Chapter 176 | Housing Advisory Boards

Section 176.01 | Municipal corporation, county or township may establish or designate housing advisory board.

• Effective: October 10, 1991
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 339 - 119th General Assembly

(A) Any municipal corporation, county, or township may, alone or jointly with one or more contiguous or overlapping other municipal corporations, counties, or townships, establish or designate a housing advisory board.

(B) The purposes of a housing advisory board are:

(1) To receive and review comprehensive plans for the development and maintenance of affordable housing submitted to the housing advisory board pursuant to division (A)(2) of section 176.04 of the Revised Code by any such political subdivision it serves;

(2) To receive and review written descriptions submitted to the housing advisory board pursuant to division (A)(3) of section 176.04 of the Revised Code by any subdivision it serves of the purposes to which such subdivision proposes to apply the proceeds of general obligations such subdivision proposes to issue or the moneys raised by taxation that such subdivision proposes to expend pursuant to Section 16 of Article VIII, Ohio Constitution;

(3) To advise the subdivisions it serves regarding the plans and descriptions it receives pursuant to divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section; and

(4) To perform such other advisory functions for any subdivision it serves related to such subdivision's programs to provide, or assist in providing, housing as such subdivision may request it to perform.

(C) Every housing advisory board shall include balanced representation of each of the following groups located within the political subdivisions served by the board:

(1) Institutions that lend money for housing;

(2) Nonprofit builders and developers of housing;

(3) For-profit builders and developers of housing;

(4) For-profit builders and developers of rental housing;

(5) Real estate brokers licensed under Chapter 4735. of the Revised Code;

(6) Other persons with professional knowledge regarding local housing needs and fair housing issues within the subdivisions served by the board;

(7) Residents of areas of the subdivisions served by the board that could receive housing assistance from such subdivisions;

(8) Any metropolitan housing authority operating within the subdivisions served by the board;

(9) The elected officials of the political subdivisions served by the board;

(10) Such other groups or individuals that the appointing authority determines are necessary to provide balanced advice on housing plans and programs.

(D) The board of county commissioners shall do one of the following:

(1) Appoint the members of a county housing advisory board;

(2) Designate an existing board, commission, or committee of the county to serve as the county housing advisory board and, if necessary to achieve the balanced representation required by division (C) of this section, appoint additional members to serve with or in an advisory capacity to the existing board, commission, or committee when it meets as a county housing advisory board.

Subject to the requirements of division (C) of this section and any requirements governing membership in an existing county board, commission, or committee that is designated to serve as the county housing advisory board, the number of members of a county housing advisory board and the length of their terms shall be determined by the board of county commissioners.

(E) The mayor of a municipal corporation, with the consent of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation, shall do one of the following:

(1) Appoint the members of a municipal corporation housing advisory board;

(2) Designate an existing board, commission, or committee of the municipal corporation to serve as the municipal corporation housing advisory board and, if necessary to achieve the balanced representation required by division (C) of this section, appoint additional members to serve with or in an advisory capacity to the existing board, commission, or committee when it meets as a municipal corporation housing advisory board.

Subject to the requirements of division (C) of this section and any requirements governing membership in an existing municipal corporation board, commission, or committee that is designated to serve as the municipal corporation housing advisory board, the number of members of the municipal corporation housing board and the length of their terms shall be determined by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation.

(F) The board of township trustees shall do one of the following:

(1) Appoint the members of a township housing advisory board;

(2) Designate an existing board, commission, or committee of the township to serve as the township housing advisory board and, if necessary to achieve the balanced representation required by division (C) of this section, appoint additional members to serve with or in an advisory capacity to the existing board, commission, or committee when it meets as a township housing advisory board.

Subject to the requirements of division (C) of this section and any requirements governing membership in an existing township board, commission, or committee that is designated to serve as the township housing advisory board, the number of members of the township advisory board and the length of their terms shall be determined by the board of township trustees.

