A new report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows three out of the ten most common jobs in Ohio failed to pay workers enough to afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment before the COVID-19 pandemic.
And the record number of unemployment claims resulting from the pandemic could mean many Ohioans will soon face eviction. Thirty-three percent of Ohioans are renters. The report says Ohio’s Housing Wage rose slightly, to 15-dollars-99 cents an hour. That's the amount a renter needs to earn to afford a basic two-bedroom apartment. And it’s a dollar more an hour than the average renter earns. Marcus Roth is with the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio:
Roth notes a U-S Census Bureau survey shows 537 thousand Ohioans are concerned they won't be able to pay next month’s rent:
Roth and other advocates want Governor Mike DeWine to allocate at least 100 million dollars of the state’s federal coronavirus relief funds for emergency rental assistance.
Click here to read the "Out Of Reach 2020" report.