Housing Crisis: A Growing Problem in Central Ohio

by Lindsay Burke | Jan 18, 2024

As housing costs continue to increase across the nation, so does the stress on lower income and middle-class families in Columbus, Ohio. The problem? Too many residents, not enough affordable places to live. A recent report found over half of homeowners in Central Ohio are spending most of their income on housing costs. To be considered affordable, housing expenses should represent no more than 30% of a household’s income, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Carlie Boos, executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, says the area’s housing supply is struggling to keep pace with the population. This very underbuilding of housing is one of the key drivers of housing costs. As of August 2023, Columbus home prices were...

Renting in the State of Kentucky

by Ireland Miller | Jan 17, 2024

Andrea Zang hopes for a world where there are no limits to who can access sustainable and truly affordable housing. “It’s a rent crisis,” said Zang, a Kentucky resident, member of KY Tenants and a leader with the Homes Guarantee campaign. “People are making decisions to not buy food, to not buy medical care because they have to make rent.” Homes Guarantee is led by tenants and aims to ensure everyone has the ability to find comfortable, safe, and affordable places to live. Over 250 tenant-led organizations have contributed to this cause and are working to meet with White House officials. According to data from InvestFourMore, a blog started by Colorado landlord and real estate agent Mark Ferguson, Kentucky is the second-most landlord-friendly state in the U.S. with a ranking...

KHEPRW Goals for Indianapolis Community Land Trust

by Brianna Datta-Barrow | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/6XO8zWrwZZM Kheprw is a nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis that’s taking an active role in creating affordable housing options for residents by starting a Community Land Trust there. Their strategy is to develop community leaders who can move their CLT project forward and help address some of the inequalities in wealth that have influenced who can afford housing and who cannot. With Indianapolis’ eviction rate soaring to #8 in the US according to the latest numbers out of evictionlab.org, this type of strategic thinking on the part of nonprofits is needed to help provide residents with affordable, long-term housing solutions. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and Gabi Lorino. For more information, visit kheprw.org For more information, visit...

KHEPRW Creating a Community Land Trust

by Brianna Datta-Barrow | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/ZezpeGFx67A How can a community come together to create affordable housing? This video tells the story of different forces that came together in Indianapolis to help start a community land trust. Many factors need to be considered when setting up a nonprofit, finding funding, and developing places where affordable housing such as a CLT can go from idea to reality. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and journalist Gabi Lorino. For more information, visit kheprw.org For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

KHEPRW Community Land Trusts Benefits and History

by Brianna Datta-Barrow | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/G9IzjtXTzJw How did housing inequality come about, and what can be done to help people obtain affordable housing in the future? This discussion of Indianapolis’ community land trust and what it aims to create for residents there provides a look into the history of housing in the US as well as the benefits of Community Land Trusts. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and journalist Gabi Lorino. For more information visit kheprw.org For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

FORT WAYNE CITY GOVERNMENT CANDIDATES DEBATE THE QUALITY OF LIFE

by Julie Creek | Oct 31, 2023

Fort Wayne Media CollaborativeWhat makes a neighborhood healthy? Did Fort Wayne’s glorious, new, sparkly downtowndeprive city neighborhoods of crucial funding they need for amenities of their own? Does the city’s 50-year-old policing system that divides Fort Wayne into quadrants need a reboot? Eleven candidates for city offices debated these issues and more at the Allen County PublicLibrary on Oct. 7 during a forum sponsored by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative. The collaborative ismade up of seven area news organizations that have banded together to focus on the affordable housingcrisis in Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana and the development of healthy city neighborhoods. ElectionDay is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Healthy NeighborhoodsAsked for a definition of a healthy neighborhood, all 11...

Partners in Housing: Jeannette Shaw – Part 3

by Brianna Datta-Barrow | Oct 25, 2023

https://youtu.be/rV02zQM4_KY This video is a part of a series of interviews with members of the Partners in Housing organization in Indianapolis, Indiana, as they explain their ‘Housing First’ strategy in their approach to end homelessness. This is the third and final part of a conversation with Jeannette Shaw, Senior Property Manager for all Partners in Housing properties in Indianapolis. This is also the final part of the Partners in Housing series. For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com For more information on Partners in Housing visit partnersinhousingindy.org/housing Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

How Fort Wayne’s community gardens are growing more sustainable, connected neighborhoods

by Kara Hackett | Oct 24, 2023

“I’ve met more of my neighbors in the past three to four years doing this than I have the entire 30-some years I’ve lived here.” As rent, groceries and the cost of living rise, many residents near Downtown Fort Wayne are turning to community gardens to supplement their weekly meals. “Our garden is used every day by neighbors here,” says Chris Walker, President of the Bloomingdale neighborhood, just north of Downtown along the Wells Street Corridor. “There’s somebody here at least four times a day. Food prices have increased, and we’re in a food desert where there are not a lot of healthy, affordable options.” Walker considers Bloomingdale one of Downtown’s few affordable neighborhoods left, on the brink of ever-expanding riverfront development nearby. As property values...

Partners in Housing: Jeannette Shaw – Part 2

by Brianna Datta-Barrow | Oct 23, 2023

https://youtu.be/QckynbvRJfI This video is a part of a series of interviews with members of the Partners in Housing organization in Indianapolis, Indiana, as they explain their ‘Housing First’ strategy in their approach to end homelessness. This is part one of a conversation with Jeannette Shaw, Senior Property Manager for all Partners in Housing properties in Indianapolis. For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com For more information on Partners in Housing visit partnersinhousingindy.org/housing Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

Partners in Housing: Jeannette Shaw – Part 1

by Brianna Datta-Barrow | Oct 20, 2023

https://youtu.be/mdJjEzOkjTE This video is a part of a series of interviews with members of the Partners in Housing organization in Indianapolis, Indiana, as they explain their ‘Housing First’ strategy in their approach to end homelessness. This is part one of a conversation with Jeannette Shaw, Senior Property Manager for all Partners in Housing properties in Indianapolis. For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com For more information on Partners in Housing visit partnersinhousingindy.org/housing Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

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