COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Officials were on hand while crews broke ground on a new low-income development Thursday, and it couldn’t come at a more opportune time.
NBC 4 got answers on WHY IT MATTERS TO YOU.
With the state’s unemployment rate nearing 11 percent, equaling some 646,000 people out of work, many Ohioans are finding themselves in a situation like never before.
Money is short. Jobs are few.
Sue Lusk-Gleich, president-elect of the Columbus Board of Realtors, said buyers are demanding affordable housing as a result.
“I think people are backing down and not buying to the maximum,” she said.
She said affordable housing is out there. The board defines affordable housing as anything that costs less than $125,000.
In fact, she said homes haven't been this affordable in her 35-year career.
“We have about 15,000 listings right now listed on the Columbus Board of Realtors. About 5,000 are under $125,000,” she said.
But still, the struggle continues to find shelter for those who simply don't have the money to put a roof over their heads.
Crews broke ground on The Commons at Buckingham Thursday.
It’s a four-story 100-unit building that will house low income and no-income individuals that's located just south of Interstate 670.
Seventy-five units are to house former homeless individuals who are trying to get back on their feet. Twenty-five units are to house low-income individuals.
The $16-million project is the third of its kind in Columbus over last seven years and is paid for with public and private donations.
The first project was The Commons at Grant at 398 S. Grant Ave. in Downtown. The second was The Commons at Chantry at 5500 Millersfield Dr. on the city’s East Side.
Officials said they expect The Commons at Buckingham to be complete next July.
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