Advocacy Information: How to Help Joseph & Mary’s Home
Budget Amendment Threatens Ohio Housing Trust Fund
The Ohio House recently passed its version of the biennial budget that would effectively eliminate the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF) – the primary source of state funding for local homelessness and affordable housing programs. They proposed moving away from oversight at the state level and giving more ownership to each of Ohio’s 88 counties. The county-by-county approach would take resources away from people who need help getting housed, since running 88 small housing programs is much more expensive and inefficient than running just one at the state level.
Now the Ohio Senate has announced its initial version of the biennial budget and there is good news: the Ohio Senate removed the House amendment that would have made significant cuts to the Ohio Housing Trust Fund!
While this is a step in the right direction for Ohioans experiencing homelessness and in need of affordable housing, more work must be done to make sure the Ohio Housing Trust Fund remains intact as the House and Senate deliberate on their differences in the budget conference committee. The budget must be passed and approved by Governor DeWine by the end of June.
Please take a moment now to contact members in both the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives. Encourage them to keep the Ohio Housing Trust Fund in the budget!
In addition to your state senator and representative (find my legislator), please contact Speaker of the House Matt Huffman; Senate President Rob McColley; Senate Finance Chair Jerry Cirino and Vice Chair Brian Chavez.
For example, you could send a version of the following:
Dear Senator/Representative [Insert Senator’s/Representative Last Name],
I am writing to you today to encourage you and your fellow members of the Ohio Legislature to protect the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF). I know the Ohio House of Representatives proposed major changes to the OHTF in House Bill 96, while the Ohio Senate in their version of the biennial state budget removed the amendment that proposed making significant cuts to the OHTF.
As you deliberate in the budget conference committee, please consider the Senate’s recommendation. Changing the OHTF will lead to less affordable housing in Ohio’s 88 counties and increased homelessness.
An organization I support – Joseph & Mary’s Home, a medical respite for adults experiencing both homelessness and significant health challenges – receives almost $67,000 annually in critical funding from the OHTF to help men and women get back to health and forward to housing. Because I believe in this mission, I ask you to please take the time to review the full implications of eliminating the OHTF. Many organizations, including Joseph & Mary’s Home, would have significantly reduced abilities to help those most in need of care.
I know you serve to help all Ohioans, and I hope you will keep the OHTF as it is to assist those neighbors in need of safe housing.
Respectfully,
[Insert Your Name]
[Insert City, Ohio]
General Facts about the Ohio Trust Fund and Why the Proposed Change is Problematic
The State administers the Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF) to maximize resources for housing and homelessness services in every county. The OHTF has a more than 30-year track record of accountability to ensure the funds are invested responsibly without impacting the state’s general revenue fund. Moving to a county-by-county approach would:
• Create multiple layers of bureaucracy that would be extremely cumbersome.
• Decrease Ohio’s overall housing resources by reducing the ability to leverage federal and private matching funds.
• Create great uncertainty about how these funds would be used.
• Undermine and limit the State’s ability to respond effectively to the affordable housing crisis.
How the Ohio Housing Trust Fund impacts Joseph & Mary’s Home
The OHTF helps Joseph & Mary’s stabilize our medically-fragile residents and move them out of homelessness. Joseph & Mary’s Home receives almost $67,000 annually from the OHTF. This funding is used to help with the cost of case management services and certain operating expenses associated with providing temporary housing. As an agency with a $1.4 million budget, losing $67,000 would reduce our ability to provide services and support to our residents. The OHTF is a critical source of funding for our organization and many other homeless service providers.
In FY 2024, the OHTF helped fund:
• Emergency shelter for over 27,000 Ohioans
• Supportive housing to keep 2,696 formerly homeless households safely housed
• Homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services for 3,449 households
Say no to this amendment and keep the OHTF working to house Ohio!
Questions? Contact Sisters of Charity Health System Vice President of Government Affairs Thom Olmstead at [email protected] or 216.363.2775.
