Title
Notice/Advertisement Title: Vacant and Foreclosure Registry, Relocation Code Change, and Housing For All Legislative Package Update
Contact Name: Kendra Asiedu
Contact Telephone Number: 614-622-4618
Contact Email Address: Knasiedu@columbus.gov
Body
Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee Hearing
Date: Tuesday - July 2, 2024
Time: 12:30pm
Location: Virtual, Hearing done via Webex
Subject: Vacant and Foreclosure Registry (1995-2024 and 1997-2024), Relocation Code Change (1987-2024), and Housing For All Legislative Package Update
Councilmembers Present: Councilmembers Shayla Favor, Melissa Green, Nancy Day-Achauer and Pro Tems Dorans
Summary of Minutes:
- Call to Order: 12:34pm
- Present: Councilmember Favor, Councilmember Green, Council President Pro Tems Dorans, Deputy Director Hannah Jones, Chief Counsel Lara Baker-Morrish, Deputy Director Anthony Celebrezze, Mark Carter, Kendra Asiedu, Sundeepti Jindal, Averi Townsend, John Tannous, Hannah Reed, Graham Bowman.
- 14 attendees via webex and 3 via Youtube
- Introduction: Councilmember Favor
- Presentation: Deputy Director Hannah Jones on Ordinance 1987-2024
- Questions From Councilmember Favor: Cost burden of the larger abatements and displacements in recent history. Deputy Director Jones answered regarding the direct housing costs and the tangential supportive housing cost can vary for each remediation and the support the vulnerable community members need.
- Questions From Councilmember Favor: The mechanics of how ordinance 1987-2024 would affect those forced to vacant. Deputy Director Jones answered the logistics of the enforcement mechanism and how the city would assist tenants.
- Questions From Councilmember Favor: How does Ordinance 1987-2024 impact the financial recourse that residents could seek. Chief Counsel Lara Baker-Morrish answered that tenants would still be able to seek any legal recourse available at their disposal. Deputy Director Jones then mentioned the key role of Legal Aid in assisting tenants in their own legal proceedings in additional damages.
- Questions From Councilmember Favor: How often do vacates occur. Deputy Director Jones answered that Building and Zoning Services (BZS) studied how often they do vacates, excluding large scale vacates, and it is 40 annually. Ord. 1987-2024 is to assist in large scale vacates, but can assist in the smaller scale vacates and provide resources for tenants when housing concerns happen.
- Questions From Councilmember Favor: Would ord. 1987-2024 have assisted residents at Sandridge and Riverview. Deputy Director Jones answered that it would not have, due to 1987-2024 focusing on the nuisance issues caused by the owner's responsibilities. The City of Columbus is looking at different interventions to ensure that residents are protected.
- Presentation: President Pro Tems Dorans on Ordinances 1995-2024 and 1997-2024.
- Questions From Councilmember Favor: How many units are vacant and foreclosure properties contributing to the Housing Crisis. Council President Pro Tems Dorans answered that BZS does not account the number at the moment, but through procedures and estimates 3 to 4 thousand properties could be vacant.
- Presentation: Councilmember Favor on Housing For All updates- Rent Increase Notification
No questions
- Presentation: Councilmember Favor on Housing For All updates- Rental Registry
No questions
- Presentation: Aide Averi Townsend on Housing For All updates- Accessory Dwelling Unit
No questions
- Presentation: Aide John Tannous on Housing For All updates- Wholesale Regulation
No questions
- Public Comments:
Derek Burgman, present on call, left because he was unable to unmute and provided written testimony. Will be present of July 10th hearing.
- Conclusion: Councilmember Favor
- Adjourned: 1:29pm