(G) Whenever any municipal corporation enters into an agreement to use the services of a county housing advisory board pursuant to section 176.02 of the Revised Code and the municipal corporation has a population of fifty thousand or greater, the board shall include at least one member who is a resident of the municipal corporation. The board of county commissioners shall appoint each such member from a list of names submitted to the board of county commissioners by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation to be represented.

(H) Any housing advisory board established or designated under this section shall, within thirty days after its first meeting, notify the department of development in writing of the formation of the board and of its initial members. Thereafter, each housing advisory board shall provide to the department such reports and information regarding the board's activities as the department may require.

Section 176.011 | Creating nonprofit corporation to receive and spend public and private funds for housing purposes.

• Effective: May 15, 1992
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 131 - 119th General Assembly

This section does not apply to any county having a population exceeding one million persons, according to the United States bureau of the census, on the effective date of this section, or to any township or municipal corporation located within such a county.

(A) A board of county commissioners, a board of township trustees, the chief executive officer of a municipal corporation with the consent of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation, or any combination of these, may do one or both of the following:

(1) Create and participate in a nonprofit corporation incorporated under Chapter 1702. of the Revised Code for the purpose of receiving funds from any person to be expended, granted, loaned, or invested for housing purposes, to ensure the efficient use of these funds, and for the coordination of the use of the funds with other local governments. A nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(1) of this section shall not have among its purposes the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing. All funds received by the nonprofit corporation shall be expended for housing purposes under Section 16 of Article VIII, Ohio Constitution, and section 176.04 of the Revised Code.

(2) Create and participate in a nonprofit corporation incorporated under Chapter 1702. of the Revised Code for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, or rehabilitating housing under Section 16 of Article VIII, Ohio Constitution, and section 176.04 of the Revised Code, or participate in an existing nonprofit corporation whose purpose includes the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of housing. A nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(2) of this section shall not have among its purposes any of the purposes for which a nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(1) of this section may be created. The governing board of a nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(2) of this section or in which a county, township, or municipal corporation participates under division (A)(2) of this section shall consist of not more than one-third elected officials or appointees thereof of the county, township, or municipal corporation, or combination thereof, that through the governing boards or chief executive officers create or participate in such corporation.

Housing acquired, constructed, or rehabilitated by a nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(2) of this section is a project for purposes of section 176.05 of the Revised Code and shall be considered a project undertaken by a county, township, or municipal corporation for purposes of section 176.05 of the Revised Code.

Not more than fifteen per cent of the funds received by a nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(1) or (2) of this section from any county, township, or municipal corporation shall be used for administration and salaries of the nonprofit organization. Funds distributed to the nonprofit corporation from any board of county commissioners, board of township trustees, or municipal corporation shall be considered an expenditure for housing purposes under Section 16 of Article VIII, Ohio Constitution. A nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(1) or (2) of this section is a public body for purposes of section 121.22 of the Revised Code, and is subject to that section.

(B) A county, township, or municipal corporation may distribute funds to a nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(1) or (2) of this section that its board or chief executive officer created or in which the board or chief executive officer participates, and no such distribution constitutes a conflict of interest.

(C) Service as a member, trustee, officer, employee, or agent of a nonprofit corporation created under division (A) of this section does not constitute a conflict of interest with the following:

(1) Employment by or membership on a board of county commissioners or a board of township trustees from which the nonprofit corporation receives funds;

(2) Service as the chief executive officer or as a member of the legislative authority of, or employment by, a municipal corporation from which the nonprofit corporation receives funds;

(3) Service on a housing advisory board serving any of the political subdivisions named in division (C) of this section.

(D) A housing advisory board established or designated by any municipal corporation, county, or township, alone or jointly, shall advise the nonprofit corporation created under division (A)(1) or (2) or both of this section in accordance with sections 176.01 and 176.04 of the Revised Code.

Section 176.02 | Service from board of contiguous or overlapping county.

