One day after the Newark Council Safety Committee discussed an ordinance that would target homeless people by making it illegal to sleep on public park benches, Licking County Foundation President Mike Schmidt told The Reporting Project that only creative and collaborative approaches will solve the problem of homelessness in Licking County.
A day later, the foundation announced that it is collaborating with local investors and the U.S. Treasury Department’s nonprofit Community Development Financial Institutions Fund to invest $2.1 million in central Ohio’s Affordable Housing Trust Regional Impact Fund, which aims to increase affordable housing options throughout Licking County.
“Housing is complex and the challenge is large,” said Connie Hawk, Strategic Initiatives Director at the Licking County Foundation. “This is one way, by coming together, to move the needle on a community need.”
The regional impact fund plans to invest this money in a project being built by Wallick Communities. With the new investment, Wallick Communities can now obtain 29.774 acres of land for the multi-use development in Heath.
The plan calls for 400 new units of affordable, workforce housing options. Affordable housing is described as that for which the resident pays 30% or less of their total income for their housing costs, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“The cornerstone of this whole project is partnership, it’s bringing groups together, working with others – that’s the secret sauce for Licking County; that’s what’s making this all work so well,” Schmidt said.
The Licking County Foundation created the Licking County Investment Fund to make a program-related investment. This type of investment is similar to a grant, but allows investors to potentially make back the money they put in.
“The idea is, hopefully, the money will come back and then recirculate out in the community, in grants or other program related investments to support housing,” Hawk said.
According to Jennie Dawes, donor services officer at the Licking County Foundation, the foundation sent out a survey with one question: In what ways can we improve the lives of Licking County residents? The residents’ answers varied, but one thing that stuck out the most was the need for more affordable housing within the county.
Read more: Number of households struggling is on the rise in Licking, ALICE Community Partners meeting shows
Deb Dingus, executive director of the United Way of Licking County, said she is excited to partner with the Licking County Foundation on this project.
“I also encourage the leadership in our county to continue to work on issues of homelessness and housing that addresses all areas of the continuum of care, and to work collaboratively and compassionately to address issues facing those that are currently unsheltered or housing insecure,” Dingus said.
About 37% of Licking County households who live paycheck to paycheck – one flat tire or unexpected medical expense from financial disaster, including potentially being homeless. From the outside, it can be difficult to see just how rocky their circumstances might be. But a closer look reveals that stability, including with housing, is what they are missing, according to a report by the United Way of Licking County.
Read more: 37% of Licking County households live one flat tire from financial disaster
And those who are deep in poverty are now facing the possibility of not only being homeless, but also becoming criminals because they are unhoused in Newark, where they sometimes end up sleeping on public benches or other public property.
The Newark City Council Public Safety Committee is considering an ordinance that would make it illegal to sleep or “camp” on public property. A first offense could bring a fine of up to $150, and subsequent offenses could result in fines of up to $250 and up to 30 days in jail for each occurrence.
More than 100 people showed up at the committee’s last meeting, on Sept. 3, to express their concerns and ask the council not to approve the ordinance. The committee tabled the matter and will discuss the ordinance again at its next meeting, at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16, at City Hall, 40 W. Main Street. And it’s possible the full council could hear the ordinance when it meets at 7 p.m. the same evening.
Ella Diehl writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.