Amy Klaben, MTP CEO, had her letter to the editor published in the Sunday, Sept. 10 2023, Dispatch.
It said:
Columbus zoning update ‘not for developers, but for all citizens’
I congratulate the City of Columbus for addressing the need to update its 70-year-old exclusionary zoning code as reported by The Dispatch (Sept. 5 “City: Zoning changes coming in 2024”), and look forward to the adoption of a new code at the earliest possible time next year. Over many years numerous studies have recommended that the current zoning code be modernized for the entire city to create a streamlined and timely process for creating all of the types of housing our growing city needs. This is not for developers, but for all citizens who are excluded from living in housing that meets their needs, such as teachers, police, janitors, retail and restaurant workers. We face a critical shortage of housing, especially for middle- and lower-income people, which has resulted in increased rents and housing prices as well as an increase in homelessness as people cannot afford housing. However, this is not just an issue facing Columbus. It is time that all municipalities in central Ohio (that have not yet done so) update their zoning codes to end the exclusion of people who work, or seek to work, in these communities but cannot afford to live there. Thank you to Columbus for your leadership.
Amy Klaben, Move to PROSPER
