Richland County housing study: Expert offers advice on what comes next

The question is, according to the study's project director, how does the county attract that kind of development?

How does it encourage the kind of projects that will attract local and outside-the-county developers and builders?

What kinds of projects will help restore and maintain current housing stock, both crucial to the future?

In short, how can Richland County help with the kinds of projects that will meet the needs of residents and provide the kind of economic stimulus that will carry the county -- and its communities into the next decade-plus?

That's the crucial job that lies ahead Richland County leaders, according to Michael Webb, who led the $100,000 recently completed countywide housing study.

Creating space for 2,475 homeowners and 3,364 renters by 2032 is not just an altruistic effort, according to Webb, who met with local leaders on Friday to go over a summary of the report.

It will provide millions of dollars in direct and indirect economic benefit to the entire county, according to Webb.

Work on the study began in April 2022, led by a consulting company, Community Science. Webb, a Lima native who earned a doctorate degree in geography at The Ohio State University, worked as project director.

Webb offered strategies local leaders could pursue. Here are the highlights:

1. Promote Richland County to outside developers.

"Richland County is not on the radar of outside developers. I've talked to them, they think it is still shrinking," Webb said. "They think you can buy every house in the county for $100,000 and they kind of think it's a pain (to develop here).

"So how can you change that? How can you get Richland County's story to outside developers so that they're willing to come in and build housing in the county?"

Webb suggested convening a countywide housing working group that could contract with a professional website developer to market the county to outside developers, citing Zanesville, Ohio, as an example.

He said Zanesville uses its website, among other things, to offer requests for proposals to attract outside development interests on municipally owned sites.

"And these are not tough. These are emails," Webb said.

He also suggested creating a "housing coordinator" position.

"Perhaps in the chamber, perhaps at the foundation, someone who can go out and tell outside developers about the story of Richland County and why it's such an attractive market for housing development," Webb said.

2. Build local capacity for housing development

"Developing the county's housing capacity, I think, is really gonna be an issue of leveraging your local capacity with engaging outside entities to come in and almost partner with some of the local agencies that are willing to develop housing so they can develop that capacity," Webb said.

He suggested a community conversation about which organizations could form a local Community Housing Development Organization -- private, nonprofit, community-based housing development organizations established to develop affordable housing in the communities they serve.

He said Lima created a CHDO in 2000 -- "New Lima -- Housing for the Future."

"In their earlier years, they partnered with private market developers to gain that experience and build their capacity. And now 20 years later they can do development on their own," Webb said.

"And they developed about five different projects in Lima and one in Dayton,  utilizing tax credits and other programs, as well. But I think that's the kind of a trajectory to build capacity of your local organizations that I think you need to be looking at," he said.

He said the organization in Lima developed five affordable housing complexes in 22 years.

He also suggested creating partnerships among local developers and technical/vocational schools to increase the number of students enrolling in building trades' training programs.

"There is a shortage, and this is nationwide, it's not just here, but there is a shortage of people in the construction trade," Webb said.

3. Identify local and out-of-town capacity for neighborhood and downtown revitalization.

"I've talked to so many people in this community who want housing downtown. It is very difficult and very expensive. Your downtowns have seen a lot of commercial development (but) that housing component still isn't there. It's been really difficult for you guys to add housing downtown, which again, is not unique. A lot of communities across Ohio are really struggling to put housing in their downtowns," Webb said.

He suggested communities use their Community Reinvestment Areas, a direct incentive tax exemption program benefiting property owners who renovate existing or construct new buildings.

"I know some communities who do have housing components to their CRAs. Some don't. I talked to city (officials) in Ashland and Sandusky and they are both very, very aggressive with their CRAs in terms of housing development," Webb said.

At the same time, the county is seeing a rapidly aging housing stock.

"You have some neighborhoods in the county that really do need some revitalization dollars (for) homes that have substantial rehab needs. Keeping those homes occupied and inhabitable is really crucial for meeting your county's housing goals for the next 10 years," Webb said.

4. Streamline permitting processes and align across jurisdictions

"Codes and permits are seen by many as a barrier to housing development in the county. When I've talked to developers, they really highlighted two different challenges," he said.

"One, it takes too long and decisions are seen as arbitrary and there's different rules in every jurisdiction in the county. So if you want to do something in Ontario, you've got to learn their rules. If you want to do something in Lexington, you have to learn their rules. It's a pain," Webb said.

