Housing, childcare discussed in town halls

FINDLAY — Housing and childcare were among the biggest needs mentioned during the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation's recent series of Community Conversations. The Community Foundation recently released the findings from its third round of Community Conversations, a series of polls and discussions held throughout Hancock County to determine community priorities. The foundation first held Community Conversations in 2017, then in 2022 and again in 2025. Brian Treece, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said this time around they did sticker polling and also held conversations with people throughout the area. They visited places where they were already likely to find a lot of people, such as football games and ArtWalks. "It's really important, in my mind, in the Community Foundation's mind, that if we are serving our community we need to actively be listening to the community," Treece said. "The best ideas come from community members." He added that these conversations influence Community Foundation funding. Following the 2022 Community Conversations, the foundation's board decided to commit $1 million annually to the areas identified as priorities. Treece said the most recent round of Community Conversations reinforced some of the same themes as the previous two rounds. The Tier 1 themes – that is, the topics the Community Foundation heard the most about – included child care, housing, mental health, safety and recreation. Tier 2 themes included the arts, diversity, transportation and workforce development. Treece recalled being surprised during the first round of Community Conversations at how the same issues kept showing up, whether the conversation was with young people in Hancock County schools, seniors at 50 North, inmates at the Hancock County Jail or business executives. The details might differ but "everybody was talking about the same things," he said. He said this proved true during the second and third rounds, as well, which is helping create "clarity" on what this community needs. He added that community members have been generous with their time and eager to discuss these topics. "I so appreciate everyone in our community who is willing to share their thoughts and their ideas and their concerns," Treece said. "And that really gives me a lot of hope." In March, the Community Foundation held an educational event focused on child care in Hancock County. This followed the announcement in January of a new initiative to address Hancock County's severe child care shortage. The Community Foundation committed $50,000 to the Community Childcare Fund for long-term support and an additional $100,000 to the Hancock County Tri-Share Childcare Fund, encouraging community members to donate as well. The Hancock County Childcare Collaborative launched the Tri-Share Program at that time to help working families who earn too much to qualify for publicly funded child care but still struggle with the cost. With this program, the cost of care is shared between the parent (40%), businesses (30%) and a local fund (30%) made up of state, local and philanthropic dollars. Locally, the YMCA will administer the program, which is already used in different forms across the country. Treece said they have been receiving donations, although they are coming in slowly. He said the tri-share model is newer and is unfamiliar to a lot of people. So, the current work includes promoting education and awareness along with fundraising. "We're talking about the challenges," he said. "People are being very open and honest and perhaps vulnerable, sharing how child care and the child care crisis has impacted them." Treece said there are multiple issues with child care, including that there is a shortage, that it is not affordable for most residents and that there is a workforce issue. Part of the puzzle means making sure there are enough workers and they are paid a living wage, Treece said. The housing discussion during this round of Community Conversations reinforced what had already been said in previous conversations, "that it's not just one part of the system, it's the entire system," Treece said. That is, Hancock County needs more housing of all kinds: rentals, single family homes and multi-family homes, of all sizes and at all price points. This isn't just true in Findlay, he said. "We have rentals in some of the villages that go far faster than ever before," he said. The Community Foundation's most recent State of Work and Play report reports that a high share of owner and renter working households in Hancock County struggle daily, paying between 30% and 50% of their incomes toward housing costs. "Housing service providers say that many county residents, most of them jobholders, are sometimes having to choose between making their monthly rent or mortgage payment and buying other necessities such as food and medications," the report states. Treece added that issues like workforce, housing and transportation are all interrelated, given that many people commute into Findlay because they can't find housing. "What we're seeing is it's just incredibly expensive to find a place," he said. Treece said mental health continued to be a big theme in Community Conversations, with people worried about their own mental health as well as that of their friends and neighbors. This also included discussion of harmful substance use, he said. Recreation and the arts were also among the themes seen in Community Conversations. The report mentions "strong support for parks, recreation and inclusive community spaces." Treece said that, while housing and child care may have come up as more pressing needs, recreation is also an important part of having a healthy community. "It's that difference between surviving and thriving," he said. "And those 'extras,' if you will, help people thrive." He said the community has a thriving local arts scene, but affordability and access remain issues. "If somebody is struggling every month, they're not going to have additional resources to sign up for an art class or to attend a performance," he said. He said parks play an important role in not only Findlay but nearly every village in the county. "Those parks are gathering places. They're a space for connection, for experiencing nature, for fellowship, for all of those," Treece said. "We need to make sure that we protect those spaces for the natural beauty components, but also for the sense of connection." Maintenance is an ongoing concern and can become costly. But parks, like arts organizations or churches, are important places where people feel a sense of belonging, Treece said. "People need those spaces that they feel that they can thrive," he said. He said it's important to continue these conversations and to continue educating one another. "Because there is power when everybody is talking about some of these issues, when everybody is willing to talk about housing, child care, transportation," Treece said. "And we need to make sure we continue the education piece."