• Effective: October 10, 1991
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 339 - 119th General Assembly

In lieu of establishing or designating its own housing advisory board, any municipal corporation or township may enter into an agreement with an overlapping county or with a contiguous municipal corporation or township to receive the services of the county housing advisory board or the housing advisory board of that other municipal corporation or township. Any two or more counties may enter into an agreement to establish a joint-county housing advisory board.

Section 176.03 | Membership status and compensation.

• Effective: October 10, 1991
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 339 - 119th General Assembly

Membership on any housing advisory board under section 176.01 or 176.02 of the Revised Code does not constitute the holding of a public office or employment by a political subdivision. The legislative authority of the political subdivision that appoints members of a housing advisory board shall determine what, if any, compensation the members of the board shall receive.

Section 176.04 | Issuing general obligations or expending tax moneys.

• Effective: March 24, 2008
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 372 - 127th General Assembly

(A) No municipal corporation, county, or township shall issue general obligations pursuant to section 133.51 of the Revised Code or expend moneys raised by taxation to provide, or assist in providing, housing pursuant to Section 16 of Article VIII, Ohio Constitution, unless the municipal corporation, county, or township has done all of the following:

(1) Established or designated a housing advisory board pursuant to section 176.01 of the Revised Code, or entered into an agreement pursuant to section 176.02 of the Revised Code for the service of a housing advisory board established by one or more other subdivisions;

(2) At least thirty days prior to approval of it by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation, county, or township, submitted to the housing advisory board for review, comments, and recommendations, a comprehensive housing affordability strategy for the municipal corporation, county, or township developed under the "Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act," 104 Stat. 4079 (1990), Pub. Law No. 101-625, or other state or local comprehensive plan for the development and maintenance of affordable housing within the boundaries of the municipal corporation, county, or township.

Approval of the plan by the legislative authority may be effective for a period of one to five years. No submission of an amended plan is required unless the submitted description of the purposes for which any part of those moneys are proposed to be applied is intended to be, or raise a reasonable concern that it might be construed to be, inconsistent with the existing plan.

(3) Submitted to the housing advisory board a written description of the purposes to which the proceeds of the proposed general obligations or the moneys raised by taxation are proposed to be applied, and allowed at least fifteen days to elapse during which the housing advisory board may review the submitted description and advise the municipal corporation, county, or township in accordance with division (D) of this section. For purposes of this section, the written description of the purposes to which the moneys raised by taxation are proposed to be applied may be submitted annually to the housing advisory board prior to the adoption of the annual appropriation measure pursuant to section 5705.38 of the Revised Code.

(B) No municipal corporation, county, or township shall issue general obligations pursuant to section 133.51 of the Revised Code to provide, or assist in providing, housing pursuant to Section 16 of Article VIII, Ohio Constitution, unless the municipal legislative authority, the board of county commissioners, or the board of township trustees has substantially complied with each of the following requirements:

(1) Analyzed the anticipated impact of the purposes to which the proceeds of the proposed general obligations are to be applied upon existing housing patterns in the municipal corporation, county, or township;

(2) Submitted to the housing advisory board serving it a fair housing impact statement summarizing the analysis undertaken under division (B)(1) of this section and conclusions from that analysis;

(3) Submitted to the housing advisory board serving it a plan for affirmative marketing to persons, regardless of marital status, who are members of groups that may be disadvantaged by discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, disability or military status as defined in section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, national origin, ancestry, children, or other similar cause or who traditionally would not be expected to apply for housing at the location proposed to be benefited by the proceeds of the proposed general obligations.

(C) No approval of a housing advisory board shall be required for issuance of general obligations pursuant to section 133.51 of the Revised Code or any proposed expenditure of moneys raised by taxation to provide, or assist in providing, housing pursuant to Section 16 of Article VIII, Ohio Constitution.

