

In addition, this tax credit will improve property values, increase family wealth, decrease blight and abandonment in distressed neighborhoods, and create more and better options for shelter- all of which indirectly enhance multiple determinants of health and well-being in America's residential communities. Learn more at neighborhoodhomesinvestmentact.org.

Housing and Community Coalition

The Housing and Community Coalition is comprised of leaders in housing development, homelessness services, and community economic development, joined together to implement housing and community initiatives that will achieve long-term, sustainable recovery for Ohio’s hardest hit and most vulnerable populations.

The coalition is requesting a one-time $200 million investment of ARPA funds, which would represent a comprehensive and equitable approach to empower families and improve the quality of life in marginalized communities for the long term. Get involved.

Platform

Ohio Housing Trust Fund: $100 million ARPA appropriation

A single-family home developed by the Trumbull County Land Bank in Warren, Ohio.

Covid-19 highlighted the foundational importance of home. The Ohio Housing Trust Fund, the primary source of state funding for local housing and homelessness programs, helps build a stable foundation for healthier families, thriving communities, and a stronger workforce.

A one-time $100 million allocation of ARPA dollars to the Housing Trust Fund will enable local nonprofits in Ohio’s rural, urban, and suburban communities to:

Maintain and repair more homes for seniors and people with disabilities.
Increase development and preservation of affordable housing.
Prevent and end homelessness.

Investing $100 million in ARPA dollars into the Trust Fund will greatly expand access to safe, decent, affordable homes for:

Low-income seniors and people with disabilities who need home repairs and modifications to avoid institutionalization.
Transition age youth exiting foster care, jail, and detention.
Infants at risk of illness and death due to the lack of a home.
Ohioans struggling to overcome mental illness, addiction and homelessness.
People fleeing domestic violence who need safe housing.
Individuals annually caught in human trafficking.
Veterans experiencing homelessness.

Every Housing Trust Fund dollar invested leverages $3.19 in private, federal and local sources and generates $8.30 in overall economic activity for the state. Over 85,000 seniors and Ohioans with disabilities have avoided institutionalization, thanks to home repairs and modifications funded by the Housing Trust Fund.

Ohio has infrastructure, programs, and state/local partners poised to quickly deploy ARPA funding to significantly increase access to housing for Ohioans who were hardest hit by the pandemic. A year after the pandemic reached Ohio, we see more families sleeping in tents and cars, youth engaging in risky behaviors, and people with mental illness and addiction issues filling our jails and prisons. Meanwhile, increased materials and labor costs slowed the construction of affordable homes and hindered homeowners’ ability to perform critical home repairs. The homeless response system remains strained by increased demand and operational changes necessary for coronavirus-safe sheltering. It is clear we must act on this opportunity to use one-time funding to make housing investments that will serve a generation of Ohioans.

Rebuilding Ohio’s Communities: $100 million ARPA appropriation

A one-time $100 million allocation of ARPA dollars for existing and new community economic development programs will:

Empower Ohio’s families through housing, job creation, financial stability, and food security.
Fortify Ohio’s small businesses and Main Streets.
Ensure recovery is equitable across the state and within communities.

Campbell’s Market, Vinton County’s only grocery store, which came about through Healthy Food for Ohio.

Invest $100 million in ARPA dollars collectively into these community economic development initiatives:

Healthy Food for Ohio, which has created nearly 700 jobs and served nearly 150,000 people, with each $1 being leveraged by $5.
A re-established Clean Ohio “2.0” to accelerate redevelopment. The flexibility of the original Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund spurred transformative redevelopment projects across the state and generated $4.67 in new economic activity for every $1 spent by the state.
The Historic Preservation Tax Credit, which has rehabilitated 405 historic buildings and injected $4.05 billion into the economy in over 70 communities since 2008.
Ohio Main Street Grants, which support small independent businesses in our historic downtowns.
The Ohio Microbusiness Development Program, which fosters low- and moderate-income household business and self-employment development.
The Ohio Community Transformation Fund which would empower Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to increase support to vulnerable small businesses, protect and expand jobs, and increase redevelopment in low-income and underserved communities. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) provide financing options that are more risk tolerant than traditional financing.
The Main Street Job Recovery Program, which will create employment opportunities, support small businesses, and increase self-sufficiency among low- to moderate-income Ohioans, while leveraging 10 - 20 times the investment in job creation and revitalization.
The Ohio Financial Empowerment Fund, which will support impactful financial education programs helping Ohioans access traditional banking, build assets, maintain housing, and be able to weather future challenges.
Targeted Neighborhood Homeownership Development, which will invest gap resources by rehabilitating distressed homes and will result in increased homeownership and a revitalized community, while removing blight vacancy, and abandonment.

As we think about recovery from the pandemic’s economic and health impacts, Ohio’s Main Streets, neighborhoods, businesses, employees, and residents will be the foundational building blocks to sustainably revitalize Ohio’s economy and communities.

Financial empowerment and asset building tools for struggling families will stabilize communities by fostering residents who are financially independent and stable.

