A Sandusky neighborhood with a proud history hopes for a better future.
Sandusky is continuing its efforts to provide affordable housing and revitalize underserved neighborhoods. To do so, the city received funding from the Welcome Home Ohio program to construct affordable family homes.
Hannah Smith, a mother of three, thought becoming a homeowner in Sandusky would be nearly impossible.
“I was trying to get pre-approvals other places, but they wanted a $10,000 down payment and as a young person paying rent, all of your money goes to what you have going on right now,” according to Smith.
But her mission to provide a comfortable life for her children would not allow her to give up.
“I have twins that are eight and my son is seven, so I was like now is the time because I have to do this for them,” responded Smith.
So, one day, she discovered a program called Welcome Home Ohio, which would change her life forever.
“This program takes care of the down payment, and all we have to have is our closing costs which are very low,” Smith told me.
The city received $3.5 million from the Ohio Department of Development’s Welcome Home Ohio program to build 14 single-family homes. City officials say they intend to build 30 affordable homes for families whose household incomes are at or below 80% of the area’s median income.
“The market in Sandusky is strong, as is the housing market, and those who are being squeezed out of it are people with low to moderate incomes. However, this program only benefits low and moderate-income families. Colleen Gilson, Director of Community Development, stated, “We have already sold nine homes.”
Following a housing study conducted in the Fireland region in 2023, Gilson stated that the city was in desperate need of housing.
“Thousands of homes are needed in the Firelands region, which spans three counties. We’re in Erie County, and I believe we need more than 4,000 units to create a healthy rental and sales market,” Gilson stated.
These homes are part of a larger plan known as the Southside Revitalization. I first told you about the city’s efforts to invest in Sandusky’s south side when they renovated MacArthur Park in July.
Sandusky works to improve the Southside neighborhood.
“Every area in our city is important, but this one has been neglected for decades, most likely due to a lack of funding. So it’s great to be able to spend money here to improve people’s quality of life,” said Richard Brady, President of the Sandusky City Commission.
Their strategic plan includes a focus on creating affordable home ownership opportunities and rebuilding neighborhoods. The city has been in talks with developers about continuing to build housing on three different Sandusky sites.