(D) The matters on which a housing advisory board shall advise the subdivisions it serves shall include the following:

(1) The consistency of a project or program with the plan submitted under division (A)(2) of this section;

(2) The extent to which any project or program to which the proceeds of the proposed general obligations or the moneys raised by taxation are proposed to be applied may displace households that consequently may need relocation assistance;

(3) The length of time for which projects to which the proceeds of the proposed general obligations or the moneys raised by taxation are proposed to be applied will remain affordable to any targeted income group;

(4) The extent to which any lending program is available, in whole or in part, from private lenders upon reasonably equivalent terms and conditions.

Section 176.05 | Establishing residential prevailing rate of wages.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A)(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the rate of wages payable for the various occupations covered by sections 4115.03 to 4115.16 of the Revised Code to persons employed on a project who are not any of the following shall be determined according to this section:

(a) Qualified volunteers;

(b) Persons required to participate in a work activity, developmental activity, or alternative work activity under sections 5107.40 to 5107.69 of the Revised Code except those engaged in paid employment or subsidized employment pursuant to the activity;

(c) Supplemental nutrition assistance program benefit recipients required to participate in employment and training activities established by rules adopted under section 5101.54 of the Revised Code.

An association representing the general contractors or subcontractors that engage in the business of residential construction in a certain locality shall negotiate with the applicable building and construction trades council in that locality an agreement or understanding that sets forth the residential prevailing rate of wages, payable on projects in that locality, for each of the occupations employed on those projects.

(2) Notwithstanding any residential prevailing rate of wages established prior to July 1, 1995, if, by October 1, 1995, the parties are unable to agree under division (A)(1) of this section as to the rate of wages payable for each occupation covered by sections 4115.03 to 4115.16 of the Revised Code, the director of commerce shall establish the rate of wages payable for each occupation.

(3) The residential prevailing rate of wages established under division (A)(1) or (2) of this section shall not be equal to or greater than the prevailing rate of wages determined by the director pursuant to sections 4115.03 to 4115.16 of the Revised Code for any of the occupations covered by those sections.

(B) Except for the prevailing rate of wages determined by the director pursuant to sections 4115.03 to 4115.16 of the Revised Code, those sections and section 4115.99 of the Revised Code apply to projects.

(C) The residential prevailing rate of wages established under division (A) of this section is not payable to any individual or member of that individual's family who provides labor in exchange for acquisition of the property for homeownership or who provides labor in place of or as a supplement to any rental payments for the property.

(D) For the purposes of this section:

(1) "Project" means any construction, rehabilitation, remodeling, or improvement of residential housing, whether on a single or multiple site for which a person, as defined in section 1.59 of the Revised Code, or municipal corporation, county, or township receives financing, that is financed in whole or in part from state moneys or pursuant to this chapter, section 133.51 or 307.698 of the Revised Code, or Chapter 174. or 175. of the Revised Code, except for any of the following:

(a) The single-family mortgage revenue bonds homeownership program under Chapter 175. of the Revised Code, including owner-occupied dwellings of one to four units;

(b) Projects consisting of fewer than six units developed by any entity that is not a nonprofit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(c) Projects of fewer than twenty-five units developed by any nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(d) Programs undertaken by any municipal corporation, county, or township, including lease-purchase programs, using mortgage revenue bond financing;

(e) Any individual project, that is sponsored or developed by a nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, for which the federal government or any of its agencies furnishes by loan, grant, low-income housing tax credit, or insurance more than twelve per cent of the costs of the project. For purposes of division (D)(2)(e) of this section, the value of the low-income housing tax credits shall be calculated as the proceeds from the sale of the tax credits, less the costs of the sale.

As used in division (D)(1)(e) of this section, "sponsored" means that a general partner of a limited partnership owning the project or a managing member of a limited liability company owning the project is either a nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or a person, as defined in section 1.59 of the Revised Code, or a limited liability company in which such a nonprofit organization maintains controlling interest. For purposes of this division, a general partner of a limited partnership that is a nonprofit organization described under this division is not required to be the sole general partner in the limited partnership, and a managing member of a limited liability company that is a nonprofit organization described under this division is not required to be the sole managing member in the limited liability company.