Strong local food systems improve access to healthy foods, eliminate food deserts, and provide entrepreneurial and employment opportunities in the food economy.

Ohio’s historic downtowns and Main Streets are the heart of our communities where Ohioans gather, eat, shop, celebrate, and work. People and placed-based investments will recharge our communities’ cores and expedite Ohio’s recovery.

Investing in distressed communities will create springboards for their residents by bringing long-term solutions to the local community level. Ohio can blaze a new path forward that creates the environment for resilient, sustained empowerment that is long-term, and transformative.

Rebuilding Ohio

Statewide coalition releases policy recommendations for rebuilding ohio communities in the wake of the covid-19 economic fallout

The Rebuilding Ohio Coalition released a platform of state policy recommendations for Ohio’s working families, businesses, neighborhoods, and downtowns.

This statewide Coalition represents over 325 community and economic development nonprofits and serves hundreds of small businesses, and thousands of families. The Coalition has issued this platform because of the potential it holds for regrowing local economies, stabilizing families, and building resilient communities as the COVID-19 crisis continues.

The Rebuilding Ohio platform offers a series of policy recommendations for state policymakers, which focus on three policy areas:

I. EMPOWER OHIO’S FAMILIES THROUGH HOUSING, FINANCIAL STABILITY, AND FOOD SECURITY. Working families are especially hard hit by the pandemic; the Coalition’s seven recommendations provide a comprehensive approach that stabilizes families and improves the quality of life in marginalized communities.

II. FORTIFY OHIO’S SMALL BUSINESSES AND MAIN STREETS. Ohio’s cities and towns are all unique, thanks to their local businesses and merchants, as well as their beautiful downtowns and commercial corridors in. The Coalition’s four recommendations help local leaders retain and support local businesses and the heart of their communities.

III. STEWARD RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY AND BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY. With so few resources available and need so great, it is imperative that every dollar is stretched to the maximum. The Coalition offers three commonsense recommendations to ensure communities use state and federal investments strategically and building expertise at the same time.

To learn more about the Rebuilding Ohio Coalition and its platform, follow Twitter @OhioRebuild; visit: www.rebuildingohio.org; or contact Nate Coffman at (216 ) 854-6465 (m) (614) 461-6392 x 207 (o) or ncoffman@ohiocdc.org.

LEARN MORE ABOUT REBUILDING OHIO

Rebuilding Ohio Coalition summary
Rebuilding Ohio Coalition platform
Rebuilding Ohio press release

Members of the Rebuilding Ohio Coalition: Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Economic Community Development Institute (ECDI), Finance Fund Capital Corporation, Greater Ohio Policy Center, Heritage Ohio, NeighborWorks Collaborative of Ohio, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, Ohio CDC Association

State News

June 18, 2022

Sign on Letter

DECEMBER 1, 2021

OHFA Releases 2022 AHFA and Additional Application Forms

OHFA has posted the 2022 Affordable Housing Funding Application for the 2022 Competitive Housing Tax Credit Round. Additionally, the Development Team Pre-Approval Form, The Design and Construction Features Form, and the Exception Request form have been posted. The last day to request a pre-application meeting with OHFA is December 1st. Please email QAP@ohiohome.org if you would like to schedule one.

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

Where Ohio’s larger cities stand with local ARPA

The Ohio Capital Journal has summarized where many of Ohio’s larger cities stand on investing their local American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Homeowner’s Assistance Fund

Homeowners with gross annual incomes less than 150% of the household area median income who experienced a financial hardship due to a material reduction in income or material increase in living expenses associated with the coronavirus pandemic after January 21, 2020, MAY be eligible to apply for the Homeowners Assistance Fund through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency.

October 28, 2021

OHFA Posts QAP and Draft Multifamily Underwriting Guidelines

OHFA has posted the draft of the 2022 Multifamily Underwriting Guidelines and the draft of the 2022 Design & Architectural Standards. The drafts incorporate feedback received on the 2021 guidelines. The drafts will be posted for comment until November 24th. Comments must be sent to QAP@ohiohome.org.

OHFA has posted the 2022-2023 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). The QAP was approved by OHFA's Board on September 15th.

October 11, 2021

New Loan Programs to Help Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses

The new Women's Business Enterprise Loan Program and Ohio Micro-Enterprise Loan Program were both priority initiatives of the DeWine-Husted Administration included in the 2022-2023 operating budget, which was passed in June by the Ohio General Assembly.

Women’s Business Enterprise Loan Program: These loans will be offered at or below market rate and currently are up to 3%. The minimum loan amount is $45,000 up to a maximum of $500,000. Loans will be repaid within 10 years for equipment and machinery and 15 years for owner-occupied real estate. Businesses must be 51% ownership and control by women or be certified as a Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE).
Ohio Micro-Enterprise Loan Program: These loans will have a 0% interest rate. The minimum loan is $10,000 up to a maximum of $45,000. Loans will be repaid within five years for permanent working capital and seven years for equipment. Businesses must be certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) or a Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE).

