“You’re beginning to see more than one generation in a household. Young folks are going back to their parents’ houses or vice versa. That’s one way this housing crunch is being addressed,” he observes. The county also emphasizes the connection between housing and economic opportunity. “You can’t have sustainable affordable housing in your community unless you have workforce development and education programs to increase the amount of money people make to be able to pay their mortgage or lease payments.” SPURRING ECONOMIC GROWTH Franklin County has developed a diversified The county has already proven this concept’s viability. “We have one of those caps that has been in place a long time, so we know it works. It crosses I-670 in the heart of our Short North district with retail built into it. You drive under it and don’t necessarily realize you’re driving under a steak restaurant or other businesses housed in this cap,” Wilson adds. The integration of transportation infrastructure with commercial and recreational spaces highlights how Franklin County is reimagining traditionally singlepurpose infrastructure to maximize land use and create more cohesive urban environments. CREATING AFFORDABLE OPTIONS TO MEET THE HOUSING CHALLENGE Franklin County faces housing affordability pressures like those affecting metropolitan areas nationwide. “We have a housing challenge,”Wilson acknowledges. “But are we just sitting around admiring the problem? No.” The county has created sustainable funding streams to support affordable housing development, rather than relying solely on general fund allocations that can fluctuate with economic conditions. A key innovation has been leveraging real estate transaction fees to fund affordable housing initiatives. “We have a conveyance fee that since 2019 has funded what we call a magnet fund.The conveyance fee is applied on real estate transactions, taking the benefit of these transactions and allowing those dollars to go toward creating affordable housing,” Wilson explains. This approach aligns with best practices in housing finance by creating dedicated revenue that grows alongside real estate activity. The county targets these resources to address specific affordability gaps. “Most of our projects range from 60% of area median income up to 100% of area median income,” Wilson notes. The county is also undertaking a comprehensive review of its housing strategy. “Our board of commissioners will approve a contract to modernize and update our entire approach to housing and shelter, including the type of incentives we provide developers to create units.” Wilson recognizes that housing patterns are evolving in response to affordability pressures. 65 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 05 FRANKLIN COUNTY, OH
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