Nothing in division (D)(1)(e) of this section shall be construed as permitting unrelated projects to be combined for the sole purpose of determining the total percentage of project costs furnished by the federal government or any of its agencies.

(2) A "project" is a "public improvement" and the state or a political subdivision that undertakes or participates in the financing of a project is a "public authority," as both of the last two terms are defined in section 4115.03 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Qualified volunteers" are volunteers who are working without compensation for a nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and that is providing housing or housing assistance only to families and individuals in a county whose incomes are not greater than one hundred forty per cent of the median income of that county as determined under section 174.04 of the Revised Code.

Section 176.06 | Number and dollar amount of mortgage loans.

• Effective: March 24, 2008
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 372 - 127th General Assembly

(A) Each municipal corporation, county, and township shall compile and make available, in accordance with this section, to the public for inspection and copying for a period of five years, the number and total dollar amount of mortgage loans that were originated, for which completed applications were received and applicants were rejected, and that were purchased by that municipal corporation, county, or township during each fiscal year. Information regarding each mortgage loan category described in this section shall be itemized to clearly and conspicuously disclose the following:

(1) The number and dollar amount of mortgage loans insured under Title II of the "National Housing Act," 48 Stat. 1246 (1934), 12 U.S.C.A. 1707 et seq., or under Title V of the "Housing Act of 1949," 63 Stat. 413, 432, 42 U.S.C.A. 1471 et seq., or guaranteed under the "Veterans' Loan Act," 58 Stat. 284 (1944), 38 U.S.C.A. 1801 et seq.;

(2) The number and dollar amount of mortgage loans made to mortgagors who did not, at the time of execution of the mortgage, intend to reside in the property securing the mortgage loan;

(3) The number and dollar amount of home improvement loans;

(4) The number and dollar amount of mortgage loans involving mortgagors or mortgage applicants grouped according to census tract, income level, race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, disability as defined in section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, military status as defined in that section, and national origin.

(B) The information described in this section shall be made available to the public in raw data form and updated quarterly. Within four months after the end of each fiscal year, each municipal corporation, county, and township shall submit to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives a report containing the information described in this section for the immediately preceding fiscal year.

(C) As used in this section, "mortgage loan" means a loan secured by a mortgage, deed of trust, or other security interest to finance the acquisition, construction, improvement, or rehabilitation of single-family residential housing.

Section 176.07 | Developing regulations for state housing loan, loan guarantee, loan subsidy and grant programs.

• Effective: July 1, 2005
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 431 - 125th General Assembly

The director of development, in consultation with the public and the housing trust fund advisory committee created under section 174.06 of the Revised Code, shall develop regulations applicable to all existing and future state housing loan, loan guarantee, loan subsidy, and grant programs. The regulations shall require recipients of financing from state housing programs, that provide or assist in providing multi-family rental housing, to do both of the following:

(A) Reasonably ensure that the multi-family rental housing will be affordable to those families and individuals targeted for the multi-family rental housing for the useful life of the multi-family rental housing or thirty years, whichever is longer;

(B) Prepare and implement a plan to reasonably assist any families and individuals displaced by the multi-family housing in obtaining decent affordable housing.

The department of development shall distribute a copy of these regulations to each local housing advisory board to serve as a guideline for carrying out the requirements of divisions (D)(2) and (3) of section 176.04 of the Revised Code.

Section 176.08 | Unlawful discriminatory practices.

• Effective: October 10, 1991
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 339 - 119th General Assembly

Each municipal corporation, county, and township shall monitor its exercise of housing authority under Section 16 of Article VIII, Ohio Constitution, to ensure that it does not encourage, contribute to, or participate in an unlawful discriminatory practice under division (H) of section 4112.02 of the Revised Code or discriminate against families with children.