The loan programs will be administered by the Ohio Department of Development (Development) through the Minority Business Development Division. They join four other capital programs offered by Development: the Ohio Minority Business Bonding Program, the Ohio Minority Business Direct Loan Program, the Collateral Enhancement Program, and the Ohio Capital Access Program.

Information about the loans, including program guidelines and fact sheets, can be found online at Minority.Ohio.Gov.

October 11, 2021

Pandemic Grant Programs Still Available to Businesses

Many small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic still have access to four grant programs initiated by the DeWine-Husted Administration. The Ohio Department of Development is administering the grants. To apply, businesses can visit the For Businesses section at InvestingInOhiosFuture.Ohio.Gov.

The programs are:

Food and Beverage Establishment Grant: This program provides grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other food and drink businesses. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’ loss of revenue in 2020.
Lodging Grant: This program provides grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast operations. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’ decline in occupancy rate in 2020.
Entertainment Venue Grant: This program provides grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to theaters, music venues, spectator sports venues, museums, and other entertainment venues. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’ loss of revenue in 2020.
New Small Business Grant: This program provides grants of $10,000 to small businesses that were established between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020.

Ohio Payday Lending Reform

In 2018, action was taken to combat the fact that Ohio had the highest payday lending interest rates in the country at nearly 600%. There was a citizen's ballot initiative, but the Ohio Legislature voted to approve HB 123. In July 2018, then Governor Kasich signed the bill making it law. Learn more.

Ohio Housing Trust Fund Expanded

June 2019: After nearly four years of working to increase state funding for local homeless and affordable housing programs, working closely with the COHHIO and the Home Matters to Ohio coalition, we finally convinced the legislature to expand the Ohio Housing Trust Fund!

An amendment included in the biennial budget (HB 166) that was signed last week will increase county recorder fees to add approximately $2.5 - $3.5 million per year to the Housing Trust Fund, the primary source of state funding for homeless and housing programs. While it's considerably less than we'd requested, it is significant because of the numerous challenges that were overcome. Additionally, the spending cap was eliminated. Since its inception in 2003 Trust Fund revenue above $50 million went to the state's general fund and not to affordable housing and community development.

It's important to note the numerous members that were especially helpful: Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina); Sen. Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls); Sen. Jay Hottinger (R-Newark); Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton); Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford); Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Green Twp.); Rep. Scott Oelslager (R-Canton); Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville); Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire); Rep. Louis Blessing (R-Cincinnati). A thank you note/e-mail or an acknowledgement of their support when you see them in district is always appreciated and valued. We witnessed more legislators than in year's past recognize the state's growing affordable housing needs. We are grateful to everyone who pushed their legislators to support expanding the Housing Trust Fund over the last several years.

Thank you for your advocacy! This is a step in the right direction.

Supporters - For a list of supporters, click here.

OHTF Background – Click here for more information on history and programs served by the OHTF.

Economic Impact of the OHTF - In early 2017, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) released a study on the economic impact of the OHTF. To read the 2011 economic and job creation study, click here.

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Federal News

NOVEMBER 30, 2021

Urge Senators Portman & Brown to Support the Build Back Better Act

From NACEDA: The House of Representatives approved the Build Back Better Act with all housing and community development funding intact. The $1.75 trillion legislation includes significant priorities for the NACEDA network, including $9.9 billion for HOME Investment Partnerships Program, $3 billion for the Community Restoration and Revitalization Fund, and the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, which provides a new federal tax credit to support the construction and rehabilitation of single-family, owner-occupied homes in distressed communities.

The Senate is now considering the Build Back Better Act. Changes to the bill’s provisions are expected. Senate leadership is trying to pass the Build Back Better Act by Christmas Recess.

Take Action Today! Contact Senators Portman and Brown and mobilize your networks to get this landmark legislation passed:

Voice your support for the Build Back Better bill, noting the importance of preserving $150 billion in housing and community development investments.
Urge people in your professional and personal networks to call their Senators to support the Build Back Better bill.

NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Housing Would Get $150B in Biden’s Revised Spending Framework

From NACEDA: President Biden announced a tentative agreement with Congressional leaders on his Build Back Better agenda. The agreement includes over $150 billion in affordable housing and community development investments over ten years. While the announcement represents a historic investment in housing and communities, NACEDA is deeply disappointed that the plan left out the CHDO set aside in the HOME Program. Included in the announcement:

Rental assistance ($25 billion)
First generation downpayment assistance ($10 billion)
Public housing capital improvements ($65 billion)
Community Restoration and Revitalization Fund ($3 billion)
Unlocking Possibilities Program to incentivize state and local zoning reforms ($1.75 billion)
Housing Trust Fund ($15 billion)
Rural Partnership Program ($873 million)
HOME Investment Partnerships Program ($9.9 billion)
Housing Investment Fund ($200 million)
Program administration, training, technical assistance, capacity building, and oversight ($1 billion)

View the Build Back Better Act bill text to see additional housing and community development investments in the agreement.

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