Cash incentives attract hundreds of landlords in Franklin County

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Affordable housing is out of reach for many Ohioans and the problem is getting worse with the cost of rent rising sharply across the country.

There is help, thanks to a national housing voucher program that allows those who qualify to live where they want.

But there’s a waitlist of 20,000 people in Franklin County alone.

That’s why there’s an urgent need for more landlords to accept those vouchers. Landlords like Chris Martin.

In 70 of the homes he owns across Columbus, Martin’s tenants pay the rent with federal money through the Housing Choice Voucher program.

Renovations are underway at his newest property and he’s getting ready to welcome a new family. He’s been part of the program since 2006 and says it’s been a rewarding experience.

“You have a tenant who is literally in a homeless shelter, them and their kids. And they come into the house for the first time and they see the kids run to the bedrooms and start picking out this is going to be my bedroom and these are you know people who are sleeping on cots or sleeping in gymnasium style things where there’s everybody and all of a sudden this child’s going to get their own room so to see that is really exciting,” Martin explained.

Tammy Bigony is one of Martin’s tenants.

“I don’t know where I would have been. Honestly, we had nowhere to go,” Bigony said.

Bigony is disabled. Her daughter suffered a lack of oxygen at birth leading to a disability that prevents her from living independently. Bigony says they depend on the voucher program.

“It gave us hope that we can, you know, move on from the hard times in life that we all run into,” she said. “But for section 8 to be there and help us we would not have been in a place like this, you know, we just wouldn’t have.”

There are thousands of people on the housing voucher waitlist in Franklin County. Part of the problem housing advocates say is the housing is just not there.

“Increased landlord participation is probably one of the only and the best tools we have to address the need for affordable housing,” said Charles D. Hillman, President and CEO of Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority.

Last year, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority used $1.5 million to provide cash incentives for landlords to join the housing voucher program. 

Landlords can get up to $750 for adding a unit and up to an additional $750 to cover security deposits. Those perks led to more than 230 new landlords, some with more than one property. 

And that’s why this year the CMHA board approved an additional $1 million.

“Just because they’re on the program doesn’t mean they’re going to be a bad tenant,” said Martin.

But still, there’s a stigma that prevents some landlords from participating.

“I have a lot of friends and stuff when I tell them that I do Section 8 housing that are negative towards it or I’ve heard this, I’ve heard that,” he said. “And the reality is you’re going to have the same thing whether you do Section 8 or not Section 8. It comes down to you as a landlord and property owner doing your due diligence to make sure that you’ve checked the references, checked their background, talked to their previous landlord, find out what kind of tenant you’re getting.”

And for Martin, not only has the experience been rewarding, it’s also provided him some financial stability.

“The government continues to be able to fund the housing program so my payments didn’t stop because of the pandemic,” he said. “So that’s one of the big incentives that I think if you’re a new landlord, to come into the program.”

For more information contact the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority online at Cmhanet.com or by e-mailing [email protected] or calling 614-340-4331.