Hancock County experts host housing panel

FINDLAY — A severe shortage of housing inventory at all levels of the market continues to be a growing crisis in Hancock County. Community leaders, developers and other housing advocates are doing what they can to mitigate the situation, but without systemic changes, they feel there is little hope of a resolution in sight. Additionally, what few housing units are available are not always affordable for all. The Findlay-Hancock Community Foundation hosted a gathering of community experts including Kathryn Bausman of the City Mission of Findlay, Scott Brecheisen, a developer with Metzger Brecheisen, Chris Keller of Findlay-Hancock Economic Development, Sue Lehman of Hope House, Wendy McCormick of Habitat for Humanity and Jill Wagner of Wasbro Rental Property to discuss what can be done, with Community Foundation CEO Brian Treece moderating the panel. "We need more housing at all levels of the market. We simply need more housing," Bausman said. According to Brecheisen, a diminishing supply of contractors and developers are going to make housing prices skyrocket. "There are four craftsman retiring for every person going into the trades," he said. "That's going to drive the cost. The people that are in the trades are learning their value and know they can charge more because there isn't anybody else to go to." Brecheisen said available land is sometimes just too expensive to develop. A modest home, in his experience, costs $250,000 to $300,000 to build. Construction costs alone will price many families out of the market. The problem, at least in Findlay, is that current infrastructure makes new residential areas difficult to build, said Brecheisen, when asked why new residences are built "few and far between." "There're a lot of parcels to develop," he said. "Some developers here in town have property that has some schematic design done or has been plotted, but to get storm drainage and meet the storm drainage requirement, there need to be easements obtained and the cost to do that and get the stormwater to where it needs to go has become an almost unachievable price." So new housing units are built at a glacial pace. McCormick also lamented this fact. According to her, Habitat for Humanity builds approximately six new houses a year in Hancock County. While these new houses are not going to fix the crisis quickly, they are going to help, but with approximately 200 applications submitted to Hancock County Habitat for Humanity, many families may be waiting years to hear good news. Bausman reported that the City Mission helps approximately 130 to 175 people per night. Of those, many are employed and some have the money to live in a rental home, but there are simply few spaces available for rent. "Sixty-seven percent of every person in the mission who is eligible for employment is employed," Bausman said. "Over 30% of the people in the mission have enough money to pay first and last month's rent and maintain their rent and utilities, but there are no available units." Wagner, a landlord, said she struggles to find qualified tenants to fill her units as they become available. Hancock County's housing occupancy rate is 99.6%, leaving little room for new renters or buyers. But the problems don't stop there. Wages in the county, and even across much of the country, haven't kept up with housing prices. "To afford a one-bedroom apartment in Findlay, someone needs to earn $20 an hour," said Lehman. "Many of our clients (at Hope House) earn closer to $13.50. They're working full-time and still can't afford housing." According to information from the 2018 and 2023 Community Housing Study and a 2023 Affordable Housing Alliance Strategic plan, 349 to 445 new residences are needed below $400,000 locally, with more needed at other price points. Without stable and affordable housing, everything else falls apart. Having a stable place to call home not only affects a person's mental and physical wellbeing, but also the growth and wellbeing of the community. "When we talk about affordable housing, we talk about housing that supports the workforce that keeps our community running," Lehman said. "People want to work. They want to be independent, but without affordable housing, that path is blocked. The truth is that housing affordability affects everyone … Studies show that that main reason people become homeless is because they cannot find or maintain housing that they can afford. "Housing is a very complex, multifaceted issue that no single organization or sector can solve alone. Together, through collaboration, innovation and investment, we can."