As rent pressure increases, lawmakers must focus

Affordable housing remains a challenge for Ohioans — and that challenge only grows as rent puts a greater strain on an increasing number of households. According to the 2026 Gap Report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, there are 422,098 extremely low-income renters in the state, and 73% of those report spending more than half their income on rent. That is an increase from 66% only five years ago. "For people at the bottom of the pay scale, rent is gobbling up most of their paychecks. But this report shows the rent Pac-Man is moving up the income ladder," said Ohio coalition Executive Director Amy Riegel, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. The report said the Buckeye State has only 37 affordable rental units available for every 100 extremely low-income households. And Ohio has the seventh-most extremely low-income households. (California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania are worse.)Many of these people are working, but earning less than $33,000 per year for a family of four. They are the kinds of families in which one car repair or illness could mean the difference between the ability to cover rent and being homeless. These are also families for whom decisions about medicine, food, clothing, childcare and transportation are made even more difficult as rent consumes more and more of their income. Elected and other public officials have an obligation to focus on a multi-faceted approach to resolving this challenge, rather than sitting back and watching it get worse. Expansion and diversification of our state's economy (starting with holding large employers accountable for promises they have, at best, delayed) and improved educational opportunities for those on ALL career paths would help turn around those extremely low income numbers. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says "affordable" housing should cost 30% or less of a person's gross income — not more than HALF. Support for expanded access to affordable housing would put more roofs over heads while easing the demand that has helped trigger rent increases. No, those things are not a cure-all. Nothing is. But they will make a difference, and THAT is what we elected our representatives (at all levels) to do.