Coalition On Homelessness and Housing in Ohio

08/21/2026

We had a productive roundtable discussion in Canton this week with Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes, State Reps. Jim Thomas and Matt Kishman, Stark County Commissioner Alan Harold, and community leaders on how we can work together to address Ohio's affordable housing crisis. Thanks to Congresswoman Sykes and her bipartisan colleagues who voted for the ROAD to Housing Act, we have a good starting point!

07/27/2026

Ohioans earning minimum wage need to work 87 hours per week just to afford a modest 2BR apartment! About 54% of U.S. workers over age 25 are earning minimum wage. Even folks earning twice Ohio's minimum wage can't afford a 2BR apartment. We need stronger policies and investments to help fill the rent-wage gap!
https://cohhio.org/report-ohio-workers-wage-gains-falling-behind-rent-increases/

07/26/2026

Fast-growing Union County has the highest Housing Wage in Ohio. Renters there need to earn $27.56/hr to afford a modest 2BR apartment. Problem is the average renter there earns only $19.86/hr. In some counties the gap is even wider and growing. What's the gap in your county? https://cohhio.org/report-ohio-workers-wage-gains-falling-behind-rent-increases/

07/23/2026

The Out of Reach report shows how much you need to earn to afford a basic 2BR apartment. In Ohio that's $23.82/hour - an amount that has gone up a lot in recent years. Can you afford to live in your community?

July 23, 2026 CONTACT: Marcus Roth, [email protected], 614-280-1984 x.111   Ohio Workers’ Wage Gains Falling Behind Rent Increases Full-time workers in Ohio must earn at least $23.82 an hour to...

06/01/2026

Jesse Rabinowitz, of the National Homelessness Law Center, has some messaging advice for Ohioans advocating against laws to criminalize homelessness: We’re sick and tired of homelessness too. It’s messed up that people are living outside in the richest country in the world and it doesn’t need to be like that. But these laws that make it a crime to be homeless actually make homelessness worse by wasting money that should go toward housing and services toward police, jails, and courts.

05/28/2026

Jesse Rabinowitz from the National Homelessness Law Center joined our 30 at 3:00 Policy Briefing and offered some messaging advice on the Point In Time Count: don’t get stuck in the data. Root our shared values: everyone needs a place to live and we are not meeting people’s basic needs. The solution is to build a system where everyone has a safe place to live.

05/04/2026

Utah’s legislature wisely rejected a foolhardy plan to create a massive camp for the state’s unsheltered homeless population. The proponents say, “it’s not compassionate to leave people on the street to die.” On that point, we agree. But warehousing humans in detention camps and forcing treatment on them is neither compassionate nor effective. The only solution to homelessness is a home. Let's leave these failed policies to the past and work together on creating more affordable housing with services to help people overcome the challenges that led to homelessness.

State lawmakers declined to back a Trump-inspired plan to move 1,300 homeless people to a campus on the edge of Salt Lake City, but supporters are trying to keep the plan’s spirit alive.

04/22/2026

Thank you Stacia Naquin for moderating our plenary session with Brian Goldstone and helping to illuminate the issue of working homelessness! 10TV - WBNS

The event has drawn roughly 800 advocates, service providers, policymakers and housing experts to downtown Columbus.

04/21/2026

Ohio has a shortage of 266,000 affordable homes available for its most vulnerable renters. That’s just 37 units per 100 low-income households. Today on COHHIO's Day of Giving we’re trying to get 266 donations, 1 for every 1,000 missing homes. Your gift to COHHIO supports our efforts to advocate for a better future when every Ohioan can afford a place to live.
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/20daogivi/

04/21/2026

Ohio is short 266,000 affordable and available homes for its most vulnerable renters. Today is COHHIO's Day of Giving. Our goal today is 266 donations, one for every thousand missing homes. Your gift to COHHIO supports the advocacy necessary to create a better future where every Ohioan can afford a place to live.
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/20daogivi/