Serving Our Seniors Magazine Oct - Dec 2024

Serving Our Seniors and the Sandusky Register would like to thank the 214 people who attended the forum, a Public-Private Partnership to Address the Affordable Housing Shortage for Retirees, on August 15, 2024. I want to thank the Sandusky Register for promoting and co-facilitating the forum; the panelists for sharing their proposed solutions; the elected and appointed public officials; candidates for office; community leaders/board members; community activists; and older adults for your participation. We learned the current mechanisms to stimulate the construction of modest, affordable housing takes three to five years. Plus, it does not help those who are slightly above the definition for low income ($31,900/year for a single person and $36,460.00/ year for a couple). Health Commissioner Pete Schade expressed concern that older adults do not have 3 to 5 years to wait. He also recommended a Sin Tax (a tax on tobacco and alcohol) to fund the development of small, affordable housing to benefit those age 60+. Since the forum, it has been learned that it is not possible for counties to place a sin tax on the ballot. To do so requires Ohio legislators to sponsor new legislation permitting a sin tax to be used for this purpose. Eric Wobser, CEO of the Greater Sandusky Partnership and Matt Lasko, Huron City Manager, said communities can change zoning restrictions to be favorable for all types of housing, including small, affordable, residential homes. Local government can do this immediately and at no monetary cost. Colleen Gilson, Community Development Director for the City of Sandusky, shared that Community Development Corporations (CDCs) can play a critical role to make affordable housing a reality. At the forum, affordable rent was described as approximately $650/month. As a community, where do we go from here? Although the idea of a sin tax was very appealing to many in attendance, it will not be the quick fix. In the meantime, I encourage those age 60+, who are concerned about their ability to afford market- rate rent, to attend your community’s commission or council meetings and respectfully remind those who represent you in local government, state government and federal government to do their part to address Erie County’s affordable housing shortage. When YOU get involved, it becomes personal. Personal makes it real. Making it real fuels change. For more information on how I can help YOU get civically involved, call me, Sue Daugherty, at 419- 624-1856. Always remember… “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead. Affordable Housing: YOU Can Be the Change That Makes Housing Affordable for Retirees in Erie County By Sue Daugherty Photographer: Erie Caldwell, Sandusky Register. Used with permission. (L-R) Pete Schade, Health Commissioner; Eric Wobser, CEO, Greater Sandusky Partnership; Colleen Gilson, Director of Community Development, City of Sandusky; Joe Reecchie, CEO, Praxia Partners; Matt Lasko, City Manager, Huron; Ralph Chamberlain, CEO, Erie Metro Housing Authority; Tim Sarko, U.S. Census. 6