Low-Income Columbus Households Struggle to Find Housing

The Ohio city has a more severe affordable housing crisis than more traditionally expensive cities like New York and San Francisco.

1 minute read

March 17, 2025, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Columbus, Ohio skyline on a sunny day.

espiegle / Adobe Stock

Columbus, Ohio’s housing crisis is worse than that of cities like San Francisco and New York, according to a new report. As Danae King explains in Dispatch, the city has fewer affordable housing units per low-income household than some other U.S. cities and has a more severe housing crisis than other Ohio cities such as Cleveland and Cincinnati.

“The report shows that Columbus has 25 affordable housing units per 100 extremely low-income households available compared to 31 in San Francisco and 34 in New York, according to the 2025 Gap Report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO).” In the state, there are 40 affordable housing units for every 100 extremely low-income households.

“There are 438,108 extremely low-income households in Ohio in need of affordable units, the report found,” and the state is short roughly 264,000 housing units. A coalition of housing advocates is pushing a proposal called Home Matters to Ohio which, if passed by the state legislature, could improve the state’s housing programs and bolster tenant protections.

Thursday, March 13, 2025 in Columbus Dispatch

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

September 16, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

A cluster of wind turbines beneath a stormy sky, above a forest where the leaves are beginning to change colors.

5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project

Securing federal approval for the project may be complicated under the Trump administration, which has historically been hostile towards domestic wind power.

5 hours ago - Inside Climate News

People boarding a bus on Maryland's Orange Route.

Baltimore to break ground on $50 million Transit Priority Project

The project will bring faster bus trips, safer streets and better bike connections to Baltimore.

6 hours ago - Mass Transit

A brick building with a circular sign with the Airbnb logo hanging off of it.

Airbnb launches $250 million 'last-dollar financing' housing accelerator, makes first investment in Austin

The company will put $6.4 million towards affordable housing development in Texas’ capital.

7 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.