Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation amends the Housing Code and Health, Sanitation, and Safety Code to define relocation assistance paid for by the City as an abatement activity that can be recovered from the property owner by any means authorized by law.
The City of Columbus is facing an affordable housing crisis that disproportionately impacts its lowest income and vulnerable residents through rising rents and lack of available units. Due to the lack of available units, low-income residents are increasingly unable to locate alternative places to live when their housing is unsafe and unsanitary due to health or housing code violations. As a result, many have no choice but to accept dangerous and unsanitary conditions.
On December 25, 2022, the City of Columbus was required to relocate over 150 people from the Sawyer Towers/LatitudeFive25 apartment complex in order to abate a public nuisance when pipes burst throughout the complex due to the property owner’s negligence. The next year, in December 2023, the City was again required to relocate over 1,300 people from the Colonial Village apartment complex in order to abate a nuisance when they were found to be living in unsafe conditions including lack of heat due to the property owner’s negligence.
In order to prevent the shelter system from becoming overwhelmed, the City of Columbus relocated the residents of Sawyer Towers/LatitudeFive25 and Colonial Village to hotels and were given assistance locating new housing. The combined cost to the City for these two relocation efforts was approximately nine million dollars.
In anticipation of future emergency vacate events similar to Sawyer Towers/LatitudeFive25 and Colonial Village, the Department of Development wishes to expand its relocation pilot program and collection efforts against property owners who do not willingly pay for the cost of relocating their tenants from nuisance properties. To do so, it is necessary to amend the Housing Code and Health, Sanita...
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