He believes ongoing conversations around "Build Richland" should continue.

"Continue to work to modernize the permitting processes in the county that I know is also ongoing. Staff your building and codes departments at appropriate levels. And then potentially create some type of cross-jurisdictional route to see how codes and permits could be aligned across (the county)," Webb said.

He suggested looking at communities like Fort Wayne, Ind., and Allen County, Indiana, which merged their planning and land use departments in 2008. He said there is now a "one-stop shop" for the city/county, all of which can be accessed online.

"It's all in one electronic portal. I went there, I tried to submit a permit and it's very easy," Webb said.

5. Align and simplify zoning across jurisdictions

Webb said Richland County has more than a dozen zoning codes, each with its own districts, parameters and by-right and conditional uses.

"It'd be really great if every city, township and village sat down and looked at their zoning code and said, 'How can we make this easier? And does this make sense?' Because a lot of them are from the 1970s.

"You might also consider some attempts at alignment across communities, as well. So simplifying both within your communities and then potentially having neighboring or similar jurisdictions collaborating on saying, 'Can our zoning look exactly the same?'

"And then longer term, what the county may consider, and several other counties have done, is what's called a unified development ordinance.

"That is essentially a planning process for unified building rules for the entire county. It is a longer-term commitment, it is a very involved commitment. But other communities have done that as well," Webb said.

He discussed Lancaster County, Penn., which he noted once had 60 zoning ordinances. Leaders there created regional zoning ordinances across similar jurisdictions, reducing the differences and variations. 

6. Modify zoning to promote attainable housing development

"Given the current cost environment in your county housing prices, the greatest opportunities for development are in that attainable piece, that missing middle starter homes of duplexes, the triplexes, the quads, two ups/two downs,  that housing product," Webb said.

Unfortunately, he said, it's difficult under most zoning codes to develop these kinds of projects without obtaining a zoning variance.

"Your R-1s, your single-family zone, most of them are truly single family. Some of the townships allow duplexes but in general, your minimum lot sizes are very large. Your minimum lot sizes of a quarter acre add cost to many developments.

"Your rules for multi-family development require big lots, lots of landscaping, huge set-backs. It's really designed for the type of apartment complexes you would see driving around Columbus," he said. 

Webb suggested allowing duplexes in R-1 zones, increasing maximum densities and lowering minimum lot sizes. He said Shelby's small-lot zoning could serve as an example.

He also suggested local leaders contact the Ohio Housing Finance Agency to explore ways to fund and support attainable housing development.

Webb cited the city of Tacoma, Wash., which modified its zoning code to "low-scale" and "mid-scale" for residential developments.

"Low-scale" is for single-family, duplexes and small, multi-family developments and it also allows for accessory dwelling units. "Mid-scale" allows everything in low-scale and also apartments.

7. Increase opportunities for affordable home ownership.

"The county's  generally low-cost housing market does present opportunities for affordable home ownership," Webb said.

"Promoting home ownership will require the rehabilitation of a lot of older units and then require the capacity of local organizations to provide home buyer educations, for local banks to provide low-cost financing options and to be flexible in working with lower-income buyers who may have colorful financial histories," Webb said.

He suggested identifying local organizations that could operate a lease-purchase program for low-income homebuyers; identifying funding opportunities to invest in organizations doing home rehabilitation work; and promoting partnerships between these organizations and homebuyer education agencies.

Webb cited work being done in Cleveland through the former Cleveland Housing Network, which uses a tax-credit program to purchase and rehabilitate single-family homes.

Families can then rent the homes for 15 years and have the option to buy the house for an amount normally around $20,000.

8. Expand housing options for unhoused and vulnerable populations

Web said Richland County does not have sufficient permanent supportive housing or rapid-rehousing units.

"There doesn't seem to be the capacity in the county to operate additional units. And then the lack of affordable housing units really does not only impact the unhoused, but it also impacts other vulnerable populations, such as folks exiting the justice system," Webb said.

"Identify funders who can support local organizations so that they can get to a place where they can develop their capacity. Craft partnerships between local organizations to support housing development and then building capacity to utilize state-level resources and state level funding opportunities.

"When you get down to the permanent supportive housing, the rapid rehousing piece, the answer to all your questions is money. It really comes down to money to fund these organizations to get to a place where they can develop their capacity to operate additional units," Webb said.