Title
Notice/Advertisement Title: Public Hearing Affordable Housing Bond Hearing Minutes- Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee
Contact Name: Ciera Adams
Contact Telephone Number: 614/645-3773
Contact Email Address: csadams@columbus.gov
Body
2026 AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND HEARING MINUTES
Name of Hearing: Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee- Affordable Housing Bond Hearing
Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 5:00 P.M. Columbus City Hall, 90 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
Columbus City Council’s Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee held a affordable housing bond hearing to ensure a transparent, predictable, and competitive process.
PRESENT: Council President Shannon G. Hardin, Councilmember Tiara N. Ross
CALL TO ORDER: 5:06 P.M.
AGENDA:
• Welcome & Introductions (Explanation of purpose for public hearing; introduction of those in attendance.)
• Tiara N. Ross, Councilmember - Chair of Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee
"We need a process that is transparent, predictable, and competitive. We need developers established and emerging to understand what the city is looking for and have a fair opportunity to compete for these resources. And we need residents to be able to understand what affordable means in each project, who will be served, how many units will be created or preserved, and for how long. This is not about creating unnecessary barriers to development. It's certainly about creating clarity before the dollars are committed. As we begin deploying these funds in 2026 or as we begin deploying these funds in 2027 or 2028, we should be reaching the residents with the greatest housing needs. Are we producing deeply affordable units? Are we producing transitional and supportive housing? Are we producing meaningful home ownership opportunities? Are we preserving affordability where is it at risk and are we leveraging our bond dollars to bring in other public and private resources? Are we designing a process that gives a diverse set of housing partners including emerging developers a meaningful opportunity to participate?"
• Shannon G. Hardin - Vice Chair, Homelessness, and Building Committee
• Jacquelin R. Lewis - Columbus City Auditor
• Department of Development Presentation
• Michael Stevens, Director of Department of Development
• Erin Prosser, Deputy Director of Department of Development
• Hannah Jones, Deputy Director of Department of Development
• Ordinance 2326-2026 - Renaming of the “Division of Housing” to the “Division of Housing Opportunities” within the Department of Development.
• Public Testimony/Comment
• Closing Remarks
Council President, Shannon G. Hardin
"What was very clear today is the department has uh a great understanding of the scope of the problem, the magnitude and has ideas on how to move it forward. This hearing helps us help the community understand how we are going to move these projects forward."
ADJOURNMENT: 6:30 PM
Hearing Recording: Columbus City Council Public Hearing: Affordable Housing Bond <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g55BonegJMQ>