The Ohio Housing Finance Agency has contributed to a rehab project in the Incline District and Whitier Gardens areas of East Price Hill.
I had heard and read that this was in the works, but thanks to Kevin Dugan’s tip to the Business Courier’s article it looks like the check has been handed over to Price Hill Will.
I don’t really care for the plan to “sell them to owners who earn at or below 80 percent of the area median income.” Money to fix up homes is great and new home owners, as opposed to renters, in the neighborhood is a plus, but whether or not this will help in the long run is a gamble. If the new owners can’t afford to maintain or don’t maintain the property it will be a wash.
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I understand your concern, but want to make sure you know what 80% of AMI is. For a family of four, it equals $51,700 per year. I realize that is not an enormous amount of money, but it is unfair to assume people making almost $52,000 a year can’t pay to maintain their homes.
I must emphatically support Ken’s point! Also you advocate more community control of foreclosed properties. This is what Price Hill has been doing and the OHFA grant will dramatically increase their production!
Your comments about the 80% income group smacks on class and income snobbery.
Sorry for the delay. I’ve had problems with my emails lately.
As for the 80% of AMI, if you read any consensus data the numbers seem lower. So I would have guessed less. However, the clause says 80% “or lower” so 80% is the limit.
Also, I understand it’s tax money from the state. Ohio can’t exactly provide hand outs for higher income people to purchase houses. As they shouldn’t. In reality they shouldn’t do so for anyone, but I digress. It’s not snobbery or class, it’s a simple fact that the state, city and county have a history of using Price Hill to house sex offenders and provide section 8 housing, reducing the value of residents’ property. So, while fixing up homes is a grand idea, the stipulations included make the project a *possible* blunder.
I emphasize “possible” because this isn’t to say the people purchasing these homes won’t be great people and a wonderful addition to Whitier Gardens and the Incline District.